The Best Gift

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” John 16:8

Sin. Righteousness. Judgement. Ever wonder why the Holy Spirit’s job description did not include convicting people of God’s love? Isn’t love humanity’s greatest need? And what about healing? There is so much sickness and suffering in the world.

Once Jesus was preaching in a very crowded house when four guys poked a hole in the roof and lowered their paralyzed friend down at the feet of Jesus. Everyone must have been expecting a miraculous healing, but that’s not exactly how things went. Instead, Jesus told the man, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Mankind’s greatest need is not love, although we are infinitely loved by God. Our greatest need is not even healing, although Jesus did eventually heal the paralyzed man. Humanity’s greatest need is to be forgiven. We can tell the world God loves them, but if we don’t teach them about repentance and forgiveness, they are headed to a Godless eternity.

When we understand that we are sinners, that God is righteous, and that God will one day judge our sin, we realize that forgiveness is our greatest need. Jesus didn’t withhold healing from the paralyzed man. He just unwrapped the best gift first. Without forgiveness, the man would have gotten up and walked out the door to one day die in his sin and spend eternity apart from God.