A feature of the US presidential handover last January was a flurry of pardons. Biden proactively pardoned those closest to him, and Trump pardoned people with well documented crimes of riot. Naturally there was much debate about the appropriateness of both sets of pardons, and the precedents they set.
In the week of Easter we have an episode of huge injustice, sentencing, punishment, and then vindication - all happening to Jesus. As Christians we understand that this brings and even bigger deal of pardon - so big that it's scale can extend to all humanity, can apply retroactively to sins & people past, and also proactively to sins & people future. It really is the Great Pardon, from Jesus the Great Pardoner.
An interesting aspect of some of the Biden pardons were that they covered future crimes not yet committed - a kind of ultimate speculative insurance policy. That has a curious parallel with the pardon we receive through the death of Jesus on the cross. When we as Christians repent and believe, we typically are sorry for sins past and are grateful for His forgiveness. Yet the reality is that we will sin again, of course. Thankfully, the pardon of Jesus covers those future wrongdoings ... at least on the assumption that we remain in Christ.
The pardon of Jesus is not of course license for us to live however we choose (and I don't think Biden intended that for those he pardoned either), but rather a covering for fallen broken lives. Our shame for previous wrong-doing is removed, enabling us to venture forward in life with heads held high - to do our best to follow Him in His ways. We will not be perfect, but in remaining in Him there is already pardon granted for future failures on our part.
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