But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. - Isaiah 53:5
Check out the Judgment and Mercy Conference messages here.
Wake up, brew your coffee, and commune with God in His Word. Pause for some sustenance. Toast a slice of whole grain bread. Spread butter and jam, it's more palatable that way. Take a bite. It’s sweet. Maybe strawberry rhubarb with a kick of tart on the backend (my favorite). Or maybe it’s that pomegranate jelly gifted to you during the conference last weekend.
Jam and butter convert that crusty, grainy bread into a tapestry of texture, color, and flavor.
Read Isaiah 53:5. See God’s j.a.m. His judgment and mercy. Get a taste. It’s tart on the front but oh so sweet when seen together, a tapestry of providence and divine affection offering purpose and meaning to all of life.
See the bitter transgressions. Your name is on them. And the iniquities too, those are all invoiced to you. Judgment and wrath are stored up like a stormfront awaiting due payment upon your head.
See Jesus, His mercy. Jesus was pierced for your transgressions. He was crushed for your iniquities. He took the wrathful cloud of chastisement meant for you. Now all, all you have is eternal peace and perfect healing. God is satisfied with you in Christ. Christ took your judgment and you get God’s mercy.
Take a bite and remember. Jesus went to the cross willingly to partake in the greatest act of judgment and mercy that the world will ever know. The bitter, just judgment of wrath is overwhelmed, for anyone who believes, by the sweetest mercy that reality can contain.
Jesus gets your judgment. You get everlasting mercy.
Session 1: Judgement & Mercy in the Old Testament - Speaker: Geoffrey
Abstract: For many, reading the Old Testament creates conundrums and confusion. Is the Old Testament God an angry murderer? Is God as shown in the Old Testament the same as God in the New Testament? Is the Old Testament about judgment where the New Testament is about mercy? In this session, we’ll face these difficult questions as directly as possible, examining one of the more confounding passages in the Bible to discover that God as seen in the Old Testament is the same God as seen in the New Testament—a God who is light, with no darkness at all, a God who is both just and merciful.
Session 2: Judgment & Mercy in the New Testament - Speaker: Kyle Gangel
Abstract: In Luke 3, Jesus is greater than John the Baptist because John only warns of judgment while Jesus is the one who exercises judgment. There is good news for those who are willing to take the warnings seriously. That is why Luke can follow up warnings of the wrath to come with this commentary in 3:18—“So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.” In Christ, judgment is no longer fearful, in fact, it becomes good news in at least 3 ways.
Session 3: God’s Coming, Final Judgment - Speaker: Sam Parker
Abstract: How does God’s revealed character shape how the Christian should view coming judgment? From the vantage point of Revelation 6:9-11 (and the greater context of Revelation, this session will address the presence of biblical friction in relation to the presence of suffering in the world and the timing of Christ’s return. Questions to be addressed include: Is it right for Christians to ask for God to avenge them? What part does suffering play now in the last days before Christ’s return?
Session 6: Judgment & Mercy in the Cross - Speaker: Mike Johnson
Abstract: This session will show that the judgment of God towards his sinful people fell decisively on Jesus Christ, in the ultimate act of divine grace and mercy; thus demonstrating, in one action, the Judgment and Mercy of God in Christ.