mercy – Three Minute Bible

May 12, 2025May 12, 2025

Philippians 1:7b – The Last Place

Picture of a prison door, with a sign in front that reads, "The Last Place" (Grok)

… whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.

Summary: Paul, writing from prison, talks about sharing in the grace of God. This leads us to wonder about what “grace” is and what it means.

Have you ever noticed that whatever you are looking for, you always find it in the last place you look? It’s funny because it is true! It is also “funny” (odd) because sometimes the last place we look is the last place we would ever think to look.

For example, whoever thought the world would be saved by someone crucified by the Romans two thousand years ago?

September 6, 2024September 7, 2024

Galatians 6:16a – The Judge’s Son

Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule …

Summary: Following Paul’s logic always keeps us on our toes. Today’s challenge is discerning which rule Paul is referring to.

August 14, 2024August 14, 2024

Galatians 6:4a – The Test

Each one should test their own actions.

Summary: The Bible challenges us to look in the mirror and take the log out of our own eye (Matthew 7:3). Paul applies the challenge in a slightly different way and asks us the question, “Who do we think we are?”

October 5, 2023October 5, 2023

Ephesians 6:9c – I’ll Take the Same

… and there is no favoritism with him.

Summary: What kind of God do we serve, anyway? Does he ever show favoritism? As it turns out, the answer is, “No.”

March 23, 2021March 24, 2021

Titus 3:5 (c) — God’s Dilemma

He saved us … because of his mercy.

Summary: Putting ourselves in God’s place for a moment feels weird. Yet there is something to be learned in making the attempt. We discover that creating humanity also created the possibility of family.

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020

Jude 1: 7b — The Third Group

They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

As Jude dives into the topic of his letter, we immediately understand that there are three groups of people involved.

The first group, the group that James is part of, are “loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.”

The second group, not mentioned by name but implied, are the people of the world who do not know Jesus but need Him. These people are not “lost” to Christ, but neither are they yet “found.” The one thing about this group that applies to all of them is that none of them claim to be Christians.

December 16, 2018December 15, 2018

Who, What, When, Where … Why?

God is amazingly good about explaining things to his people. So far in Zechariah’s prophecy, we have seen who is being raised up, what he will do, when this will happen, where it will occur, and now why.

…because of the tender mercy of our God...

Luke 1: 78a

This is not a ruthless mercy, a calculating mercy, or a pitying mercy, but a tender mercy. Such a phrase suggests a depth of love that might be expected between mother and child, or the new love of a man and woman. And why mercy? Well, we already know the answer to that. No one to this point in time has ever been able to live a sinless life.

December 12, 2018December 11, 2018

Ancestry

When Zechariah regains his voice he bursts out in praise for God and prophesies by the Holy Spirit (v67). Referring to Jesus, he explains what God has done and how He, God/Messiah, has come to redeem his people. He then tells us that God has come …

to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant…

Luke 1: 72

The ancestors Zechariah refers to are probably not those who are still living, but the dead.

This is an important point because one of the questions I hear asked now and then is, “What about those people who were alive and then died before Jesus came?”