Paying the Penalty on the Cross

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D

© God’s Breath Publications

 

We may never really be able to comprehend the depth that Jesus suffered on the cross. Even if it were completely explained to us by Jesus Himself I am not sure if we could fully fathom the immensity of the sacrifice of such an experience. Jesus is part of the Godhead, the Trinity. He had a most perfect and intimate communion with His Father and the Holy Spirit. This relationship was interrupted in a most horrible way when Jesus hung upon the cross and bore our sins.

 

Several scripture passages describe what Jesus took upon Himself for our sake.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

 

Galatians 3:13

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’”

 

When Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified in such a manner He experienced horrible physical pain, intense emotional trauma and debilitating spiritual turmoil. By taking on our sin He experienced the penalty and death that such rebellion against God deserves. He knew no sin, was perfectly pure and holy and yet He took upon Himself the penalty for sin that God demanded. He willingly did this because of His love for us.

 

The question we often ask when evaluating and examining this sacrificial act of Jesus is, Was God’s wrath poured out upon Christ? We know that Jesus cried out, “My God, My God. Why has thou forsaken me?” What did Jesus mean by such a statement? Theologians have struggled with this statement for ages. Did God actually forsake Jesus?

 

What we know for sure is that God is holy and cannot look upon or tolerate sin. When His Son Jesus became sin for us it caused a dramatic rift in the relationship between Jesus and His Heavenly Father. Jesus very likely felt extremely alone, for He bore our sins and became accursed during the crucifixion.

 

When Jesus took our sin upon Himself, God the Father could not fellowship with Him in a normal manner. We cannot fully understand what this means, but it was not pleasant by any means for Jesus. God allowed Jesus to take this action and therefore supported Him in His sacrifice. It was part of God’s plan all along to redeem mankind and restore our relationship with Him through the process of the crucifixion. Since God is omniscient (all-knowing) He knew from the day that Adam and Eve fell into sin that Jesus would be the sacrifice needed to grant salvation to all men and women.

 

So in a sense, God the Father abandoned Jesus on the cross for it was a sacrificial atoning work that only He could carry out. Bearing the sins of the world and taking on the judgment for such sins was a burden only Jesus could bear. When Jesus took on such sin and the penalty associated with it, God the Father could not associate with such impurity. Even though Jesus was spotless in character, He took on, in every respect, the consequences of sinful rebellion that mankind, as a whole, would ever manifest.

 

While God abandoned Jesus during the crucifixion, did God pour His wrath out upon His Son while He was on the cross? I don’t’ think so and I will explain why.

 

God requires payment for sin. This penalty is death. This is a judgment declared by God and it will be carried out on each person’s life unless they accept Christ as personal Savior. God could not look upon the sin in Christ on the cross and therefore Jesus sensed this fracturing of their relationship. This is the reason for His words, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me.” But God’s turning away from Christ during the crucifixion is different than His wrath being poured out.

 

God’s wrath is associated with righteous anger. While God’s judgment is sometimes associated with His wrath, God’s judgment does not always proceed from anger. God’s wrath is associated with anger towards disobedience.

 

In Deuteronomy we find an example of disobedience that stirred God to take action and judge Israel for their actions. In chapter 29 and verses 25-28 it says, “And the answer will be: ‘It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt. They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book. In furious anger and in great wrath the LORD uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.’”

 

Here we see that there was judgment by God on Israel and this judgment involved His divine wrath. God was very, very angry because of their disobedience and therefore His wrath burned against them.

 

Other verses also speak of God’s wrath.

 

Psalms 90:11

“Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.”

 

Isaiah 9:19

“By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; no one will spare his brother.”

 

In the New Testament we see similar references to God’s wrath in a sense “hovering” over those who do not accept His Son as their Savior.

 

Romans 1:18

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,”

 

Ephesians 5:6

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.”

 

God did not display any anger or wrath upon Christ when He hung on the cross for He had willed that it should happen. If you remember, in Matthew 26 Jesus prayed three times that this cup of suffering be withheld from Him, but God’s will was that Jesus was to partake of the cup of the cross. Jesus did the will of His Heavenly Father by dying on the cross. He was perfectly obedient in taking on the sins of the world. There was no rebellion in Jesus’ actions. There is no description in scripture that God was angry because of Jesus’ actions and therefore no wrath of God was demonstrated. Possibly an analogy might help.

 

A loving father sets down rules in a household and tells of the punishment that will be given if the rules are broken. If one of his children breaks these rules the father must discipline his child. If this child broke the rules in order to do good, the father must still deliver the discipline but will not be possessed by anger for he understands the rules were broken for a reason. On the other hand if another of his children broke the rules out of total rebellion, the wrath of the father would be manifested. The father would be angered because one of his children willingly disobeyed to spite him. I believe that Jesus portrays the first child who took on sin to do good for mankind, but He had to experience the judgment of His loving Father because that is the will of a just and righteous God. I believe Israel deserved God’s wrath poured out upon them at times because they were not innocent and were willingly rebellious. I believe those individuals who fail to accept Christ as their Savior are not innocent and therefore are living under the judgment and wrath of God. Several scriptures speak of this wrath.

 

John 3:35-36

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

 

Romans 2:5-6

“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.’”

 

Romans 2:8

“But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”

 

While Christ did not experience God’s wrath while on the cross, you will experience God’s wrath if you fail to accept Him as Lord and Savior. If you have not turned your life over to Christ, why not pray to Him now and accept Him as Lord and Master of your life.

 

1 Peter 2:21-25

“Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

 

Once you pray that prayer of commitment and let Him rule your life, you are justified in God’s eyes and become part of His family.

 

Romans 5:9-10

“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”