Mercy triumphs over judgement.
We want to relate to everyone in this way.
The good news of Jesus Christ is amazing.
Sometimes it’s difficult to believe because it is so good.
We use a particular word to refer to it, a word used throughout the New Testament.
It is the word: gospel.
Gospel (/ˈɡɒspəl/) is the Old English translation of the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον, meaning "good news".
There are so many phrases and statements in the Bible that are synonymous with the gospel.
Here are some phrases that are so powerful that they nearly sum up what is good about the good news of Jesus, as God’s character and compassion are revealed in them, and as they are displayed in the person of Christ:
1. God is Love.
2. Jesus is Lord.
3. Mercy triumphs over judgement.
Let’s focus on one of these phrases, although to focus on any one is to also speak of the rest, because they are all aspects of the goodness of God and the good news of Jesus.
Mercy triumphs over judgement.
– James 2:13b
In exploring this powerful truth of the gospel, throughout Scripture, we give it more context, and further reiterate, describe, and discover its beauty and potency.
Historically, the statement: mercy triumphs over judgement is attributed to the first century apostle James, the brother of Jesus, who was so committed to the good news of Jesus that he died, according to Christian tradition, as a martyr. He was judged and condemned by others for both his belief and actions, rooted in God’s mercy toward the wicked, rebellious, and sinners.
This gospel tradition, for which James was killed, is found throughout the Old and New Testaments, and, for followers of Jesus, it is a solid theological foundation upon which we build all that we confess and believe about God’s love and Jesus’ lordship.
We find this powerful truth in the following, similar Biblical passages, and statements.
The following are the words that God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. The context is clear. The people of God had sinned. In response, God said this:
5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished…”
- Exodus 34:5-7a
This is perhaps one of the most powerful, Biblical descriptions of God’s character and of His mercy.
When Moses encountered God on Mount Sinai, after he had broken the first tablets containing the law of God because of the sin of God’s people, the book of Exodus tells us that Moses’ face became radiant.
Similarly, the Psalmist declares:
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
- Psalm 34:5
Moses had an experience similar to what David describes in the following passage of Scripture.
In Psalm 130, we find these words that are attributed to David:
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
The Proverbs of Solomon similarly relate the following:
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
– Proverbs 28:13
And, as the prophet Isaiah wrote:
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
- Isaiah 1:18
Apparently, according to the God of the Old Testament, mercy triumphs over judgement.
What about the God of the New Testament?
We know what James said, but what of Jesus?
Jesus said…
35 …the Most High…is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
- Luke 6:35b-37
In the sermon on the mount, it could be said, that Jesus similarly declared…
… Blessed are the poor in spirit, or, the spiritually bankrupt… the unspiritual, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like this.
… Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, or, those who are starving for righteousness, the unrighteous, for they will be filled.
And…
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” – Matthew 5:7
Jesus was so committed to these principles that he even declared lawbreakers to be innocent to those who would judge and condemn them.
He said…
7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
– Matthew 12:7
Many of us struggle at times with the common irrational belief that “certain people” are vile, evil, and infamous and should be blamed and punished for their perversity.
Others of us may go so far as to irrationally believe that others should be damned if they do not agree with our version of morality.
Saul of Tarsus is a Biblical example of this type of a person. Here is what he later wrote about it, after encountering Jesus, face to face, and his subsequent transformation by the mercy of God:
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
– 1 Timothy 1:12-17
This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is the good news of God’s love and of His mercy.
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
- Luke 18:9-14
We believe that the good news of God’s mercy is still transforming lives today and that mercy still triumphs over judgement.
Here’s a beautiful example of what we mean:
We pray that you would experience God’s mercy today, according to the good news of His great love expressed in Jesus, by the transforming power of His Spirit.
