The Wrathful Love Of God

There is a growing belief in the Church that God does not need to punish people for sin and that His wrath is directed specifically against all the ungodly behavior and unrighteousness of humanity that is damaging them, hurting them, causing them to sin against each other, and anything contrary to His nature.

Beginning in the 16th century, teaching began that Jesus became sin, rather than becoming a sin sacrifice and paying the penalty by taking upon Himself the punishment of God's wrath against sin.

The sacrificial death of Jesus was not to appease an angry, wrathful, distant deity somewhere way up there in the sky who uses pain, sorrow, suffering, or sickness to punish people. The Bible tells us that God doesn't want or need sacrifices (Jeremiah 22:23). It is fallen human beings who need them.

The Cross is the plan of God from before the foundation of the world to bring reconciliation of the universe, making peace with all things and redeeming humanity from being lost and remaining in the grip of the enemy and their sinfulness by casting down the principalities and powers that enslave and oppress them (Colossians 1:9).

The Bible does not say that "the cup" Jesus would drink from was the wrath God would pour out on the Cross or even that it would be appeased. God's wrath against sin was not satisfied on the Cross. The Father did not punish Jesus on the Cross for the sins of humanity. Jesus became the sin-bearer and took upon Himself our punishment for sin and delivered those who would repent of their sin and receive Him as Lord and Savior from the wrath that is still to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The Father received this sacrifice and accepted it (Isaiah 53:10-12). Jesus described His death as a ransom, not the way God would take out His wrath. His death was the payment to the Father to redeem us from the enemy (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).

While on the Cross, Jesus quoted from the book of Psalms when He said, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" which He knew would be understood by any Hebrew to be about the promised Messiah. Jesus was confirming once again He was the Messiah (vs. 22:1-31). Jesus drank the cup of our sin.

Jesus died as a substitute, bore the sin and guilt of every human being, was sacrificed for their forgiveness, and died in their place (Isaiah 53:4-5, 10; Romans 3:23-25; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Heb 2:17; 9:26; 1 John 2:2). He willingly experienced the full consequences of sin that would have happened to every human without His sacrifice.

The Cross was not about human sacrifice to God but His sacrifice to humanity. It is the focal point of everything and the lens through which all else can be seen because it is the wisdom and the power of the Triune God, who is love (John 3:16; 1 John 14:8). It is the centerpiece of His plan for all creation because it is the glorification of Jesus and reveals what true endless love is (John 12:23). Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" because it is by grace alone, they have been saved through the faith of Jesus alone, and not by any work they could do because it is a gift of God alone (John 6:44; Galatians 2:17; Ephesians 2:8 ESV).

The Cross was the highest and ultimate revelation of love that God took the shame and corrupting power of death into Himself and did away with it. When a person looks at Jesus on the Cross, they are seeing God, the Father, in Jesus revealing His merciful love and pouring out forgiveness on the entire world for their salvation (Zechariah 12:10; 1 John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3). There is no hope for anyone apart from the Cross.

Contrary to much humanistic teaching on the subject, the wrath of God is not some sort of divine child abuse or an angry, vindictive, temper-tantrum of a deity who didn't get their way so that fire and brimstone must be poured out as punishment on a wicked world. Instead, it is God's reaction and resistance to sin.

The death of Jesus guaranteed that those who would receive Him as Lord and Savior would be saved from God's future wrath to come on the day of judgment against those who REJECT God's offer of salvation through Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16-18, 5:8-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Ephesians 2:3).

Because God is love, He does not delight in executing His wrath on sin. Understanding the nature of God's love reveals that He does get angry at those who do things against others (including Himself) that hurt or cause suffering (See Matthew 21:12; Mark 1:15; John 2:15). Jesus is the Creator God, Lord of the Universe, and absolutely holy and just. His anger is not judgmental indignation.