My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:1-2

God sends his Son not to chastise you but to rescue you.  Did you ever chase a child because she was headed out into the street toward danger and you wanted to save her? That’s what God did when he sent his Son. He sent him to chase after us.

Over and over again, God must come after us because we drift into sin and away from him. The Latin word for sin is peccatum and it means “to miss the mark.” Jesus came to earth so that we would not miss the mark with our lives, but rather live in a relationship with God.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being our advocate with the Father. Thank you for being the living sign of God’s grace. Help me to hit the mark and become more like you every day.