Pardons and the Ultimate Price Paid

Yesterday’s headlines buzzed with the news of Hunter Biden’s presidential pardon by his father, President Joe Biden. It’s a story that stirs emotions, no matter where one stands politically

A father’s love is on full display — a willingness to stand by a child despite their mistakes, missteps, and sins. And honestly, were I in Joe Biden’s shoes, I might have done the same. After all, as parents, our love often overrides judgment. We long to see our children free from the weight of their failures, even if they brought the trouble on themselves.

But as I ponder this, my mind turns to a much greater story of a Father and a Son. One where the Father didn’t step in to save His child. One where love was displayed not in a pardon, but in a sacrifice. Our Heavenly Father, full of mercy and grace, allowed His entirely sinless Son, Jesus, to bear the punishment of the guilty.

Jesus didn’t just face a public scandal. He was mocked, beaten, spit upon, falsely accused, and ultimately nailed to a cross. The innocent took on the sins of the world, paying the price for every wrong thing you and I — and, yes, Hunter Biden too — has ever done. Jesus bore the full weight of sin, completely abandoned, so that we might never be abandoned by God.

Here’s the heart-wrenching truth: while a sinful man like Hunter Biden may receive earthly pardon, a sinless man, Jesus Christ, received no such reprieve. Yet through His death and resurrection, Jesus offers a divine pardon to all of us. Not a political one, but an eternal one — a pardon that erases our sins and sets us free.

This contrast is staggering, isn’t it? One man, though guilty, walks away free. Another man, though innocent, bore the punishment he didn’t deserve. Yet this is the good news of the Gospel: Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t in vain. It opened the door for us to receive forgiveness, grace, and freedom that lasts forever.

So, as we reflect on yesterday’s events, let’s remember this: earthly pardons are temporary, but the eternal pardon we receive through Christ is unshakable and priceless. His love is what truly sets us free.