IT WAS A PENAL WORK
Scripture plainly teaches that God is both holy and righteous, and that "justice and judgment" (
not "love and pity") are the establishment of Gods "throne" (Ps. 89:14). Thus there is that in the Divine Essence which abhors sin for its intrinsic sinfulness, both in its respect of pollution and in its aspect of guilt. The perfections of God are therefore displayed both by forbidding and punishing the same. He has pledged Himself that "the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezek. 18:4). Therefore, in order for a full Satisfaction to be rendered unto God, sin must be punished, the penalty of the law must be enforced. Consequently, as Savior of His Church, Christ had to vicariously suffer the infliction of the laws curse.
What we shall now seek to show is that the sufferings and death of Christ were a satisfaction to Divine justice on behalf of the sins of His people. In case any should object against our use of the term "satisfaction," let us point out that this very word is found in our English Bibles, being given by the translators as the equivalent for the Hebrew word which is ordinarily rendered "Atonement": "Moreover ye shall take no
satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall surely be put to death. And ye shall take no
satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest" (Num. 35:31, 32).
The deep humiliation to which the Son of God was subjected in taking upon Him the form of a servant, and being made "in the likeness of sins flesh," was a judicial infliction imposed upon Him by the Father, yet voluntarily submitted to by Himself. The very
purpose of His humiliation, His obedience, His Sufferings, makes them
penal,for they were unto the satisfying of the claims of Gods law upon His people. In being "made under the law" (Gal. 4:4) Christ became
subject to all that the law enjoins: "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law" (Rom. 3:19), which means the law calls for the fulfillment of its terms. "Christ in our room and stead, did both by doing and suffering,
satisfy Divine justice,both the legislatory, the retributive, and the vindictive, in the most perfect manner, fulfilling all the righteousness of the law, which the law otherwise required of us, in order to impunity, and to our having a right to eternal life" (H. Witsius, 1693).
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust" (1 Pet. 3:18). The reference here must not be restricted to what Christ endured at the hands of God while He hung upon the Cross, nor to all He passed through during that day and preceding night. Beware of
limiting the Word of God! No; the entirety of His humiliation is here included. The whole life of Christ was one of sufferings, therefore was He designated "the Man of sorrows," not simply, "sorrow". From His birth to His death, suffering and sorrow marked Him as their legitimate Victim. While yet an infant He was driven into exile, to escape the fury of those who sought His life. That was but the prophetic fore runner of His whole earthly course. The cup of woe, put to His lips at Bethlehem, was never removed till He drained its bitter dregs at Calvary.
Every variety of suffering was experienced by Him. He tasted
poverty in its severest rigor. Born in a stable, owning no property on earth, dependent upon the charity of others (Luke 8:3), oftentimes being worse situated than the inferior orders of creation: (Matthew 8:20). He suffered
reproach in all its bitterness. The most malignant accusations, the vilest aspersions, the most cutting sarcasm, were directed against His person and character. He was taunted with being a glutton, a winebibber, a deceiver, a blasphemer, a devil. Therefore do we hear Him crying, "Reproach hath broken my heart" (Ps. 69:20). He experienced
temptation in all its malignity. The Prince of darkness assailed Him with all his ingenuity and power, causing his infernal legions to attack Him, coming against Him like "strong bulls of Bashan," gaping on Him with their mouths like ravening and roaring lions (Ps. 22:12, 13). Above all, He suffered the
wrath of God, so that He was "exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (Matthew 26:38), in "an agony" (Luke 22:44), and ultimately, "forsaken of God."
What then is the explanation of these unparalleled "sufferings"? Why was the most perfect obedience followed by the most terrible punishment? Why was unsullied holiness visited with unutterable anguish? David declared, "Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken" (Ps. 37:25); why, then was the Righteous One abandoned by God? Only one answer is possible; only one answer fully meets all the facts of the case; only one answer clears the government of God. In taking the place of offending sinners, Christ became obligated to discharge all their liabilities, and this involved bearing their sins, being charged with their guilt, suffering their punishment. Accordingly, God dealt with Him as the Representative of His criminal people, inflicting upon Him all that their sins merited. As the sin-bearing Substitute of His people, Christ was justly exposed to all the dreadful consequences of Gods manifested displeasure.
Of old the question was asked, "Who ever perished being innocent?" (Job 4:7), to which we may, without the slightest hesitation, answer, None. God never has and never will smite the innocent. Therefore before His punitive wrath could fall upon Christ, the sins of His people must first be transferred to Him, and this is precisely what Scripture affirms. Remarkably was this foreshadowed of old in the great type of Israels annual Day of Atonement, "And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions with all their sins,
putting them upon the head of the goat" (Lev. 16:21). So too was it plainly prophesied, "The Lord hath laid
on Him the iniquity of us all. . . He
bare the sin of many" (Isa. 53:6, 12). So also is it expressly affirmed in the New Testament, "So Christ was once offered to
bear the sins of many" (Heb. 9:28). Once again we would point out there is not a hint in these passages that Christ bore the sins of His people
only while He was hanging upon the Cross. We are aware that many have so affirmed, but in doing so they have not only been guilty of adding to the Word of God, but also of flatly contradicting it.
http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Satisfaction/sat_07.htm
). However, I just want to comment, if you'll indulge me, on one portion of your post. You say, "...When God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for the sin of the whole world, it was not an act of justice, but an act of mercy." I, like cygnus, believe it to be both. If there were no legal reconciliation through the blood of Christ then our sins still bear a legal requirement for which we remain unable to account. I think that the justice of God that Christ satisfied on the Cross makes it fitting for God to extend His mercy to those who rest their faith in His atonement.
