Did God Pour His Wrath Out on Jesus?

Well, it is that time of year again when I find myself cringing as I listen to many sermons on the death of Christ. The blistering wrath of God and fiery damnation, smoldering away as we dangle like a spider precariously perched over the fires of hell. But wait, in comes Jesus, and God the Father turns his bowl of retribution and divine anger over every sin committed in the world, that which he has been storing up, against the innocent lamb of God. This perfect Jesus becomes the “substitute agent of retribution” and for a brief moment, the Son is separated from the Father.

I would like to suggest to you that such a view is not the only explanation of what took place on the cross but may not even be the best explanation. If you are, I would encourage you to listen to a podcast of Doctor Mosser explaining the Satisfaction theory of the atonement. To be honest, it is quite beautiful.

"The classic view says, God could have pardoned us freely, He could have saved us by some other means, He choose to save us by the incarnation and satisfaction of Christ not because that was the only way to secure pardon but because it secured a more lavish richer salvation that brings about all the benefits…that comes from the union of the humanity and divinity in the person of Christ and which flow to us in our personal union with Christ. So God wanted to give a lavish salvation that elevates our humanity in communion with divine love and divine life.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEdLv0B5lvI