Growing up in the southern United States, I've always heard that Jesus suffered the wrath of God on the cross. Reading the Gospels it seems more obvious that Jesus suffered from the wrath of the human race (see essay for Scripture references). It was not the Father's anger or the Holy Spirit's that was poured out on Jesus; it was ours. We rejected him, cursed him, beat him and brutally murdered him. Either the Father, Son and Spirit were caught off guard by our horrific response to Jesus, or our bitter rejection of Jesus was clearly anticipated and deliberately used as the way of reconciliation.
What sin could be more heinous than hating—and then murdering—God, and what reconciliation could be more beautiful and personal and real than the Lord willingly submitting Himself to suffer our wrath, thereby actually meeting us—the real broken us—in our foul darkness?
It is astonishing indeed that the Father’s Son became what we are, and it is even more stunning that we rejected and abused and crucified him. But is it not more stunning still, that Jesus willingly accepted and endured it all, when one word would have unleashed legions of angels to his defense? Such is the astounding love of the Father, Son and Spirit for their lost and pitiful creatures.
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About Me
- C. Baxter Kruger, Ph.D.
- Brandon, MS, United States
- Dr. C. Baxter Kruger, theologian, writer and fishing lure designer is the Director of Perichoresis Ministries. Baxter is a native of Prentiss, Mississippi. He and his wife Beth have been married for 30 years and have 4 children. A life long student of psychology, Baxter has a degrees in political science, divinity, and earned his Doctor of Philosophy from Kings College, Aberdeen University in Aberdeen, Scotland under Professor James B. Torrance. He is the author of 8 books, including The Great Dance, Jesus and the Undoing of Adam and Across All Worlds, and recently the international bestseller, The Shack Revisited. He teaches around the world. He is an avid outdoorsman and holds two United States patents for his fishing lure designs. He is the founder and President of Mediator Lures.
4 comments:
Following along on you from you thoughts on the suffering of Jesus on Cross other than the physical suffering was the intensification of human hatred towards God and their great sin. Given that we Christiains live out the life of Jesus in todays world. Isn't it so true that much of the suffering which we individualy go through is the result of people's anger etc(Christian and others) against us. Just like Jesus who learnt obeience through his suffering so we do to.
If we follow the model of the God pouring his wrath on Jesus as the means by which atonment is made, it follows that the suffering/discipline of God in our own lives invariable provides us with the picture of God to varying degrees as the disciplinarian ruler who is in some way still displeased with us or at least with ourlack of maturity/sin etc. Rather I see that the image of the Father who suffers with his children but sees the good that will come from it. God promises to present with us through the Holy Spirit as the ever present helper who leads us through adversity/ struggle etc.
I have been out of the theological debate area for a long time having gone through a wilderness period so my written skills are a bit deficient but I know what I am trying to say and if now one else does that ok because I have been blessed
Steve H
Thanks for making this readily available! I've just printed the article (having read the first couple of pages) and really look forward to it. :)
Is this essay still available? The link is broken or the file has been moved.
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