84 Sermon Illustrations on Mercy

The pastor of a large city church was walking down the street one day with set lips and a steely look in his eye. A parishioner greeted him with the question, "How are you today, Pastor?" He waked as from a dream and said, "I am mad!" It was an unusual word for this mild-mannered Christian, but he went on to explain with deep emotion: "I found a widow standing by her goods thrown into the street. She could not pay the month's rent. The landlord turned her out; one of her children is going to die; and that man is a member of the church! I told her to take her things back again. I am on my way to see him now!" Wrath against injustice, hypocrisy, and greed can be found throughout Scripture. But if we are to be guided by the Word of God, our wrath must always yield to mercy when the repentant sinner turns to ask forgiveness.

The Marshal D'Armont, having taken Croton, ordered every Spaniard found in the garrison to be put to death. Though it was death to disobey orders, an English soldier ventured to save a Spaniard. He was arraigned for the offence, confessed the fact, and declared himself ready to suffer death if they would save the life of the Spaniard. Surprised at the request, they inquired why he was so much interested. "Because," replied he, "in a similar situation, he once saved my life." The marshal was so greatly pleased, that he granted him pardon, and saved the Spaniard's life.

CÆSAR AT PHARSALIA.—Julius Cæsar was not more eminent for his valor in overcoming his enemies, than for his humane efforts in reconciling and attaching them to his dominion. In the battle of Pharsalia he rode to and fro, calling vehemently out, "Spare, spare the citizens!" Nor were any killed but such as obstinately refused to accept life. After the battle, he gave every man on his own side leave to save any of the opposite from the list of proscription; and at no long time after he issued an edict, permitting all whom he had not yet pardoned, to return in peace to Italy, to enjoy their estates and honors. It was a common saying of Cæsar that no music was so charming to his ears, as the requests of his friends, and the supplications of those in want of his assistance.

When Agrippa was in a private station, he was accused, by one of his servants, of having spoken injuriously of Tiberius, and was condemned by the emperor to be exposed in chains before the palace gate. The weather was very hot, and Agrippa became excessively thirsty. Seeing Thaumastus, a servant of Caligula, pass by with a pitcher of water, he called to him, and entreated leave to drink. The servant presented the pitcher with much courtesy; and Agrippa having allayed his thirst, said to him, "Assure thyself, Thaumastus, that if I get out of this captivity, I will one day pay thee well for this draught of water." Tiberius dying, his successor Caligula, soon after not only set Agrippa at liberty, but made him king of Judea. In this high situation Agrippa was not unmindful of the glass of water given to him when a captive. He immediately sent for Thaumastus, and made him comptroller of his household.

When the Romans had ravaged the province of Azazene, and seven thousand Persians were brought prisoners to Amida, where they suffered extreme want, Acases, Bishop of Amida, assembled his clergy, and represented to them the misery of these unhappy prisoners. He observed that as God had said, "I love mercy better than sacrifice," he would certainly be better pleased with the relief of his suffering creatures, than with being served with gold and silver in the churches. The clergy were of the same opinion. The consecrated vessels were sold; and with the proceeds, the seven thousand Persians were not only maintained during the war, but sent home at its conclusion with money in their pockets. Varenes, the Persian monarch, was so chanced with this humane action, that he invited the bishop to his capital, where he received him with the utmost reverence, and for his sake conferred many favors on the Christians.

Abraham Lincoln’s doorkeeper had standing orders from him, that no matter how great might be the throng, if either senators or representatives had to wait, or to be turned away without an audience, he must see, before the day closed, every messenger who came with a petition for the saving of life.

Judge Mulqueen, of General Sessions, New York City, explained why he had sentenced two prisoners to “go home and serve time with their families.” This “punishment” was imposed when both men pleaded drunkenness as their excuse for trivial offenses.

In the case of the first man, said the judge, the offense had been assault. The prisoner, an employee of the Street Cleaning Department, had a wife and five children to support, and had already spent more than a month in the Tombs, waiting for his trial.

“Now, to send such a man to jail,” continued Judge Mulqueen, “would do decidedly more harm than good. He wasn’t a criminal. I think he was penitent, and he promised to do as I said, to cut out drink and attend to business.

“Still, his offense was a misdemeanor in the eyes of the law, and I might have given him a year in the penitentiary and $500 fine, which usually means another year, since the men pay their fines by working for the State. Instead of that, I placed him on probation for a year.

“He must report once a week to the probation officer. Also, he is watched, not suspiciously, but merely as a matter of precaution. If he is caught entering a saloon--I warned him of this--he will be punished. It’s simply giving him a chance to make good.”

Gives two cases where judges wanted to help a defendant get off lightly so they could make restitution, but were overturned. The judges resigned rather than take part in injustice.

Account of a chaplain at a pre-execution prayer service:

At 8:30 p.m. on September 5, 1983, the small communion service began in the state penitentiary in Parchman, Mississippi. Among the five men was Jimmy Lee Gray, convicted for the rape and murder of a three-year-old girl. Gray, 32, became a Christian in 1977 while awaiting trial. “I was waiting for a lightning bolt of justice and was hit by a lightning bolt of mercy.”

In a prayer circle, Pastor Joe Ingle could not come up with words, so he recited Romans 8:33-39. “...neither death, nor life...will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Rev. Ingle later remarked: “Somehow the Spirit spoke through that prayer in a way that reached all of us around the circle. Then they took Jimmy out and put him to death. Yes, people will do horrible things in their sinful state. The question is: How do we respond when they repent? Killing them is not the answer.”

#1969

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RADICAL VIEW: What Happens When I Don't Forgive.

When somebody's done me wrong, my gut instinct is to lash back, to let the anger burn, to plot revenge. Often, forgiveness is the last thing on my mind. But then I start to get these weird feelings. I get tense. Crabby. Mad.

When I don't forgive, those feelings get even uglier, going through a typical progression. When I don't forgive, I often feel...

* judgmental ("You're a jerk!")

* hateful ("I despise you!")

* guilty ("I feel bad about the way I reacted.")

* unforgiven ("If I don't forgive you, do I deserve God's forgiveness?")

There's a reason, of course, that my thoughts progress to the point of feeling unforgiven:

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15).

When I don't forgive others, I'm essentially saying, "You're a sinner, and I'm not." But God can't forgive me until I admit that I, like everyone else, have "sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and that I need his forgiveness.

ON THE OTHER HAND ...

When I DO choose to forgive, I go through a whole new set of feelings, feelings that free me, alleviate my stress, and generally make me more fun to be around. Feelings that, pretty much, are just the opposite of the ones I've already described.

When I forgive, I feel:

* non-judgmental

* merciful

* guilt-free

* forgiven

Those are good things. But they're not the only reasons to forgive. The main reason is this: God tells us to forgive.

Forgiveness is healing -- not only for me, but also for those I forgive. When I choose to forgive, relationships can be restored -- not only between me and others, but between me and God, too.

Now, forgiveness isn't easy. Sometimes, it seems downright impossible -- and without God's help, it would be. God never said forgiveness would be easy. Do you think it was easy for Jesus, his hands and feet nailed to the cross, to forgive the people who so mercilessly carried out such a cruel execution? (See Luke 23:34.)

It's not easy for us to forgive others either -- even though the "trespasses against us" that we experience almost every day are pretty insignificant compared to Jesus death.

But forgiveness is the right thing to do. Not only because it brings the nice, warm feelings of freedom and joy, but because God wants us to do it. And that's reason enough to forgive.

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Copyright (c) 1996 Christianity Today, Inc./CAMPUS LIFE Magazine May/June 1996, Vol. 54, No. 10, Page 26

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#3937

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Napoleon was moved by a mother's plea for a pardon for her son. However, the emperor said it was the second offense; and justice demanded death. “I do not ask for justice,” implored the mother, “I plead for mercy.”

“But,” said the emperor, “he does not deserve mercy.”

“Sire,” cried the mother, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.”

The compassion and clarity of the mother's logic prompted Napoleon to respond, “Well, then, I will have mercy.”

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Nelson L. Price, {Supreme Happiness} (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1979) 78-79

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The story is told of a politician who, after receiving the proofs of a portrait, was very angry with the photographer. He stormed back to the photographer and arrived with these angry words: "This picture does not do me justice!"

The photographer replied, "Sir, with a face like yours, you don't need justice, you need mercy!"

One of the most publicized events of the last decade was the execution of a Texas woman who had been convicted of murdering two people 14 years earlier. During her time in prison, she became a Christian. The evident genuineness of her conversion elicited calls from all over the world to spare her life. Even the Pope pleaded with the Governor of Texas to intervene. In the end, those who sought justice for the crime she committed prevailed. With a lethal cocktail running through her veins, Karla Fay Tucker “coughed twice, let out a soft groan, and fell silent.”(1)

The debate raised by this case was gripping enough, but what I found to be most fascinating was the intense contest that was unfolding outside the premises where the execution was scheduled to be carried out. Both the proponents as well as opponents of the death penalty camped outside, each side trying to drown the other’s voices. The news of the execution was greeted by a boisterous cry of triumph from those who had so vehemently sought justice for the crime. Others were left wondering where, when, and how mercy applies when the life of an individual hangs in the balance.

This drama was a classic representation of the two most disparate poles of justice and mercy. How are the guilty to be spared in cases where absolute justice is administered? If there are no shortcuts, no bribes, and no turning of a blind eye against evil, what hope is there for those wedged between the jaws of justice? The tension between justice and mercy is a reality with which we all live, and depending on the circumstances, our hunger for vindication is only matched by our plea for mercy and forgiveness.

The biblical solution to this conundrum is uniquely ingenious in both logical and relational terms. It was at the Cross of Jesus where God’s justice was perfectly administered and his eternal mercy publicly displayed when God took upon Himself the punishment meant for the guilty. The perfect, sinless, infinitely just God devised the means whereby sinful, guilty human beings could be justly reconciled to God without an ounce of guilt being swept under the carpet. No other proposed means of liberation for humanity in the world even begins to address this dilemma. The rhetorical force of the question posed by the author of Hebrews ought forever to haunt every seeker of justice, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3)?

Unfortunately, some stumble over the gospel of Christ even while incessantly seeking either justice or mercy in matters they deem themselves entitled to judge. When our sense of justice is threatened, we rarely hesitate to demand answers, whether the object of our wrath is a mere child or a perfect God. This is nowhere more evident than in the current attack on the character of God based on his administration of justice, especially in the Old Testament. But at the root of this reaction lies the failure to appreciate the full implications of what one really asks for when one demands justice. If justice is to be absolutely served, the guilty cannot go unpunished. The only recourse for the guilty is to seek mercy, and mercy cannot be demanded.

Old Testament saints harbored no illusions about God being subject to their standard of justice, for they were no strangers to his terrifying holiness and hence the gravity of sin. The fact that the Israelites were his chosen people did not keep them from facing the consequences of their own disobedience, as even a casual reading of the book of Lamentations will show. It was not without reason that the script writer for the motion picture Fiddler on the Roof, which chronicles the struggles of a Jewish family, has the lead character suggest that God choose other people the next time around.

Part of the reason why we are disinclined to recognize our own need for mercy may be due to the fact that our clamor for justice, however impassioned, is almost always skewed in our favor. Narrow indeed is the path to the dark recesses of our own hearts. But there the light of the gospel must shine, and our strong sense of justice demands that we agree with God’s assessment of our true condition. Nothing short of the kind of repentance that produces humble love within those who turn to Him can ever point humanity towards their identity and purpose. Without a clear glimpse of our own sinfulness, not even God can measure up to our lopsided, self-righteous standards.

But if God is anything like the Scriptures say He is, then not only should we expect Him to judge sin but we can also be confident that, in the end, no one will be able to find fault with his verdict. That is why Abraham was able to trust in God’s righteous judgment, even beyond the grave, when he chose to sacrifice Isaac at the behest of his Creator. He reasoned that God is able to raise the dead (Hebrews 11:19). Whenever we demand justice and obedience, we affirm the same standard that also condemns us. They are blessed indeed whose passion for justice is informed by the mercy of the Cross.

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1. http://www.cnn.com/US/9802/03/tucker.executed/index.html

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Copyright © 2008 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #92]

One of the old Saxon kings set out with an army to put down a rebellion in a distant province of his kingdom. When the insurrection had been quelled, and the army of the rebels defeated, the king placed a candle over the archway of the castle where he had his headquarters. Lighting the candle, announced through a herald to all who had been in rebellion against him that those who surrendered and took the oath of loyalty while the candle was burning would be spared. The king offered them his clemency and mercy, but the offer was limited to the life of the candle.

-- McCartney

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How many times I have thought of that sweet hymn of John Newton's:

Saved by grace, I live to tell

What the love of Christ hath done,

He redeemed my soul from hell,

Of a rebel made a son;

Oh! I tremble still to think,

How secure I lived in sin;

Sporting on destruction's brink,

Yet was saved from falling in.

-- Albert P. Graves

“Lord,” I said, “I want to be your man, not my own.

So to you I will give my money, my car - even my home.

Then, smug and content, I relaxed with a smile

And whispered to God, “I bet it's been a while

Since anyone has given so much - so freely?”

His answer surprised me. He replied, “Not really.

“Not a day has gone by since the beginning of time,

That someone hasn't offered meager nickels and dimes,

Golden altars and crosses, contributions and penance,

Stone monuments and steeples; but why not repentance?

“The money, the statues, the cathedrals you've built,

Do you really think I need your offerings of guilt?

What good is money that's meant only to salve

The hurting conscience that so many of you have?

“Your lips know no prayers. Your eyes, no compassion.

But you will go to church (when churchgoing's in fashion).

“Just give me a tear - a heart ready to mold.

And I'll give you a mission, a message so bold –

That a fire will be stirred where there was only death,

And your heart will be flamed by my life and my breath.”

I stuck my hands in my pockets and kicked at the dirt.

It's tough to be corrected (I guess my feelings were hurt).

But it was worth the struggle to realize the thought that

The cross isn't for sale and Christ's blood can't be bought.

-- Max Lucado

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1. Let us with a gladsome mind

Praise the Lord, for He is kind:

Chorus

For His mercies shall endure –

Ever faithful, ever sure!

2. Let us sound His name abroad,

For of gods He is the God:

3. He with all-commanding might

Filled the new-made world with light

4. He with strength did interpose

To redeem us from our foes:

5. He doth all things living feed –

His full hand supplies their need:

6. Let us then with gladsome mind

Praise the Lord, for He is kind:

[Tune “Innocents”]

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Three Sisters

Read: Romans 4:1-11

To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. --1 Timothy 1:2

Grace, mercy, and peace are the three sisters of salvation. In these three words we have the gospel in capsule form. They sum up our complete salvation in Jesus Christ.

Grace is the foundation of our redemption, mercy is the manifestation of our redemption, and peace is the consummation.

Grace points to the past--our salvation goes back "before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). Mercy speaks of the present--it is manifested to us day by day. And peace is the consummation because it makes our future secure.

Grace is receiving what we do not deserve. Mercy is not receiving what we do deserve. We deserve to go to hell, but by His mercy we shall never go there. We do not deserve to go to heaven, but by grace we'll spend eternity there. Grace justifies. Mercy pardons. Grace admits us to heaven. Mercy saves us from hell. The death of Christ was enough to pardon us in mercy, but it took the resurrection to effect our justification. He "was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification" (Rom. 4:25).

And now, by faith, we have "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). --M. R. De Haan

[Our Lord] took death upon Himself

On that cruel cross of pain,

And those who look in faith to Him

Eternal life shall gain! --Johnson

None live so serenely, so pleasantly, and so triumphantly as those who walk by faith.

Part of the aftershocks of September 11 was a new round of aspersions cast on the role of religion in American life. A representative from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, for example, called the attacks a "faith-based endeavor," a not-too-subtle reference to the President's Faith-Based Initiative.

Viewing faith as dangerous isn't limited to the village atheists. You hear similar arguments against the role of religion in American public life coming from the academy. A recent book called THE MIND OF GOD, advocates "eliminating religion as a factor in public life" because it "legitimizes violence."

Well, admittedly some people have done terrible things in the name of religion, but sustaining this kind of argument requires a willful disregard of history. As a new book, CHRISTIANITY ON TRIAL, reminds us, the world has been changed for the better precisely because Christians weren't willing to treat their faith as a purely private matter.

In no area has this been more true than in Christianity's championing of the weak, the poor, the sick, and the defenseless.

In their chapter on charity, authors Dave Shiflett and Vincent Carroll, remind us how revolutionary the Christian doctrine of mercy has been. They quote historian John McManners, who noted that the classical world into which Christianity was born "regarded mercy and pity as pathological emotions -- defects of character to be avoided by all rational men."

But Christians had a different view. They knew that God's grace and mercy were unearned and so they were unable to withhold mercy from others. They also knew that their Savior had instructed them to see his face in the face of the poor and desperate. Jesus' words still ring through history: "As you have done these things to the least of my brethren, you have done them unto me." (Matthew 25:40)

The Church has never regarded this command as optional. And Christians through the ages have served Christ by serving the poor in many world-changing ways.

Just war theory developed, beginning with Augustine, as an expression of Christian mercy even in war. During the nineteenth century, hundreds of volunteer associations were born to fight every social ill from drunkenness to prostitution to child labor. Christians have founded thousands of orphanages, schools, clinics, and hospitals.

These and countless other public expressions of Christian faith in the form of mercy literally have changed the world -- and the world still needs that kind of changing.

Fortunately, Christians still have the vision. Love and Action ministers to people with AIDS. International Justice Mission circles the globe prosecuting law cases for the needy who are denied justice. The Salvation Army takes the money from those Christmas kettles and uses it to care for the down and out. And Prison Fellowship extends mercy to prisoners, their families, and their communities.

We can and must defend our faith against those who want to forget the blessings that Christianity has brought to the world. When the naysayers denounce us as little different than fanatical terrorists, we can counter with calm, rational facts.

Christianity on Trial is a book that will get you started. It will help you and your neighbors understand what they ought to find very frightening: not too much Christianity, but a world where Christianity isn't a factor in public life.

For more information:

Vincent Carroll and David Shiflett, Christianity on Trial (Encounter Books 2001).

P. C. W. Davies, The Mind of God. Touchstone Books (March 1993).

Love and Action:

International Justice Mission:

The Salvation Army:

Prison Fellowship:

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Copyright © 2001 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. 'BreakPoint with Chuck Colson' is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

… I love the story, often told, about a man who was hiking in the mountains. He was taken by surprise in a sudden snowstorm and quickly lost his way. He knew he needed to find shelter fast, or he would freeze to death. Despite all of his efforts, his hands and feet quickly went numb. In his wandering he literally tripped over another man who was almost frozen. The hiker had to make a decision: Should he help the man, or should he continue in hopes of saving himself?

In an instant he made a decision and threw off his wet gloves. He knelt beside the man and began massaging his arms and legs. After the hiker had worked for a few minutes, the man began to respond and was soon able to get on his feet. Together the two men, supporting each other, found help. The hiker was later informed that by helping another, he had helped himself. His numbness vanished while he was massaging the stranger’s arms and legs. His heightened activity had enhanced his circulation and brought warmth to his hands and feet.

… It’s my conviction that the only way to reach the mountain peaks of life is to forget about self and help other people reach greater heights.

Sermon in Beatitudes series. Matthew 5:7

HOW MERCIFUL ARE YOU?

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I. Thumbs up or thumbs down?

II. Mercy is a broad topic in the Bible.

A. Multiple words and shades of meaning.

B. Two arenas are involved.

III. God's mercy.

A. Mercy is one of God's defining attributes.

B. God gives us more than we deserve, even what we don't deserve.

C. God's mercy cannot be presumed upon.

IV. Jesus is the best illustration of God's mercy. Matthew 20:31-34

V. Our mercy.

A. Human mercy draws upon God's mercy. Matthew 9:13

B. Mercy as kindness shown to someone in need.

C. Mercy as pardon given to one in wrong.

VI. The merciful receive mercy.

A. Tit-for-tat?

B. Only those who have received mercy can be merciful.

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”[What] if God, wanting to show [His] wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, [even] us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:22-24 NKJV)

Vessels of Wrath and of Mercy

• what — i.e., what shall we say; who shall complain

• willing…wrath — Exod 9:16 — for abuse of privileges

• make…known — in punishing for abuse of mercy 2 Pet 3:9, 1 Pet 3:20

• vessels…wrath — Gen 15:16, 1 Th 2:16 — such as unbelieving Jews, and all impenitent sinners

• fitted[prepared] — 1 Th 5:9, 1 Pet 2:8, Jude 1:4 — having fitted themselves

• destruction — Matt 5:13 — certain, overwhelming

• riches…glory — Rom 2:4, Eph 1:1, Col 1:27 — “the unsearchable treasure of His own perfections” (Vaughan). “The exceeding greatness of His goodness.” (Macknight)

• vessels…mercy — 2 Tim 2:20-21 — believers in Jesus

• prepared — Tit 3:3-7, 1 Pet 1:2-4, 2 Th 2:13-14, 1 Cor 6:20, Rom 8:29-30 — by calling, converting, perfecting

• even us, etc. — Eph 3:6, Rom 3:29-30 — explaining who the vessels of mercy are

Vessels of mercy — Evangelical Preacher

They are vessels of mercy in their –

I. Formation

II. Position

III. Condition. Mercy –

1. Pervades their thoughts

2. Is uttered in their words

3. Is expressed in their actions

4. Beams in their looks

5. Glows in their prayers

IV. Preservation

V. Progression

VI. Glorification

Application –

1. If thou art a vessel of mercy, let love and gratitude prompt thee to commend that mercy to others which thou hast received

2. If a vessel of wrath, let nothing divert you from an earnest seeking of mercy at the cross of Christ.

Vessels of honour and dishonour — A certain minister, having changed his views of some parts of Divine truth, was waited upon by an old acquaintance, who wished to reclaim him to his former creed. Finding he could not succeed in his object, he became warm, and told his friend in plain terms that God had given him “up to strong delusion,” and that he was “a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction.” “I think, brother,” replied the one who was charged with the departure from the faith, with great calmness, “I think, brother, that you have mistaken the sense of the passage you last referred to. Vessels are denominated according to their contents. A chemist, in conducting a stranger through his laboratory, would say, ‘This is a vessel of turpentine, that of vitriol,’ etc., always giving to the vessel the name of the article it contains. Now, when I see a man full of the holy and lovely spirit of Christ, devoted to His service, and imitating His example, I say that man is a vessel of mercy, whom God hath afore prepared unto glory; but when I see a man full of everything but the spirit of the Bible — opposed to the moral government of God, seeking his own things rather than those which are Christ’s-and filled with malice, wrath, and all uncharitableness, I am compelled to consider him ‘ a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction.’”

“God delays the punishment of wickedness, and does not strike presently, for a glorious manifestation of His holy attribute of patience. His two great attributes of Justice and Mercy, the full season of their manifestation upon the vessels of wrath and mercy, is at the end, at the great ! day of reckoning.” — Bp Browning

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable [are] His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?’ ‘Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?’” (Romans 11:33-35 NKJV)

The Wisdom And Mercy Of God

• O…riches — Ps 36:6, Eph 1:7-8, COl 2:2-3 — thus should we exclaim, instead of finding fault with what we doubt, cannot fully comprehend. Treasures of goodness and mercy

• wisdom — Ps 107:31 — comprehending relations of all times and events

• knowledge — acquaintance with each detail

• ways…out — Job 11:7-9 — cannot be traced — see Cowper’s “God moves in a mysterious way” — (illustration: foot-prints of animals, etc., in the sand)

• who…Lord? — what angel or man can comprehend all God’s reasons?

• counsellor — adviser (illustration: cabinet councils of earthly kings)

• who…him? — 1 Cor 4:7, 1 Chr 29:14 — who has granted a favour to God?

• it…again? — if he can prove the debt

The deep things of God — W. Stevens

God reveals Himself to man in –

I. The idea of the Deity:

1. Self-existence;

2. Immensity;

3. Invisibility;

4. Omnipotence.

II. Nature.

III. Providence.

IV. Revelation.

Application:-

1. Learn the decrees of God;

2. Listen to the whole truth as in Christ, and support it

The Divine fulness and faithfulness — A relative one day said to the late Rev. W. Day, of Bristol, “It is a comfort to you to see your children round you.” “Yes,” he answered, with an allusion to the occasional dimness of his vision, “it is. It would be more so if I could see them. But I can only see one now, and another then.” “You can, however, see Jesus by the eye of faith.” His countenance kindled with a smile of joy, and clasping his hands, he exclaimed with a loud voice, “He is my great, my only object. 0 my God! my portion! my all! Blessed be Thy name, Thou, hast said unto me, ‘Thou art mine.’” Then, with much energy, he added, “The Bible is nothing to me; the Bible is nothing to me, but as it reveals to my soul a covenant Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There I see perfection. When I look at man — when I look at myself, I see nothing but vileness:-a rent here, a chasm there. It would drive me to despair. Oh when,” he wept profusely, “when shall I behold Christ as He is, and cast myself at His feet? He has offered me a pledge of this beyond all your imagination can conceive. I have seen Him rising before me in all the majesty of the Godhead. The world has shown me its favours, and has taken them away again. I have enjoyed many tokens of the loving-kindness of my God, and I have at other times been stripped of what I most valued. But, O my God, my Redeemer, Thou hast never failed me!” Then stretching out his hands to his family around his bed, he cried, “0 Lord, shine forth, shine forth in Thy glory upon these dear ones — Thou wilt never leave them — Thou wilt never forsake them.” It was an affecting, a sublime scene. It was like a patriarch standing on the threshold of heaven, looking back to bless his family, and looking forward, earnestly longing to take his last step.

“It remains for us dutifully and reverentially to adore that in the Divine counsels and ways which we do not, and indeed cannot, understand. There is no government that hath not its arcana; and it, would be very foolish for us to imagine that there should be no secrets belonging to the Divine government.” — Howe

“Simplicity is a pre-eminent mode of the essence of God, by which He is void of all composition, and of component parts, whether they belong to the senses, or the understanding.” — Arminius

Luke 1:57–80 — Events of John’s Birth « Leader information »

A. John’s Birth — Luke 1:57–58 NKJV: 57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbours and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.

1. The word “mercy” is found 5 times in this first chapter of Luke; by the birth of these two sons, to whom is God’s mercy shown in each of the following verses?

a. verse 50 « — those fearing (reverentially trusting) Him from every age »

b. verses 54[-55] « — the chosen descendants of Abraham »

c. verse 58 « — Elizabeth the aged and barren »

d. verses 72[-73] « — the patriarchs themselves; fulfilled in intent by promise in their lifetimes and in fact now »

e. verses [77-]78 « — those whose sins are remitted »

B. John’s Circumcision — Luke 1:59–66 NKJV: 59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father — what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marvelled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.

1. There is conflicting evidence that the official naming of a boy-child took place at circumcision in New Testament times; by the eighth century, this seems to have been a general practice by Jews. Certainly it was the case with Jesus (Luke 2:21). The story of Isaac is inconclusive (Genesis 21:3–4). « But, note that from Genesis 17:5, 10, 26, the renaming of Abram to Abraham and his circumcision took place on the same day. » However, when was John (and Jesus) definitively named? « — before his conception. »

2. Circumcision could be carried out by any Jew, preferably a man at majority, and needed to be attended by ten witnesses; at the ritual, a blessing is pronounced both on God and on the child. What other special event would take place and why? Exodus 13:2, 11–15, Number 3:12–13, Numbers 3:40–41, 18:15-16, Nehemiah 10:36, Isaiah 43:3 « — After Elizabeth’s 40 days of purification, as John was the firstborn, he would be taken to the temple and there a redemption price of 5 temple shekels would be paid because all the first-born of all flesh in Israel belonged to God since He had redeemed them at the price of the first-born of the land of Egypt, and as an admission and a testimony to this fact. »

3. the name John is short for the Hebrew name Johanan (longer form is Jehohanan) which means “whom God has granted;” why was this particularly appropriate? « — Elizabeth was beyond the hope of having a child; this only happened by the special dispensation of God’s goodness. »

4. What were the objections of the relatives to naming him John?

a. « it was not a name in the family »

b. « it only came from Elizabeth, not his father »

5. The word translated “speechless” &c., in 1:22 also means “deaf” (as in Luke 7:22); the evidence here suggests that Zacharias was a deaf-mute for nine months; comment on how he used his faculties when they returned.

C. Zacharias’ Prophecy — Luke 1:67–79 NKJV: 67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

1. what are the specific reasons Zacharias has for giving thanks (which is what “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel” means)?

a. Jesus: « given as Saviour-Messiah and His mission … »

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

(E)

b. John: « given as Christ’s fore-runner and John’s mission … »

(A)

(B)

2. What implications respecting our own prayers do you find in this passage (particularly verses 74–75)?

a. « answered temporal prayer is for eternal purposes »

b. « it should result in our serving God: freely (delivered from the bondage to fear), holily and justly, perseveringly »

D. John Grows Up — Luke 1:80 NKJV: So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

1. John did not continue, as he well might have done, in his father’s occupation as a priest. However, he did take up his role as the last prophet of the old covenant and the first of the new. He is not the first prophet who was born of the priestly line; just one example is Jeremiah. The retreat from daily concourse with other people was to prepare for his ministry. Others who did this were Moses and Paul. Is there anything here for us to emulate?

1. Years I spent in vanity and pride,

Caring not my Lord was crucified,

Knowing not it was for me He died

On Calvary.

Chorus:

Mercy there was great and grace was free,

Pardon there was multiplied to me,

There my burdened soul found liberty

– At Calvary

2. By God’s Word at last my sin I learned–

Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,

Till my guilty soul imploring turned

To Calvary.

3. Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus ev’rything,

Now I gladly own Him as my King,

Now my raptured soul can only sing

Of Calvary.

4. O the love that drew salvation’s plan!

O the grace that brought it down to man!

O the mighty gulf that God did span

At Calvary.