Mercy on DisplaySýnishorn

“The cross has made the way for us

So we can come and call upon Your name

And now oh death, you've lost your sting

As love has triumphed over sin and grave”

MERCY AT THE CROSS

Mercy is a beautiful gift: the gift of relationship, the gift of love and hope when we don’t deserve it. We all have choices we regret, things we wish we’d never said or done, and deep down we hope that we’ll find mercy. Because mercy is so much more than a feeling or disposition. It is kindness in action, the opportunity of a fresh start when we need it, again and again.

The wonderful truth is that mercy is part of God’s DNA. Throughout the Bible, God describes himself as merciful and compassionate, and His mercy all comes perfectly into focus through the cross of Jesus. In fact, we cannot understand mercy without understanding the cross and why we need it.

We live in a world that wants to deny that we’re responsible for our choices, actions, and even our thoughts. But when God’s Spirit starts to breathe life into our souls, we quickly discover the depths of our own selfishness and pride. The Bible calls this the ‘conviction of sin’—knowing that we have fallen short of God's goodness. One of the markers of God’s work in our hearts is a growing realisation that we don’t deserve forgiveness or another chance.

And yet, God is gracious and merciful.

At the cross our failings are judged, our selfishness is condemned, and our sin is punished. Jesus bears the weight of God’s justice so we can receive His mercy. Jesus takes on the sin of the world so that we can be given His righteousness. Jesus embraces rejection and suffering so we can be forgiven and accepted.

The love of God triumphs over the power of sin and death.

The beauty of the cross is that we don’t get what we deserve or expect. We’re not rejected and judged, because Jesus was in our place. So we can stand before God with no shame or pretence, because we don’t have to hide or minimise our failings. At the cross we meet the mercy of God—we are known and loved, and through Jesus we are unconditionally accepted. At the cross we get the clearest picture of God’s heart towards us. It is powerful and public—God’s Mercy on Display!

1. Whose life first showed me God’s mercy? How did they live it out?
2. How much does my life point others to the mercy of the cross?