Why should we be merciful? Because we ourselves desperately need God’s mercy (Matthew 5:7). Christ’s kingdom is about forgiveness—God forgiving us! And us gratefully forgiving others (Matthew 6:12-15; 18:23-35).
The just penalty for sin is death (Genesis 2:17; Romans 5:12; 6:23). How can God be perfectly just and perfectly merciful? By sending His Son to take our place, to suffer all the punishment we deserve. Jesus clearly stated His purpose: “to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). When Jesus ate the last Passover meal with His disciples, He said,
This [grape drink] is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:27-28 cf. Luke 22:19-20)
Jesus’ blood established a New Covenant in which God assures His people, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6-13). The Good News is that, in His kingdom, God sets us free from our sins! He does so at a terrible cost to Himself. He allowed Jesus’ enemies—the Jewish and Roman authorities—to arrest Jesus, to place Him on trial, to falsely find Him guilty, and to hang Him by nails to die on a wooden cross (Mathew 26- 27; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; John 18-19). This history had been foretold by the prophet Isaiah, 700 years before the historical events themselves. Notice what Isaiah revealed about the purpose served by the Servant’s suffering.
“WITH HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED.”
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…. He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement [punishment] that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6 cf. 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
Isaiah went further. After describing the coming Servant’s death and burial (Isaiah 53:8-9), Isaiah showed the suffering Servant as very much alive and enjoying the result of His sacrifice (Isaiah 53:10-11). What Isaiah foresaw became reality, as testified by many eyewitnesses, and as recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and 1 Corinthians.