I was recently listening to a message by Dr. Michael Krueger, and he referenced that God did not withhold His wrath from His Son.  Unlike a parent who holds back what the child deserves, God did not hold back anything. God did not go easy on His own Son, on our behalf.  God exhausted His wrath on Jesus at the Cross.

These thoughts came to mind when I was reading Ezekiel last week.

God sent Ezekiel to the people of Israel, “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me.  They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn; I send you to them…And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.’” Ezekiel 2:3-7 (excerpts)

God was exacting His punishment on Israel for their rebellion against Him.  “I will spend my fury upon them…my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst…I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in you midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD, who strikes…As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity, I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”

And we deserve nothing less, for apart from Christ, we too are a rebellious people and our sin deserves God’s wrath and punishment.  But Christ took that punishment on our behalf. At the Cross, the Father spent His fury upon Him, His eye did not spare Him, nor did He have pity, He punished Jesus for OUR ways, and OUR abominations.  The Father poured out His wrath upon His Son, He spent His anger against Him, and judged Christ according to OUR ways.  His eye did not spare nor did He have pity – He poured out His wrath for OUR deeds on Christ’s head.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. … Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief… Isaiah 53:4-5; Isaiah 53:10

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Romans 5:9

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ…1 Thessalonians 5:9

Declaring Glory (song)

My God poured out His vengeance great
Like floods released with crushing weight,
But Jesus drank that fury dry
And now God’s wrath is satisfied.
O, glorious thought, How can it be?
My King has no wrath left for me![i]

© 2015 Declaring Glory – all rights reserved

Oh, how grateful I am.

Blessings,

Diane

[i] Music by Dave Mincy; Words by Joe Henson III

Diane Hunt serves part-time on the staff of America’s Keswick providing ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.