Why was God on a Tree? – Propitiation

Romans 3:23-26 and Various
(Message given at Faith Church on March 18, 2007, 1:30pm)

INTRODUCTION

We are in a series called “Why was God on a Tree?” And we are asking this question because it is perplexing to most people why Jesus who is fully God became also fully Man, lived 33 years, and died on a tree? People still ask this question because He was not an ordinary man.

If He was just an ordinary man, some may still ask but most people would not care. In fact, history would not take so long to investigate or study an ordinary man’s death. But Jesus was not an ordinary man He was God.

So even after 2000 years, Jesus, the Son of God on a tree is still the most talked about death in the world. To anyone, believer or not, no one can deny His popularity even to this day. Recently, the movie, “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” is a perfect example of humanity’s fascination with Jesus Christ’s death.

So we are spending March and April, up to Easter, 6 big words that describe why God was on a tree. Let’s do a quick review of last couple of weeks before we dive into today’s topic.

Two weeks ago, Will Lee opened the series with Redemption. If I could summarize, Will told us that – Son of God was on a tree to legally free slaves from sin by Christ’s payment of price.

Then last week I talked about Justification. Summary – Son of God was on a tree to declare the unrighteous to be righteous by our unrighteousness imputed to Christ and Christ’s righteousness imputed to us.

So today, we move onto propitiation. Propitiation literally means to make favorable and specifically includes the idea of dealing with God’s wrath against sinners. You could say God’s wrath is propitiated; that it is diverted.

Now, we are still talking about propitiation but need to take what might seem to be a slight detour to look at everyone’s favorite topic, The Wrath of God. When you see your family and friends this week and if they ask, “Hey what did you guys talk about your church?” You can say, “The wrath of God.” Talking about the wrath of God against sin is very important because to truly understand “propitiation” we have to understand God’s wrath. For it is the wrath of God that Jesus Christ propitiates.

And there are other good reasons why we should really enjoy “wrath of God” against sin. Let me give you three quick ones.

First, wrath of God against sin is part of who our God is and so when the Bible talks about the wrath of God, it is part of God’s revelation. “In the Old Testament, more than twenty words are used of the wrath of God. The total number of references to God’s wrath exceeds 580, so that it cannot be said to be an occasional topic.” Leon Morris

Second, if you flip the coin, the other side of the wrath of God against sin, we see God being strongly for holiness and beauty. God is strongly against sin because He is strongly for holiness and beauty.

Third, wrath of God against sin is only part of the story. Because the second part of today’s message is propitiation. Christ diverts God’s wrath for those who trust and love Him. I was thinking about it this way. It would be wrong if we talked about the wrath of God against sin today and then next Sunday talk about propitiation. What a bummer that would be.

1. Wrath of God

Okay, so here is the fundamental fact about the wrath of God against sin. God is Holy, and that He punishes all sin.

a. In the Old Testament

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. Nahum 1:2 (ESV)

When you read the Bible, you will see that God is not wishy-washy with sin.

You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. Exodus 22:22-24 (ESV)

And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” Exodus 32:9-10 (ESV)

And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy. Ezekiel 16:38 (ESV)

Those are some strong words.

Some may say, that is the OT God. As if God changed from OT to NT. Like He had a change of heart because there was inspiration or illumination.

Tendency is that God is seen in the OT as a bad God holding up the law without love and compassion. And NT as a good God of grace who just overlooks sin.

b. In the New Testament

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. Romans 1:18 (ESV)

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 5:6 (ESV)

On account of these the wrath of God is coming. Colossians 3:6 (ESV)

… He also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Revelation 14:10 (ESV)

Bottom line is this. God is Holy and hates, angry and wrathful against sin. And as we say so much in our church, because we are totally depraved sinners, we are in trouble. But here is the good news, the gospel, the grace.

2. Grace of God

1. In the Old Testament

The OT grace is that God is slow to anger.

They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Nehemiah 9:17 (ESV)

Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. Psalm 78:38 (ESV)

However, slow or restraining His anger did not mean He overlooked sin.

‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty …’ Numbers 14:18a (ESV)

God in His grace restrains His anger but only for a time. But does pour His wrath eventually on Jesus. This is what Romans 3:25-26 means.

Before Jesus was put forward as propitiation, God passed over former sins, planning in His righteousness to have His wrath diverted to Jesus on the cross.

2. In the New Testament

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 (ESV)

This is where we see the full grace of God expressed in His love.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10 (ESV).

This is why God was on a tree. To be our propitiation. This is good news.

Let's end with three questions.

3. Three questions

1) Is this good news to you?

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; … John 3:36a (ESV)

2) Who do you know that needs to hear this good news?

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36 (ESV)

3) Will you contend for the full gospel message?

Against waves and waves of bible teachers who ignore or change this doctrine of propitiation, will you hold onto this message?

If we as Christians are to be faithful to the biblical account, we must see that the death of Jesus Christ was no ordinary death. For the biblical writers are crystal clear about both God’s wrath on sin and his grace in offering up his own Son to satisfy his own righteous anger for sins that we have committed. Christianity is not a religion of ethics, morality, or politics. Its central message is the proclamation of the death of God’s Son, under God’s curse, dying in unspeakable anguish to turn aside God’s holy hatred of sin, so that all who trust in him and in him alone can be saved from God’s wrath and be assured of God’s favor toward them. If we lose that message we have lost Christianity itself. – Kim Riddlebarger