Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.” (Genesis 4:13 ESV)
Mercy
Cain deserved to die. The punishment for sin is death, and Cain sinned. He was the first murderer, the first to commit fratricide, the first to physically hate.
But God did not treat Cain as Cain deserved.
That is mercy.
And while it might be encouraging to see that side of God, the mercy of God is not a broad, generic, generous, easy-going mercy.
God’s mercy is because of His Son, our Savior, the Redeemer, the Messiah.
God’s mercy is only through Jesus Christ.
God continues to be merciful. But not because God is a softie. It is not because God hates sin less than we thought He did.
God is merciful because He punished Jesus instead of sinners, the sinners who believe in Him.
The only way to mercy is through Jesus. He is necessary for mercy.