mercy – Page 2 – Three Minute Bible

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?”