What Old Testament passages connect with the authority to forgive sins? Setting the Scene: Jesus Grants Authority (John 20:23) • John 20:23 – “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.” • The risen Lord breathes the Spirit on the apostles, then speaks these decisive words, echoing patterns deeply rooted in the Old Testament. Old Testament Echoes of Mediated Forgiveness • God alone forgives, yet He uses representatives who declare that forgiveness. • The priestly and prophetic roles in Israel preview the apostolic ministry Jesus institutes here. Priests Who Announce Forgiveness after Sacrifice • Leviticus 4:26, 31 – “In this way the priest will make atonement for the man, and he will be forgiven.” • Leviticus 5:10 – “The priest will make atonement for him … and he will be forgiven.” • Leviticus 6:7 – “The priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for anything he may have done to incur guilt.” • Numbers 15:25 – “The priest will make atonement … and they will be forgiven.” • Pattern: – A prescribed sacrifice is offered. – The priest, acting under divine mandate, pronounces the result: “he will be forgiven.” – The authority rests in God, yet the declaration is voiced through God-appointed servants. Prophets Who Pronounced Divine Pardon • 2 Samuel 12:13 – Nathan to David: “The LORD has taken away your sin.” • Isaiah 6:7 – The seraph declares to Isaiah: “Your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.” • Isaiah 40:2 – “Her iniquity has been pardoned.” • Jeremiah 31:34 – “I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sins no more.” • Prophets, like priests, transmit God’s verdict of forgiveness, pointing ahead to a fuller, Spirit-empowered authority. The Foreshadowing of the New Covenant • Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:25-27 promise a day when forgiveness and the Spirit come together. • The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:30 – “on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you”) anticipates the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:11-14). • In John 20, the sacrifice is finished (John 19:30), the Spirit is imparted, and the apostles become the new-covenant counterparts to the priests—authorized to announce forgiveness purchased by the cross. Key Takeaways for Today • Scripture consistently shows God delegating the public declaration of pardon to His chosen servants. • Old Testament priests and prophets were limited, yet their ministry prefigured the greater authority Christ entrusts to His Spirit-filled church. • When believers proclaim the gospel, we echo those priestly words: in Christ, “you will be forgiven.” |
    |