Mark Jones On God's Love And Anger At The Cross

 

"Much was given to Jesus by way of gifts and graces, and much was required. He gave all that was required. Yet he was still the recipient of his Father's anger. He became an object of wrath that no redeemed saint will ever fully comprehend; for, as Charnock says:

Not all the vials of judgments, that have, or shall be poured out upon the wicked world, nor the flaming furnace of a sinner's conscience, nor the irreversible sentence pronounced against the rebellious devils, nor the groans of the damned creatures, give such a demonstration of God's hatred of sin, as the wrath of God let loose upon his Son.

The anger of Christ proves the reality of the mercy he shows toward sinners. Indeed, even in the way that God saves, he could not be merciful towards us if he was not angry towards his Son on the cross at Calvary." Mark Jones (Page 72)

"Let us remember the salient fact that the Father would soon abandon His beloved Son in Whom He found such delight . . . In relation to His death on the cross, God was never more pleased with His Son than when He was most angry with Him." Mark Jones (Page 82)

"My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?!" Jesus

"These are the words of someone who has experienced divine desertion. This type of abandonment includes the withdrawal of the feeling or presence of God's favour, grace, and love. The removal of these things is the removal of God. Yet although God withdrew his favour from his Son, Christ remained obedient. God was never more happy with his Son than when he was most angry with him . . . the withdrawing of his presence was, for Christ, a new experience . . . When Christ cried out these words - a direct quote from Psalm 22:1 - they were like the shrieks of those who are cast away forever . . . now he 'descended into hell' . . . In this dark abandonment, Christ still, in faith entrusted himself to the Father and rested upon his promises . . . Christ experienced both physical pain and the spiritual loss of his Father's face." Mark Jones (Pages 146-147)

Hallelujah! What a Savior!