If God was truly merciful and loving then couldn't he have forgiven and saved the world without killing Jesus?

When you go to the dentist because you are suffering - often it can lead to more pain short term so he can fix the root cause then you get the long term benefits.The universal laws that are in place include the law of sin which requires a blood sacrifice. There are some jobs you just have to do yourself. Sending anyone else may have included the risk of failure as it was a very difficult task. In any military operation when an objective is critical you send the best person, when you want to win over a person of the opposite you put on the best you have to offer, so when it comes to saving the world, it was merciful to send the best possible chance for saving humanity. Have you considered that in the form of a man, Jesus could have actually failed? It hurt to do what he had to go through and he did it so you have a chance at eternal life. How is that not merciful? Jesus isn't dead by the way - he rose again and is seated at the right hand of the father.