Our Merciful Savior

In our urban life today those not raised on a farm or ranch may never see an animal slaughtered, but in the time of Jesus, it wasn’t unusual. Jesus may have seen cattle, sheep and doves killed and sacrificed at the Temple as well. The Scriptures don’t tell us when he came to understand his own role as a sacrifice. Whenever that was, he must have viewed these bloody offerings in a much different way. I’m sure Joseph taught him how to slaughter animals as mercifully as possible, but no mercy would be shown him. He would be tortured for hours, physically and mentally, as the people he loved turned against him, cursing and spitting on him. Even his closest friends abandoned him. Though he was shown no mercy, he gave his life so all of us, including his Roman soldier killers, could experience the mercy he was denied.