Sinners in the Hands

Here is a email question (and my response) from a young seminarian friend of mine:

"A question that keeps coming up in discussion with people at school is...Did the Father pour out His wrath on Jesus when He was on the cross? If so, was His wrath emotional anger on the Son? Or was His wrath the penalty for sin (death) on the Son? Big question..I don't know what is most faithful to scriptures teaching? It seems like a "pic ture of God" idea. I really apprecia te your feedback."

A will add a couple things to the grappling.

What does the term wrath mean?  Does it mean anger (like we normally connote it) or does it mean punishment for an offense (another legit definition)?  The reformed position probably connects it to anger.  You know...Sinners in the hands of a pissed off God.  I would lean more toward the judicial meaning, which I see as more in line with the revelation of God in Jesus (our best and most accurate picture).  Secondly, we must remember that God is not some unfeeling source, but has been in eternal relationship in the trinity.  If the plan was for eternity for Jesus to absorb the bunt of our sin, it seems a bit inconceivable that the Father is doing this in emotional anger (I wouldn't even do that and I am a sinner), but more likely through tears of grief.  Father, son...  If my son were to do the most remarkable sacrificial act of love for all eternity, it would certainly not stir my anger toward him.  Quite the contrary, it would crush my heart that this even had to happen.  Those are just some thoughts.

Remember Jesus is God incarnate and the Gospel is always about love.  Don't let the people mess with your head too bad!  ;)

Peace to you my young brother!

Rob

Comments

[Jesse]

Rob, I am glad to write that I will be writing my Master's thesis on Romans 3:25. "Paul's use of Hilasterion to show Jesus as the mercy seat, the cosmic implications of the atonement." I think, but am still studying and reading, that the implications of Jesus as the "mercy seat" are hitting on exactly the sentiments you are expressing. Breshears has recently changed his primary understanding of the atonement, so it is interesting to be around him as He is processing.