(Second message of 2 part series)
Opening: From Throne Room to Cross
Good morning again, friends. Last time we stood with Isaiah in the throne room of heaven.
We heard the seraphim cry “Holy, holy, holy,” and we felt the weight of God’s blazing purity.
We discovered that sin is more than a bad habit; it’s a heart-condition.
We faced the truth that justice must be met, and we ended with the altar’s glowing coal touching Isaiah’s lips.
Today we take the next step.
We move from the altar’s coal to the hill called Calvary.
From the temple’s trembling threshold to the cross lifted high.
And here we discover the breathtaking truth that mercy is given.
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The Servant Who Bears Our Sin
Seven hundred years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah wrote words that read like eyewitness testimony:
> “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
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.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)
Notice the pattern: our… his.
Our griefs—his bearing.
Our transgressions—his piercing.
Our iniquities—his crushing.
This is substitution in its clearest form:
He takes what we deserve; we receive what He deserves.
And here’s the miracle: this was not a last-minute plan.
Revelation calls Jesus “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
The cross was in God’s heart before the universe began.
Pause and let that sink in.
The God who knew every failure of yours and mine still chose to send His Son to bear them.
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The Cross as the Convergence of Justice and Mercy
At Calvary we see something that had never been seen before and will never be repeated:
Absolute justice and absolute love meet in perfect harmony.
Romans 3:25-26 says Christ’s death was “to show God’s righteousness… so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Every demand of holiness is fully satisfied.
Every act of mercy is fully released.
Picture the cross as the place where two mighty rivers collide—justice and mercy—forming one unstoppable current of salvation.
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Two Thieves, Two Responses
Luke 23 takes us right to the scene:
> “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him… But the other rebuked him, saying… ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:39-43)
Two men, equally guilty, equally near Jesus, equally hearing His prayer of forgiveness.
One mocks and perishes. The other repents and is saved.
Two crosses of rebellion, one cross of redemption.
Everyone must choose which word to speak to Jesus.
Let’s pause again.
If you had been there, which thief’s words would have been yours?
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The Great Exchange
Listen to how Paul compresses the mystery of the cross into one astonishing sentence:
> “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
—2 Corinthians 5:21
Here is the gospel in a single breath.
He made him to be sin – Jesus, perfectly pure, willingly shouldered the entire guilt of our rebellion.
Who knew no sin – His own record remained spotless.
So that in him we might become the righteousness of God – our record is covered with His obedience and purity.
This is what theologians call the great exchange.
Our sin is transferred to Christ; His righteousness is transferred to us.
The debt is paid, the account overflows, and the Judge can declare us “not guilty” without the slightest compromise of His holiness.
Think of it like this: imagine every dark entry in the ledger of your life—every selfish thought, every harsh word, every hidden shame—now stamped in red with a single word: Paid.
At the same moment, every perfect act of love and obedience Jesus ever lived is written across your page as if you performed it yourself.
Justice has been met. Mercy has been given.
Pause and let your heart catch up to that reality.
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The S-T-P Response: Sorry – Thank You – Please
How do we respond to such a gift?
Not by earning, but by trusting.
A simple pattern may help: Sorry – Thank You – Please.
Sorry – “Lord, I am sorry for my sin and my attempts at self-rescue. I confess my need for Your mercy.”
Thank You – “Thank You, Jesus, for taking my place, for dying my death and giving me Your life.”
Please – “Please take leadership of my life. Live Your life through me.”
This isn’t a formula; it’s a posture of the heart.
And God hears the faintest whisper of it.
Maybe right now, as you sit in this sanctuary or read along at home, you sense that quiet tug.
You can pray those three words—Sorry, Thank You, Please—right where you are.
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Living in the Light of Mercy
Receiving mercy is the beginning, not the end.
Mercy changes how we see ourselves:
No longer condemned criminals, but beloved children.
Mercy changes how we see others:
If God has forgiven me this much, how can I withhold forgiveness from them?
Mercy even changes how we face death.
The thief on the cross heard Jesus say, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
That same assurance belongs to every believer.
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Closing Invitation
Friends, justice has been met. Mercy has been given.
The cross is God’s “yes” to both His holiness and His love.
Will you receive it?
You don’t have to clean yourself up first. You don’t have to climb a spiritual ladder.
Come as you are. Say “Sorry, Thank You, Please,” and step into the freedom Christ died to give.
