Katie asked:
“I heard a preacher (Paul Washer) put forth an idea that I’d never heard of before concerning the wrath of God and Jesus on the cross. He said that while Jesus was on the cross, the Father poured out His cup of wrath onto Him, and that’s how He paid for our sins. I had always just heard about His death, burial, and resurrection, paying for sins. Does that preacher sound accurate to you? Thanks in advance.”
This is a great question and a controversial one. Why?
Because Liberal Christians think the idea of God the Father pouring out wrath on His Son is a case of divine child abuse and contradicts the idea of God being a loving. Meanwhile, Evangelicals debate whether or not the concept of penal substitution is Biblical. And finally, Free Grace people disagree on how and for whom Jesus satisfied God’s wrath. So, it’s a thorny controversy.
Whenever I’m faced with a theological problem, I begin by trying to find an explicit statement for the doctrine: “Where does the Bible explicitly say that God poured out His wrath on Jesus?”
In this case, the answer is: nowhere. At least, nowhere that I could find. It may appear in the hymns we sing, but it does not appear as an explicit statement in the Biblical texts.
However, that does not make the idea wrong, which brings me to my next question: “Does the Bible implicitly teach that God poured His wrath on Jesus?” Here are six lines of evidence in defense of that idea:
1. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be “struck down,” “afflicted,” “smitten,” “punished,” and “crushed” by God for our sins, rebellion, and iniquities (cf. Isa 53:4-6, 10 CSB). Although Isaiah does not use the word wrath, God is clearly pouring wrath on this Suffering Servant.
2. Jesus became sin for us, and we know that God shows wrath against sin (cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 1:18).
3. Jesus died under the law for us, and the law provokes wrath (cf. Rom 4:15; 7:4).
4. Jesus became a curse for us, and a curse is God's wrath upon lawbreakers (cf. Deut 6:4-6; Gal 3:13)
5. Jesus is the hilasterion—the propitiating sacrifice, or place of propitiation (i.e., the Mercy Seat)—for the world's sins. A propitiation appeases God’s wrath. Elsewhere, we’re told that His blood saves us from the wrath of God (cf. 3:24-25; Rom 5:8-9; 1 John 2:2).
6. Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God. That image harkens back to the time of the Exodus when who applied the paschal lamb were spared from God’s angel of death. But also, as a general principle, sacrifices appease God's wrath with their pleasing aroma (cf. Gen 8:21; Leviticus 1-7; John 1:29).
Did God pour out His wrath on Jesus on the cross? While that is only an implication of these texts, I think it is well-grounded. Jesus died on the cross as a substitute for believers. He took the punishment for sin in such a way that if you believe in Him, you will have eternal life; if not, you will have God’s wrath:
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36).
Send your questions or comments to Shawn.
Interesting, the foundational concept of the atonement in many evangelical traditions - that “God punished Jesus on the cross, God poured out his wrath against sin by killing Jesus” - you agree that this is not explicitly stated in the Bible, despite the fact it is common in our hymns and doctrinal statements.
Doesn’t that raise a red flag?
That perhaps there is another possibility of understanding what happened on the cross.
You (emotionally) refer to “liberal Christian’s” and “child abuse” as characterizing the critique of those who may not agree with this perspective. It’s setting up a false dichotomy - either you accept the idea of God pouring out his cup of wrath on Jesus (despite, as you acknowledge it not explicitly being stated in the Bible) or you’re a liberal (negative connotation).
As I explore this issue, I’m leaning towards seeing it differently…
1. psalm 22:24 says “he has not hidden his face from him” - this despite the common idea that the “father turned his face away.” Psalm 22 indicates that it was the people who despised and scorned him (caused him to suffer).
2. Is 53 tells us that “it was the Lord’s will” that he suffer. This however is different than “the Lord punished him.” God allowed Jesus to be punished - he stepped in as the representative of humanity, bearing our sin - and, like a sheep being slaughtered, like a sacrificial lamb, his death results in real atonement. The lamb is not being punished in the sacrificial context, there is no wrath against it - an innocent victim is bearing the sin which has been transferred to it - and this results in atonement. It is the laying down of the life, the giving up of innocence - fulfilled in Jesus - that is the sweet aroma that God is pleased with - the focus is not satisfaction of anger.
3. There is complexity in the translation of hilasterion (place of atonement or mercy seat). The blood of the sacrifice is placed on the mercy seat - this is the proof a life has been given up - and so the engine of atonement (what makes it work) has at least two possibilities - one is the traditional “turning aside of wrath because another has been punished in the place” the other is the idea of “a worthy life has been given up” so (the law of) wrath is now overcome by (the law of) sacrifice. Similar to Aslan’s death in Narnia - there is a deeper magic involved - notice how Lewis there has the traitor’s life as forfeit but the death of the willing victim (rather than the pouring out of wrath) is the thing that invokes the deeper magic and sees the traitor freed. The focus of the substitution is not the bearing of punishment but the willing victim standing in to take the place.
Whatever our final perspective (and this has been argued about for centuries) I suggest the scriptures you use (the implicit ones) don’t actually strengthen the “God punished Jesus” idea but undermine it, pointing instead to the amazing laying down of life - love - for the sake of another rather than the emptying of the cup of wrath upon Jesus. Mercy triumphs over judgement - not by the pouring out of wrath but by the intervention of love.
Grace and peace.
Jesus died for all sin, past present and future. Saving us from God's wrath.
Romans 5:6-11
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Hebrews 10:10-12
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Rom 1:16-17 states the way of salvation: believe in Jesus. God saves the one who believes.
Rom 1:18-3:20 explain why we need salvation. Everyone is a sinner.
The believer is saved from God's wrath. Jesus died in our place. We are justified before God; and forgiven. We do not get wrath, but eternal life: "The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).
Romams 1:18 say For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousnes.
This is a present tense wrath that is reveal against all men (believers and unbelievers). Do you believe God's Word teaches that believer can experience God's wrath for their unrighteousness even though Jesus die for the sins of the world?