The Wrath on Jesus

[haximo]

In the Reformed Church in the Netherlands we always read a week before the Lord's supper the classic liturgy about the Lord's supper. They suggest in this form that Jesus had bear Gods wrath in His whole life. From His birth, till His death.

Today many theologians dont say this anymore. Today I hear: Jesus bear Gods wrath on the cross.

What do you think? Did Jesus bear Gods wrath His whole life, or only at the cross?

 

[BobVigneault]

God's wrath was poured out upon the Son only in the Cross. All of Christ's earthly life was a demonstration of his perfect holiness. His incarnation was a humiliation and a set apart of some of his divine glory but it was not the result of God's wrath. It was only at the Cross that God turned away and punished sin for it was only at the Cross that Jesus took our sins upon him. I've never heard of Christ's earthly life being described in terms of bearing wrath.

 

[Peairtach]

But there is a sense in which the whole of Christ's earthly sufferings and humiliation is His suffering on our behalf.

Obviously His sufferings on our behalf intensified massively at the Cross. But He was born under the law, bearing our sins and was our priestly mediator from the beginning to the end of His life.

All of His passive obedience and righteousness and suffering was for us, not only that at the Cross.

 

[Weston Stoler]

But there is a sense in which the whole of Christ's earthly sufferings and humiliation is His suffering on our behalf.

Obviously His sufferings on our behalf intensified massively at the Cross. But He was born under the law, bearing our sins and was our priestly mediator from the beginning to the end of His life.

All of His passive obedience and righteousness and suffering was for us, not only that at the Cross.

I thought his life was more about fulfilling the righteousness of the Law, not suffering on our behalf. That was on the cross. Of course I could be misunderstanding things

 

[Contra_Mundum]

It's OK to think of Christ bearing the wrath of God in a sense his whole life long. Joshua points to this in his answer, reference the Westminster Stds., because Jesus state in the Incarnation is one of humiliation. It is not just humiliation to our level, but it is also humiliation under the curse. And this language is present in the Three Forms of Unity.

Heidelberg Question 37
Q. What do you confess when you say that He suffered?
A. During all the time He lived on earth, but especially at the end, Christ bore in body and soul the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race.[1] Thus, by His suffering, as the only atoning sacrifice,[2] He has redeemed our body and soul from everlasting damnation,[3] and obtained for us the grace of God, righteousness, and eternal life.[4]
[1] Is.53:1-12; 1Tim.2:6; 1Pet.2:24; 3:18. [2] Rom.3:25; 1Cor.5:7; Eph.5:2; Heb.10:14; 1Jn.2:2; 4:10. [3] Rom.8:1-4; Gal.3:13; Col.1:13; Heb.9:12; 1Pet.1:18-19. [4] Jn.3:16; Rom.3:24-26; 2Cor.5:21; Heb.9:15.​

We do want to take care, however, because there is also that sense in which Christ (during his whole life and ministry) was approved by God. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." So, we need to be careful to say that the cross of Christ is where he bears that full wrath and curse due to his elect for sin, and not just a general bearing of it voluntarily, though he is manifestly unworthy of it.

None of that observation should overturn the reality that many people today (sadly) are not careful to admire Christ for his whole sin-bearing life lived on our behalf.

 

[Jack K]

Bruce's answer is an excellent explanation. Growing up in the Dutch Reformed tradition, I too heard more often than I do now about Jesus bearing God's curse by living on this earth, which suffers under the curse. I suspect this is due to its inclusion in the Heidelberg Catechism, which Bruce mentioned.