What If We’ve Misunderstood the Cross?
What if the cross isn’t about God’s wrath being satisfied, but about God’s love being revealed?
I realize this question might sound unsettling at first, especially if, like me, you grew up hearing sermons emphasizing that God had no choice but to pour out His wrath upon Jesus in order to forgive our sins. I held onto that assumption myself for many years, believing this was simply what the Bible taught.
But what if that’s not actually what Scripture says at all?
What if the cross, far from being a place where God’s anger was unleashed, is really the greatest revelation of His relentless love and mercy toward humanity?
If we’ve misunderstood the cross, then we’ve misunderstood the very heart of God.
So let’s gently and humbly rethink this together, looking honestly at what Scripture truly reveals about what happened (and didn’t happen) at Calvary.
What Did Jesus Say About His Own Death?
If the cross was primarily about God’s wrath, why didn’t Jesus ever describe it that way?
Have you noticed that when Jesus spoke about His death, He never once portrayed it as taking divine anger upon Himself? Instead, He spoke clearly and beautifully about love, forgiveness, and restoration.
Consider Jesus’ words in John 15:13:
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Notice He didn’t say, “Greater wrath,” but “Greater love.” Or think about His extraordinary words spoken from the very cross itself in Luke 23:34:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Does this sound like divine wrath being poured out? To me, it sounds more like divine love being poured forth.
And in John 12:32, Jesus proclaims:
“When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself.”
He doesn’t say, “When I’m lifted up, I will satisfy God’s anger.” No. Jesus says that His death is intended to change man, not God.
Friends, when we listen carefully to Jesus, the message is clear: The cross was never about appeasing an angry God. It was always about revealing the heart of a loving Father.
The Cross Was Humanity’s Wrath, Not God’s
When we ask the question, “Who actually killed Jesus?”, the apostles answer repeatedly and without hesitation: It was humanity, not God.
In Acts 2:23, Peter declares boldly, “You, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”
Again, in Acts 3:15, Peter tells the crowd plainly, “You killed the author of life.”
And yet again in Acts 5:30, we hear, “The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.”
Notice how clear the apostles are: sinful humanity crucified Jesus.
The apostles never once suggest it was God punishing Him. They consistently place responsibility at the feet of human beings, urging repentance precisely because it was humanity’s sin, humanity’s violence, and humanity’s rejection of God’s love that led to the cross.
So, if the apostles say humans killed Jesus — and call them to repentance for it — why should we accept today’s claims that God killed Jesus?
Instead, let’s consider 2 Corinthians 5:19 carefully, where Paul tells us exactly where God was during the crucifixion:
“God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them.”
Think deeply about that: God wasn’t standing outside the cross pouring wrath onto Jesus; He was on the cross, in Christ, absorbing humanity’s wrath and sin, offering mercy and forgiveness in return.
Friends, the cross isn’t a picture of divine anger. It’s the ultimate revelation of human violence meeting God’s unstoppable love.
Listen to “Why Did Jesus Have to Die? (Rethinking the Cross)”.
The True Meaning of Atonement: Restorative, Not Retributive
When we talk about atonement, what we’re really asking is, “What did the cross actually accomplish?” If it wasn’t God punishing and killing His own Son, what was really going on there?
The Bible gives us beautiful answers that many have overlooked, often because we’ve assumed atonement had to be about punishment and satisfying the violent wrath of an angry deity. But when we look deeper, we discover atonement isn’t about retribution but about restoration.
First, consider Colossians 2:15, which tells us that at the cross, Jesus “disarmed the powers and authorities, making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Theologians call this view Christus Victor, which reveals that Jesus didn’t just suffer punishment; He confronted the powers of sin, darkness, and death, defeating them through His resurrection.
But the cross is also about restoring what sin had shattered: our relationship with God. Paul tells us explicitly in 2 Corinthians 5:19 that through Christ, “God was reconciling the world to Himself.” Notice, Paul doesn’t say God was venting wrath or getting justice. He says reconciliation was happening. This was God restoring the broken connection, inviting us home into a restored, healed relationship.
And consider Paul’s powerful words in Romans 5:8:
“God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Paul doesn’t say, “God demonstrated His anger,” but rather His love.
Jesus didn’t pay off an angry Father; He revealed a Father who loves sinners enough to confront sin head-on and restore His creation.
Friends, the scriptures are clear that the cross isn’t about satisfying God’s wrath. It’s about revealing divine love, restoring humanity, and defeating the power of sin and death forever.
Final Reflection: Rethinking the Cross
So, how does all of this change your view of God? If the cross wasn’t about God punishing Jesus but instead about God in Christ revealing love rather than wrath then perhaps we need to rethink how we’ve viewed God all along.
Maybe the cross isn’t about a God who needed blood before He could forgive; maybe it’s about a God who willingly stepped into our mess, absorbed our worst violence, and responded with forgiveness, healing, and resurrection life.
In a few weeks, I’ll be recording a special Q&A podcast episode to address the very questions you’re likely wrestling with right now.
So, what are your thoughts? Leave a comment below and let’s discuss! If you’ve got questions or objections, drop them here. I’ll tackle as many as I can in our upcoming Q&A episode.
Let’s keep exploring this together, because the more clearly we see the cross, the more clearly we see the heart of God.
Blessings!
Founder – TrueRichesAcademy.com
