Trebor’s Testimony

“John, it must really suck to be in your situation and I hope that things get better. I know that my cake won’t help that but maybe my words can. At youth group, I learned about two disciples, Peter and John (good name, huh?), who were by the temple when a crippled man asked them for money. Peter says… hold up, let me pull it up on my Bible app… oh, here it is…

But Peter said, ‘I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. 

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!’

“The man stood up healed! I don’t have the power to change your situation but you can’t let go of hope. When Adam fell away from God in the Garden of Eden, God gave them hope by promising a redeemer one day. Long story short, that promise was kept when Jesus came in the form of a baby. He grew up, lived a morally perfect life, and was falsely killed. I had to memorize these verses for church: they’re from First Peter 2. It says:

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, 

but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

“Yes, I’ve heard this,” says John. “It’s all very depressing.”

“Right,” says Trebor, a little louder than he intended. “But three days later he rose from the grave. He then went back up into heaven and promises a return. I mean, how epic is that?”

“It would make a good movie, I’m sure.”

“Here’s the most important part,” says Trebor. “God was motivated by pure love. If there’s a falling out with God, it’s never God that leaves. He loves with a deeper passion than anything we can experience from other people.

“Like I said, I don’t know what it’s like to be you but God sees you. He knows you. If you have any hope, put it in God. You can hope for things on earth but they don’t always come true. But if you have hope in God, you can know that your future is in your hands. The rest of the verses I memorized say:

By his wounds you have been healed. For 

you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to 

the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

“So there’s hope for healing. We all like sheep have wandered. But our sins were put on Christ, who is our Shepherd.”

John begins to break down and says, “You’re not the first person to tell me that, son.” The man turns his back and weeps. How should Trebor respond?