* Jesus Absorbed the Wrath of God

Jesus Absorbed the Wrath of God-Gal 3:13, Rom 3:25, 1Jn 4:10
God is just, meaning that God is perfectly righteous and exact in His dealings with man (Ps.19:9). God is also loving. His love is willing to meet the demands of his justice. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, and might (Deut 6:5) but all men have loved other things more. (idolatry) This is what dishonoring God is. Thus we have all fallen short of God’s glory. (Rom 3:23)

In order for this to hit home and not be another bible lesson, we have to ask ourselves what we put before God. Are we honest enough to confess this is idolatry and one of the core reasons Jesus had to die on our behalf? Could our sin before God be that serious?

It is also important to note that God is both just and loving. This is something that is misunderstood in “God-conversations” if you listen to talk radio or TV. Usually, He is one or the other and this is dishonoring and ignorant of God’s character. This is again why we must, First seek to understand before being understood.

And God spoke all these words:

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments. –Exodus 20: 1-6


We glorify God when we enjoy Him most, not when we enjoy other things most. The seriousness of the insult rises with the dignity of the one insulted, in this case the Creator. He is worthy of all respect, admiration and loyalty. Failure to love Him is treason, defaming God, which is a crime against God. These are strong statements, but God is God. It is we who need to change towards Him.

God is just and crimes must be punished. He feels a holy wrath against them. For the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23; Ezek 18:4). This might seem harsh, but think about it. All men will stand before God and give an account of their lives. I think of baby Luis Angel Garcia, a 23 day old baby that was killed September 15th of this year near McArthur Park in a gang-related shooting. A little boy living less than a month on planet earth is met with a bullet. His mother runs outside only to see a thug laughing out loud before she sees her little baby lying on the lawn in a puddle of his own blood. What can possibly comfort this woman? Is it knowing the law system would find her baby’s killer? Is it knowing an act of evil carried out by a wicked man will be put behind bars for life? What if the authorities never find the killer? Where is there justice in this world?

We serve a just God!

God is just and crimes must be punished. The Bible is strong in declaring that arrogant, proud, unrighteous men will not go unpunished. Who can run from a holy God? That little boy’s mother can know a just God is in control, even though she might be angry and confused, deeply shocked and saddened beyond words.

Like the killer who pulled the trigger, we are also guilty before a Holy God. All people fall short of God’s glory and justly deserve to be punished. There are some today that believe if one is basically good they will go to heaven. Hell is only for those who are evil, the likes of Hitler or Stalin. This thinking mocks the work of Christ on the Cross and plan of God.

God in His love sent His son to absorb this wrath and bear the curse for all who trust Him (Gal 3:13). Jesus removed God’s wrath by being a substitute in our place. He diverted the wrath of God from us to Himself. It is God who first loved us by sending us His Son to be the wrath (propitiation) for our sins (1Jn 4:10).

We will never stand in awe of being loved by God until we reckon with the seriousness of our sin and the justice of God’s wrath against us.

Heavenly Father, you are a Holy God. This world is full of evil and harmful deeds committed against one another. We need you Lord God! Thank you for sending Your own beloved Son to die on my behalf and satisfy Your righteous wrath upon me. For this is love, not the love of this world, but the deepest form of love, sacrificial love. Help me today to bask in this most glorious love You have for me, and for all. Help me to enjoy You the most today because that’s my heart’s desire. Might I be used today to reflect your glory to just one person. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tomorrow: How Jesus pleased His Heavenly Father