Ransomed, Not Punished: Rethinking the Cross and the Wrath Jesus Faced

Ransomed, Not Punished: Rethinking the Cross and the Wrath Jesus Faced

For many Christians today, the dominant way of understanding the cross involves the idea that Jesus suffered the wrath of God in our place. This interpretation, often associated with penal substitution, teaches that God’s justice demanded a punishment for sin, and Jesus stepped in to bear that penalty. But this wasn’t the only way the early church understood the meaning of Jesus’ death—and arguably, not even the earliest.

Long before legal frameworks and courtroom metaphors came to dominate Western theology, the church fathers spoke of ransom—a concept deeply rooted in Scripture. In this view, Jesus’ death was not about appeasing an angry God, but about rescuing humanity from the powers of sin, death, and the devil. The ransom was paid not to God, but in a cosmic sense, to liberate the enslaved from their captors.

This shifts the emphasis from divine punishment to divine rescue.

And when we look closely at the Gospels, we find something striking: the suffering Jesus endures comes not from God, but from men—betrayal, mockery, beating, and crucifixion at the hands of human authorities. Jesus is the victim of human wrath, not divine fury. He is rejected by the religious leaders, condemned by the empire, and abandoned by the crowds. Yet through this unjust suffering, He remains faithful, even to the point of death, trusting in the vindication of the Father.

Jesus bore the full weight of human rebellion and violence, standing in solidarity with all the victims of sin and oppression. His death reveals the depth of human brokenness—and the deeper mercy of God, who did not demand blood, but gave His Son to overcome evil with love.

In this post, we’ll explore Ransom Theory, examine the difference between God’s wrath and human wrath, and consider how recovering this perspective can transform our understanding of the cross—from retribution to rescue.

James and John Drink the Same Cup as Jesus

Matthew 20:22-23 King James Bible But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

NOTE: Did James and John experience the same wrath as Jesus? No—they did not. This suggests the "cup" Jesus spoke of refers not to divine wrath, but to suffering, discipline, or persecution.

Jesus as a Ransom

Isaiah 53:10 English Standard Version 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

NOTE: The Hebrew word daka can be alternatively translated as to be brought low or to be humbled, not simply to crush.

Isaiah 53:10 Brenton Septuagint Translation 10 The Lord also is pleased to purge him from his stroke. If ye can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed

Translation: The Lord was also pleased to heal him from his affliction. If you present a sin offering, your life will see descendants who live long.”

NOTE: This passage is a variant. Therefore, it cannot be used to support penal substitution theory. It is describing the same events very differently.

Mark 10:45 English Standard Version 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. 

1 Timothy 2:6 English Standard Version 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time

Matthew 20:28 English Standard Version 28 Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." 

1 Corinthians 6:20 English Standard Version 20 For you were bought with a price; so glorify God in your body.

Psalm 49:7-8,15 English Standard Version 7 Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, 8 for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice.....15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. 

NOTE: While Jesus is fully human, he is also the prophesied Messiah, the one anointed to redeem humanity by offering himself as a ransom. This role is unique to the Messiah—it’s not something just any ordinary person could fulfill.

Jesus as a Curse

Galatians 3:13 English Standard Version 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”

NOTE: It’s worth noting that God is not even mentioned in Galatians 3:13 curse, which suggests that Jesus was not portrayed as accursed by God, but rather as a curse to the eyes of Old Covenant Jewish society and nations. The Jews hated Jesus and the Gentiles mocked him and found it ironic that the Jews would kill their own King.

Paul quotes Deuteronomy 21:23, but this reference shouldn't be taken as a literal prooftext for penal substitution. After all, Jesus' body did not remain on the cross overnight—a key detail that, according to Deuteronomy, would have defiled the land. This points not to a literal fulfillment, but to a symbolic association. Moreover, the original context of Deuteronomy 21:23 concerns the display of an executed body, not the method of execution itself. For examples of this kind of post-mortem exposure, see Joshua 8:29 and 10:26–27.

Deuteronomy 21:23 English Standard Version 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

Joshua 8:29 English Standard Version 29 And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. And at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.

Joshua 10:26-27 English Standard Version 26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. 27 But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Also, consider others who were stoned for blasphemy—were they not seen as cursed as well? However, when we examine the Greek text, it becomes evident that Jesus was not "accursed by God" but became a curse in the eyes of society—much like the two witnesses in Revelation 11:9–10. This is supported by passages such as Jeremiah 24:9; Deuteronomy 28:25, 37; Psalm 109:18, and also Jeremiah 26:6; 29:11,18; 44:12,22; Zechariah 8:13.

Revelation 11:9-10 English Standard Version 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

Jeremiah 24:9 English Standard Version 9 I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and A CURSE in all the places where I shall drive them.

Deuteronomy 28:25, 37 English Standard Version 25 “The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. And you shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth....37 And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the Lord will lead you away.

Jeremiah 44:12, 22 English Standard Version 12 I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come to the land of Egypt to live, and they shall all be consumed. In the land of Egypt they shall fall; by the sword and by famine they shall be consumed. From the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine, and they shall become an oath, a horror, A CURSE, and a taunt.....22 The Lord could no longer bear your evil deeds and the abominations that you committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation and a waste and A CURSE, without inhabitant, as it is this day.

Psalm 109:18 English Standard Version He clothed himself with CURSING as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones!

Jesus as Sin or Sin Offering 

2 Corinthians 5:21

English Standard Version

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

NOTE: This is variant passage. Other translations says made him to be a sin offering. This includes 

the Anderson, Haweis, Mace, and Worsley.

Jesus' Exile

On the cross, Jesus was publicly identified as a curse—not for any sin of His own, but because of His faithfulness and deep love for His people. He willingly took upon Himself the burden of their condition, sharing in their exile and shame. In solidarity with His brethren, he bore the weight of their judgment, embodying their suffering to redeem them.

Jesus experienced the following losses:

loss of glory (stripped naked) 2 Kings 19:28, Amos 4:2, Ezekiel 23:26-27, Micah 1:8, 11.

loss of relationship with God (viewed as a deformed animal sacrifice) Deuteronomy 15:21, Leviticus 21:18, Leviticus 22:25, Isaiah 52:14.

loss of community (Exiled out of Jerusalem/cut off)- Hebrews 13:11–13, Leviticus 16:27

The cross led to redemption, not through legal exchange, but through faithful participation in Israel’s story and its climax in his glorification. Jesus is the true representative of a people under judgment, standing in their place to bring them home.

Function of the Sin Offering

The sin offering was not about transfer. It was about giving up something valuable.  In the Torah, sin offerings did not involve transferring sin to the animal by laying hands. Instead, the laying of hands was a symbolic act of designation—identifying the animal as the offering. The blood of the animal was applied to the altar, tent, or holy items—not to "punish" the animal, but to purify sacred space from defilement caused by sin or impurity.

The primary goal was ritual purification and restoration of relationship with God, not retributive justice. The animal offered was often from the offerer’s own flock or herd-valuable, personal property. The act of offering it was a costly gesture of loyalty, confession, and submission to God's covenant order.

In that light, Jesus as a sin offering means he gave himself—his very life—as a costly, precious offering to God. It wasn’t that sin was transferred to him and he was punished in our place. Instead, he voluntarily offered himself as a priceless gift that dealt with sin’s consequences and impurity. Concerning Adam, his behavior resulted in a pattern of disobedience while Christ's behavior established a pattern of obedience.

Two Objections

Jeremiah 42:18 English Standard Version 18 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an execration, a horror, A CURSE, and a taunt. You shall see this place no more.

NOTE: The wrath of God being poured out on a nation has nothing to do with their covenant status. Notice, Egypt as well as other nations like Nineveh, Edom, Tyre experienced the wrath of God. The wrath of God has nothing to do with a debt or penal substiution. One can be considered a curse without being under the Old Covenant Law. Furthermore, it was being a curse to the nations, not God. You are either a curse or a blessing to the nations. God never says you are a curse to me.

2 Samuel 7:14 English Standard Version 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men.

NOTE: In its immediate context, it is about Solomon and the rest of the Kings of Judah being disciplined with civil wars and enemy nations. In its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament, the whole passage doesn't have to apply completely to the fulfillment. In fact, it is common for Old Testament verses to be reinterpreted in light of New Covenant events. Although Jesus did not sin against his enemies, he was disciplined by the wrath of man, not God. There is not one example where God the Father states that Jesus is or will be treated as a covenant breaker to be punished for payment. Furthermore, Isaiah 53:4 disproves that Jesus was under the wrath of God. When 2 Samuel 7:14 is quoted in the New Testament, the latter part is omitted.