Does Jesus Understand Me?

Sticky Situations

Does Jesus Understand Me?

JUDGEMENT, MERCY, and GRACE

Some of you are Christians. You’ve learned the importance of putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. I want to ask you a hard question.

Let’s say that you helped a small group of people to become devotedChristians .

They are excited about their faith in Jesus but they are struggling because after they have come to place their trust in Jesus, their families have disowned them. Because they are Christians, others have begun to discriminate against them. They cannot buy anything from Walmart, McDonalds, or any local stores. If they even mention their faith to others, they could be thrown in jail!

WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM??

The book of Hebrews is a sermon written by a pastor to a small, struggling church. They had come to faith in Jesus Christ, and as a result, their families disowned them, they weren’t able to participate

in the economy (meaning they could not buy things because lots of places would not sell things to Christians). Some of them were even

being thrown in jail because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

The pastor of the Hebrews church wrote to encourage these Christ followers to continue in their faith despite all of the hard times they had which came as a direct result of their faith in Jesus.

Here’s what the pastor says to the Hebrews. He doesn’t make like their problems mean nothing. He doesn’t push it aside. He doesn’t ignore it. He writes this whole book of Hebrews to tell them that

regardless of everything they are going through, Jesus is bigger, and Jesus is better, and Jesus is worth it.

JUDGEMENT IS GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE

MERCY IS NOT GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE

GRACE IS GETTING WHAT WE DON’T DESERVE

Hebrews 4:16 “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Back in Jesus’ day, there weren’t pastors and churches like there are today. There were Rabbis who taught them about the Old Testament.

Through the Old Testament, they knew of GOD’S

JUDGMENT AND HIS MERCY.

SAY JUDGMENT.

SAY MERCY.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time had a hard time putting together the idea that God could be both a God of judgment and a God of mercy.

TWO THRONES

To put these two ideas together, early Rabbis taught that GOD HAD TWO THRONES. HE HAD ONE THRONE OF JUDGMENT AND ONE THRONE OF JUDGMENT.

On one throne, He would show His judgment.

On the other throne, He would show His mercy.

We may want to seat of mercy, but we deserve the seat of judgment.

As a result, the Rabbis taught that God had two thrones. One throne of mercy, and one of judgment. They said this because they knew from the bible that God was both merciful and just, but they struggled with the idea that he could be both

JUDGEMENT IS GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE

MERCY IS NOT GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE

GRACE IS GETTING WHAT WE DON’T DESERVE

JUDGEMENT IS GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE

When we commit a crime and are punished for that crime, we receive JUDGMENT.

If you commit a crime and get the punishment that is coming to you, that is JUDGMENT.

If you cheat on a test and get caught, you get detention. That is judgment.

If you get into a fight and get expelled from school, that is judgment. JUDGMENT IS GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE.

If you steal something and go to jail, that is judgment. JUDGMENT IS GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE.

MERCY IS NOT GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE

When you see people on tv say, “Judge I BEG for MERCY from the Court…” they are asking to NOT GET WHAT THEY DESERVE. They committed the crime, but are asking for MERCY, so that the Judge will not give them what they deserve.

If you cheat on a test and get caught, but you don’t get detention. THAT IS MERCY.

If you get into a fight and don’t get expelled from school. THAT IS MERCY.

If you steal something and don’t go to jail. THAT IS MERCY. MERCY IS NOT GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE.

Here’s what the author of Hebrew’s says:

Hebrews 4:16 “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Through the cross of Jesus Christ, we get to receive GRACE. The pastor of Hebrews says there is a THIRD THRONE. THE THRONE OF GOD’S GRACE THAT WE CAN BOLDLY COME TO BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST.

JUDGEMENT IS GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE

MERCY IS NOT GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE