Rejoice: Celebrating the Season of AdventSample

God’s Tender Mercy

Read: Luke 1:76-79; Mark 1:40-45; Hebrews 4:14-16

SOAP: Luke 1:78-79

“Because of our God’s tender mercy,

the dawn will break upon us from on high

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Into the Text

Zechariah beautifully described how God’s tender mercy came down from heaven. Even though God is holy and all-powerful, He came to earth like the dawn. He didn’t come with deadly energy, like a lightning flash, to crush us. Neither did He come like a meteorite, bright and spectacular, but destructive upon impact. In Jesus, God came like a gentle, quiet sunrise, a light hardly visible at first but gradually growing brighter and brighter until all the darkness of the night is swallowed up.

God came from heaven because He is merciful, meaning He is compassionate and feels great tenderness towards those He made. When He sees us in our sin and guilt, His heart is moved, and He wants to help us. He gave us His Son, who left the glory of heaven in order to be one of us and live on this earth. Instead of punishing us as we deserved, He allowed His own perfect Son to face our punishment, so we can be forgiven. God does not help us because of anything we have done, are doing now, or will do in the future. Instead, He does so out of His great mercy and love towards us.

When we look at Jesus in the Gospels, we can clearly see God’s mercy. Even though Jesus was pure and without sin, He did not hesitate to receive sinners. He had long conversations with Pharisees, attended dinner parties with tax collectors, and called sinful men and women to follow Him. In the story we read today, Jesus didn’t just say the words to heal a man with the dreaded disease of leprosy. In compassion, He stretched out His hand and touched him.

When God comes to us in Jesus, it is like the sunrise after a long and cold night. He comes near to us and doesn’t draw away. He takes away the darkness of sin, fear, despair, and sorrow. The day will become brighter and brighter until we see Him in heaven, where we will live in His glorious, healing light forever. Let’s join with Zechariah in praising our God who is so tender in mercy.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your tender mercy, sending your Son, and being so compassionate with me day after day. Help me become more merciful towards others. Amen.