Luke 1:72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant.
Jesus, the Virgin-born Messiah, came into our world to perform the mercy that was promised to our spiritual fathers of the faith. He came to remember (to resurrect and make active in the present) His holy covenant promises. This Jesus did do. He fulfilled the promised mercy and brought the covenant to life.
Mercy is vital to our life and well-being. It is even more important and needful than we think it is. The proud Pharisee within us does not think we need so much mercy since we already “have a lot of good in us.” The Sinner within us admits we do not deserve mercy. The Pharisee is wrong: there is no good in any of us. Mercy is absolutely necessary. The Sinner is wrong: mercy cannot, by definition, be deserved.
Mercy is unearned, undeserved, unmerited by us, or it wouldn’t be mercy. But mercy actually was earned, by Jesus’ perfect life and innocent death. Mercy was earned for us, but not by us. Then it is given by grace and received by faith. Jesus “performed, accomplished, finished, completed” or in the Greek “did, made” the mercy. The truth is, we could not live another day without mercy. We are dead in sin, born that way, and act that way. Mercy takes away sin and death and gives life. Boy, do we need it, and Hallelujah, does Jesus give it!
”Remember” means to make something from the past alive, active, effective, and real in the present moment. Jesus remembers the covenant promises made to Abraham, David, etc., and makes them alive to us. And when we take communion we “do this in remembrance of me.” Mercy comes anew, and keeps alive.