CHRISTMAS MERCY:  PART 1

“His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” – Luke 1:50 

No wonder Mary mentioned the mercy of God in her song of praise before she gave birth to Jesus. The Christmas story is all about mercy! God is love, and the Bible says that “he delights in mercy” (Micah 7:18, emphasis added). He had already shown his mercy and lovingkindness before the coming of our Savior to this earth. We see it in the Psalms of David, and we see it in the longsuffering of God towards the people of Israel, even when they disobeyed.

But when Jesus was born, it was the ultimate outpouring of the mercy of God. It was what God had intended from the foundation of the world. He gave his only Son to come and live a life of perfect righteousness and then to pay the debt for sins he never committed. It was for your sins and mine that he gave his life. The righteous requirements of a just God were thus fulfilled. Through his death on Calvary, Jesus restored our relationship with the Father. Even more, he now invites us to freely approach his throne of grace, daily, to receive the mercy we all need. Let’s accept his invitation this Christmas season!