In 1985 Richard Page and Steve George wrote a song that hit
the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in March 1986, where it stayed for two
weeks. It also hit the top of Billboard’s Top Rock Tracks in the U.S.A. and the
U.K. The song was titled “Kyrie”. Here is the link to it.
Kyrie eleison is Greek
for “Lord, have mercy”. It is a staple in many liturgical rites in both the
Eastern and Western Orthodox Church. It is a prayer—short and profound—“Lord,
have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.”
A few years before the release of “Kyrie”, I attended several classes taught by the late, great Old
Testament scholar, Bernard W. Anderson. His book Understanding the Old Testament is now in its 5th
edition and is a seminal work. But it’s not the book that I remember most about
Dr. Anderson. It’s his repeated use of one word—hesed—and its link to the phrase, “Berith olam”. Hesed means
“mercy”, the statement means “a covenant in perpetuity”. It is the joining of
those two concepts that is the nexus of Old Testament revelation. The Bible
declares God has cut a covenant of mercy with His people. In other words, our
deepest prayer for Kyrie has already
been answered by the One who prompts it.
No one understood this any better than Oliver Cromwell’s chaplain
and English theologian, Thomas Goodwin. In his commentary on Ephesians Goodwin
devotes over 500 pages, small font, densely written, to chapter two and nearly
50 pages to verse 4. Paul says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the
great love with which he loved us…”
In verses 1-3 Paul tells us why we need saving. In verses
5-6 he tells us how God does it. But in verse 4 Paul tells us WHY God does it.
Why does He save us? Why does He resurrect the spiritually dead? There is only
one reason. God is rich in mercy!
Nowhere else in the Bible is God described as rich in
anything. Only here is He said to be overflowing in something; and that is
mercy! Listen to how Goodwin puts it:
“He is rich unto all; that is, he
is infinite, overflowing in goodness, he is good to a profuseness, he is good
to the pouring forth of riches, he is good to an abundance.”
Just as the Old Testament uses mercy over a thousand times
to describe the character of God, the Bible doubles up the verb “to have mercy”
in Jeremiah 31:20. But it’s not until the final revelation of God in Jesus Christ
that there is absolute assurance that God is rich in mercy. Goodwin says, “He
is the spring of all mercy… it is natural to him…It is his nature and
disposition, because when he shows mercy, he does it with his whole heart.”
Micah 7:18 reads, “He delights in mercy.”
This week we will be marveling in the mercy of God, as Peter
describes it in I Peter 1:3-12.
Someone has said, “God is a trillionaire in the currency of
mercy, and the withdrawals we make as we sin our way through life cause His fortune
to grow greater, not less.” No one knows this any more than the Apostle Peter. That’s
why he begins his letter as he does. This week we will begin to dig in to it.
In preparation for Sunday you may wish to consider the
following:
1. Reread the story of Mephibosheth in II Samuel 9 and ask
yourself—“Why did David do that? What’s the principle reason?”
2. As you read Sunday’s sermon text do you see any parallels to
Paul’s writings? Themes?
3. What do we know about the recipients of this letter from
verse 1?
4. What is so stunning about Peter’s description of them?
5. What is unique about Peter’s blessing in verse 3?
6. Note the similarity between verses 3 & 4 and Ephesians
2.
7. What inheritance is Peter talking about in verse 4?
8. How does Peter give hope to these persecuted Christians in
verses 5-7?
9. What is the foundation of their belief in Jesus Christ if it’s
not sight? (See verses 8 & 9)
10. What’s Peter saying about Jesus Christ and the Gospel in
verses 10-12?
