It’s such a blessing to come together as a church family to celebrate the most important event in the history of man. In this very day the whole nation and millions all over the world celebrate the best news man has ever heard – that Jesus Christ rose from the dead! This is the single greatest event that changed the world permanently. The world has never been the same again. Indeed He is Lord of all!

And because it’s the first Sunday of the month we will break bread together. Today we also remember the cross for before the resurrection is the cross. What does the cross of Jesus mean?

In the days of Jesus, the Roman Empire had a strict and ruthless justice system. They glorified courage and viewed mercy as a sign of weakness. A popular philosopher called mercy “the disease of the soul.” Jesus came into this heartless society teaching the benefits of mercy. In the Sermon on the Mount He said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7Matt. 5:7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  

WP-Bible plugin). Mercy is a characteristic of God, an essential part of His nature. The psalmist declares: “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Ps. 103:8Ps. 103:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  

WP-Bible plugin). Mercy can be defined as providing for people in need, ministering to the miserable, helping the hurting… in essence , offering people what they don’t deserve.

"God is a just judge…"

God is also completely just. The psalmist reveals: “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Ps. 7:11Ps. 7:11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. judgeth…: or, is a righteous judge  

WP-Bible plugin). Another word for justice is righteousness. It means to render everyone their due. Therefore, you might logically say, “I don’t understand! How can God be both just and merciful at the same time? If God is completely just, shouldn’t He punish sin? If He’s completely merciful, doesn’t that negate His justice?” Good questions! But God had the answer: Jesus Christ.

At the cross, both justice and mercy were accomplished. Justice was served when Jesus died, paying the price for our sins. Mercy was extended through Christ’s atoning death. We did not receive the punishment we deserved, but were offered eternal life instead. God is truly the Supreme Judge! Beloved, as we partake of the bread and drink of the cup, remembering the Lord this morning, thank God for being both a merciful and just judge. For if He’s not, we won’t even be here today!