Why I Believe God the Father's Wrath Fell on His Son, the Lord Jesus on That Good Friday
I remembered around nearly two decades ago - the erroneous film "The Passion of the Christ" was shown in the theaters. It was a Roman Catholic production with heresies that were brought from the visions of a Roman Catholic mystic. Roman Catholicism teaches that God didn't pour out His wrath on His Son, Jesus.
This is what Catholicism teaches about Christ's death as taken from the blog 3-Minute Apologetics:
The Catholic view of atonement is called the Satisfaction view. Instead of taking our punishment on Himself, Christ offered up something else that God would accept instead: Himself, a holy, perfect, blameless sacrifice, freely offered for all sinners. This offering was worth so much more than our punishment, and in offering this sacrifice, Christ appeased God’s wrath.
I can agree with the Catholic view (in part) that Jesus was a holy, perfect, blameless, sacrifice, freely offered for all sinners. But they do fail to see that penal substitution is biblical?
Here's what Theopedia says about it:
Penal substitutionary atonement refers to the doctrine that Christ died on the cross as a substitute for sinners. God imputed the guilt of our sins to Christ, and He, in our place, bore the punishment that we deserve. This was a full payment for sins, which satisfied both the wrath and the righteousness of God, so that He could forgive sinners without compromising His own holy standard.
Got Questions also gives this statement about penal substitution:
In the simplest possible terms, the biblical doctrine of penal substitution holds that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross takes the place of the punishment we ought to suffer for our sins. As a result, God’s justice is satisfied, and those who accept Christ can be forgiven and reconciled to God.
Why do I believe that the wrath of God had to fall on the Son? Just think why did Jesus have to die for sin? It because Romans 6:23 says that the penalty of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life. If the wrath of God against sin didn't fall on His Son then there would be no payment. Death is the punishment for sin for every man so don't tell me Jesus didn't take my place?
Let me quote Isaiah 53:4-10 from the Good News Translation (GNT) which is an approved translation for Roman Catholics where important points will be highlighted:
But He endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne. All the while we thought that His suffering was punishment sent by God. 5 But because of our sins He was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment He suffered, made whole by the blows he received. 6 All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going His own way. But the LORD made the punishment fall on Him, the punishment all of us deserved. 7 He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; He never said a word. Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, He never said a word. 8 He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die, and no one cared about His fate. He was put to death for the sins of our people. 9 He was placed in a grave with those who are evil, He was buried with the rich, even though he had never committed a crime or ever told a lie.” 10 The LORD says, "It was My will that He should suffer; His death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness. And so He will see His descendants; He will live a long life, and through Him My purpose will succeed.
2 Corinthians 5:21 also from the GNT also says:
Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made Him share our sin in order that in union with Him we might share the righteousness of God.
Many Roman Catholics tend to watch "The Passion of the Christ" every Good Friday yet they can't see that God's wrath had to fall on Jesus. Why did Jesus get beaten to a pulp not even the film could portray accurately? Why was Jesus flung with every worst insult on that day? Why did Jesus take every last blow that should have been for Barabbas? Why did Jesus allow Himself to suffer under Pontius Pilate? Why did Jesus have to get Himself ready to drink the cup of God's wrath on the Garden of Gethsemane? It's because He was about to accept God's wrath?
Just think of the following verses once more still taken from the GNT:
- Matthew 26:39 - Once more Jesus went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cup of suffering cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done."
- Matthew 26:42 - He went a little farther on, threw himself face downward on the ground, and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering from Me! Yet not what I want, but what You want."
- Mark 14:36 - "Father," He prayed, "my Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet not what I want, but what You want."
- Luke 22:42 - "Father," He said, "if you will, take this cup of suffering away from Me. Not my will, however, but Your will be done."
- John 18:11 - Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back in its place! Do you think that I will not drink the cup of suffering which my Father has given me?"
Just think about the cup of suffering. Who would actually deserve it? You and me. We deserve all the beating the crowd gave Jesus on that day. Crucifixion was a death reserved for the worst of criminals. Jesus in the form of an innocent man died the death reserved for the worst of criminals. Jesus was both 100% God and 100% man in His ministry. He had to die for the sins of man. The Roman Catholic view even becomes more erroneous when you consider that death is the penalty for sin, God's wrath is for the sinner, the cup of suffering is for the sinner, suffering is the result of death would all mean that Jesus really took our place. God's wrath can't be appeased unless His wrath had to fall upon His eternal Son to pay for our sins.
The Roman Catholic heresy that denies penal substitution may be the reason why the Roman Catholic mass is still offered. Jesus offered Himself continually? Even Hebrews 10:12 even in the GNT says:
Christ, however, offered one sacrifice for sins, an offering that is effective forever, and then He sat down at the right side of God.
That verse is in their Bible yet Roman Catholics still continue to celebrate the mass as an ongoing sacrifice rather than to commemorate what's being done. They still get stuck in the belief that their precious priests will "save their souls" resulting in centuries of the Vatican's well-documented scandals. Jesus already took it all, paid it all yet why does Roman Catholic teaching still insist that Jesus didn't take the place of the sinner on the cross? How can He even satisfy God's wrath if there was no wrath to be satisfied? I guess denying that essential teaching has become the reason why the so-called "one true Church founded in 33 A.D." is now accepting all religions. Peter who they purport was the first Pope (when he wasn't) would not be caught dead embracing other religions. Vatican II Popes have been caught in ecumenism. Recently, Peter's so-called successor Pope Francis is continuing the ecumenical movement. Soon, one more Pope will rise to complete the One World Church. How's that for saying it's the true Church that was supposedly founded in Matthew 16:18-19 is now accepting all other world religions?
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