Kingdom Characteristics V

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy

When I was a kid I wanted to grow up and be a lawyer.  I loved watching shows and movies that where based around a courtroom setting.  My goal was to be a prosecutor.  I use to imagine being a DA for some big city and eventually being a judge.  I wanted to throw people in jail and execute anybody I could within the law.  Now I look back and think how arrogant and self righteous I was.  There is no wonder I backslid on God during my young adult years.  We need prosecutors and tough judges in our country, but not with my old motives.  You see today I have been re-programmed and I am a product of divine mercy.

During this time of year a lot of people get in the giving mood, and some get in the taking mood also.  However Jesus, the righteous judge is the very example of mercy.  Christians should not have to be taught mercy.  It should not be a topic that has to be preached on.  Mercy should be a natural emotion of every believer.  The pure thought of salvation alone completely depends on God’s mercy.  In the OT days the mercy seat was a place for the Holy Spirit to come down and reside over the Ark of the Covenant when the blood sacrifice had been offered up for the forgiveness of sins.  After Christ was crucified his blood is offered up to the Father as a payment for the blood sacrifice.  Jesus said to Mary Magdalene (the first person to see Jesus after he arose) in John 20:17 after he resurrected “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”  Now pay attention to this.  After Jesus arose he told Mary not to touch him but he told Thomas to touch him to prove he had arisen.  Why?  Jesus in this verse is like the OT priest.  The priest had to remove himself from the people and be cleaned and sacrifice a blood offering of his own then change his clothes into clean priest garments before he could enter into the temple with the blood for the people’s sins.  He could not be touched before entering or he would be considered defiled.  In this passage of scripture Jesus is taking the blood to heaven and presenting it to the Father.  Now when Jesus saw Thomas he had returned from what he says in verse 17 the ascended trip to the Father.  This is why then they could touch him.

In this beautiful picture of Christ our redeemer carrying out mercy while we are yet sinners it reminds me that we have to show mercy to others.  This is an important Kingdom characteristic.  We are to usher in others into his kingdom by demonstrating the love and mercy of God.  The Holy Spirit ahs came down and it resides in the bodies of believers.  Therefore we become a temple in which the mercy seat sets.  You cannot be a child of God and not have mercy.  It is Impossible!

Jesus Saves,

RR