Stephen Charnock On God's Anger Toward His Son On That Cross

The Puritan, Stephen Charnock (1628-1680), got the cross right:

As the Father did not in the time of his humiliation treat him as a son, but as a servant, as a sinner, as one he was angry with, he was exposed to the violences of men, as if he had been utterly neglected and abandoned by his Father . . . ." (The Necessity Of Christ's Death, Exaltation, And Intercession, Page 116)

To demonstrate His goodness to man, in preventing his eternal ruin, He would for a while withhold His goodness from His Son, by exposing His life as the price of our ransom; not only subjecting Him to the derisions of enemies, desertions of friends, and malice of devils, but to the inexpressible bitterness of His own wrath in His soul, as made an offering for sin. The particle so (John 3:16), seems to intimate this supremacy of goodness; He 'so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.' He so loved the world, that He seemed for a time not to love his Son in comparison of it, or equal with it. The person to whom a gift is given is, in that regard, accounted more valuable than the gift or present made to him: thus God valued our redemption above the worldly happiness of the Redeemer, and sentenceth Him to an humiliation on earth, in order to our exaltation in heaven; He was desirous to hear Him groaning, and see Him bleeding, that we might not groan under His frowns, and bleed under His wrath; He spared not Him, that He might spare us; refused not to strike Him, that He might be well pleased with us; drenched His sword in the blood of His Son, that it might not forever be wet with ours, but that His goodness might forever triumph in our salvation; He was willing to have His Son made man, and die, rather than man should perish, who had delighted to ruin himself; He seemed to degrade Him for a time from what He was. (The Complete Works Of Stephen Charnock Vol. 2, Pages 322-323)

More Resources On That Cross

1. A Concern About The Way Pastor Kevin DeYoung Writes About The Cross In His New Daily Doctrine Book

2. Forsaken, Or Felt Forsaken

3. The Bible Says God Was Angry With Jesus On The Cross

4. Is It Biblical To Say Jesus Was Damned By God On The Cross?

5. The Sufferings Of The LORD Jesus Christ On The Cross

God And The Gospel

To learn more about the great and true Triune God, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, His cross, and His glorious Gospel message and everlasting Kingship, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here with a free, 3 day trial.