Out of Mercy
2010 at 1:40 pm | by Nicole WhitacreFiled under Biblical Womanhood
Jackie wrote: “After reading your current series on envy, boy did this sentence jump out at me”:
“For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up” (Mt. 27:18, emphasis mine).
Pilate knew why the Jewish leaders had brought Jesus to him. They weren’t concerned about the stability of the Roman empire—they envied Jesus’ popularity (ESV Study Bible).
Out of envy, they delivered up our Savior to be killed.
Out of envy, we crucify Him afresh (Heb. 6:6).
But…
Out of mercy, He has saved us.
Out of mercy, He has forgiven us.
Out of mercy, He has set us free.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-7).
