Did Christ’s Sacrifice Appease the Father or the entire Godhead?

 Question:

According to historic Christian doctrine, Jesus offered himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin in order to propitiate or appease the wrath of God (in this case, the Father). Christ is believed to have absorbed God’s wrath on behalf of sinners so that God could show mercy to them by forgiving their evil deeds (provided that they repentant and believe) while still maintaining his perfect justice and righteousness in doing so. However, this raises certain questions and objections. Since Jesus is believed to be part of the Godhead does this mean that he offered himself as a sacrifice to appease his wrath and satisfy his justice as well? And what of the Holy Spirit whom Trinitarians believe is also God? Did Christ appease him as well? If not then how can either of them be God? How can only one Divine Person of the Trinitarian Godhead be appeased and not the rest? Doesn’t this destroy the supposed essential unity of the Godhead?

Answer:

Even before answering these specific objections it is vitally important to summarize the Biblical evidence for the Trinity being a divinely revealed truth of Holy Scripture.

 

The Holy Bible testifies that God is a Tri-personal Being and that Christ is a Divine Person possessing two distinct natures.

The NT is emphatic in its affirmation that the Father is fully God, going so far as to even call him the God of our Lord Jesus Christ!

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” 2 Corinthians 1:2-3

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:17

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:1-3

“He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” 2 Peter 1:17

The fact that the Holy Bible teaches that the Father is God is something which even anti-Trinitarian and pseudo-Christian cults and sects readily admit. As such, there is no need to go into a full Biblical exposition to defend it. The foregoing verses should suffice. What these heresies normally deny is the eternal, uncreated Deity of Christ and/or the Divine Personality of the Holy Spirit.

There is also no need to spend time proving that the inspired Scriptures affirm that Jesus has a human nature. The NT documents are crystal clear in teaching that Christ became a true flesh and blood human being who experienced genuine human frailty and limitations, i.e. hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain, death etc., with the exception of sin:

“But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters… Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:9-11, 14-18

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:14-15

“Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.” Hebrews 7:23-28 – cf. 5:7-9; Matthew 1:24-25, 2:1-6; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 1:26-35; 2:4-15; John 1:14; 4:1-8; 11:33-35

The inspired Scriptures also proclaim that Christ is fully God in essence and that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person who has all the essential attributes of Deity and personhood.

For instance, both are identified as and are even called Yahweh (LORD) and God:

The Son – Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Matthew 1:21-23 (cf. Psalm 130:7-8); Luke 8:39; John 1:1, 18; 5:16-18; 10:27-33 (cf. Deuteronomy 32:39; Psalm 95:6-8; Isaiah 43:10-13); 20:28 (cf. Psalm 35:23); Romans 9:5; 10:9-13 (cf. Isaiah 28:16; Joel 2:32); Philippians 2:5-11 (cf. Isaiah 45:23); Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:1-3, 7-13 (cf. Deuteronomy 32:43 [DSS, LXX]; Psalms 45:6-7; 102:25-27; 110:1); 1 Peter 2:3-8 (cf. Psalms 34:8; 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16); 3:14-15 (cf. Isaiah 8:12-13); 2 Peter 1:1; Revelation 1:17-18; 2:8, 23; 22:12-13, 16, 20 (cf. Psalm 62:12; Prov. 24:12; Isaiah 40:9-11; 41:4; 44:6; 48:12; 62:11; Jeremiah 17:10; Matthew 16:27).

The Holy Spirit – 2 Samuel 23:2-3; Acts 5:3-4; 28:25-27 (cf. Isaiah 6:8-10); 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Hebrews 3:7-11 (cf. Psalm 95:7-11); 10:15-17 (cf. Jeremiah 31:33-34).

Both are said to have participated in creating all things and also share in the responsibility of sustaining all creation:

The Son – John 1:3, 10; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2-3, 10-12.

The Holy Spirit – Genesis 1:1-2; 6:3; Number 11:16-17, 24-29; Job 26:13; 27:3; 33:4; 34:14-15; 37:10; Psalm 104:29-30; Isaiah 32:14-15; 34:16; 44:1-3; John 6:63; 2 Corinthians 3:6.

Both are also said to possess God’s essential attributes such as eternality, omnibenevolence, omniscience etc.:

The Son – Matthew 11:27-30; 18:20; 28:16-20; Mark 2:5-12; 7:24-30; 14:58; 15:29; Luke 7:48-50; 24:44-47; John 1:45-49; 2:19-25; 5:19-29; 6:35-40, 44, 54; 10:17-18, 27-28; 11:25-26; 14:6, 12-15, 20-23; 15:4-5; 16:28-31; 17:1-2, 5, 12, 20-24, 26; 20:24-29; 21:17-21; Acts 1:24; 7:59-60; 9:4-5, 14, 21; Romans 2:16; 8:3, 10, 35-39; 1 Corinthians 4:4-5; 10:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 13:5; Galatians 1:4; 2:16, 20; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:13-20, 27; 2:2-3, 9; 3:11; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; 3:10-12; Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 1:1-3; 5:18-20; Revelation 1:17-18; 2:1, 8, 18-23; 3:1, 7-8; 5:6; 17:14; 19:11-16; 22:12-13.

The Holy Spirit – Psalm 139:7-12; Isaiah 11:1-2; 40:13; Ezekiel 36:25-27; 37:12-14; 39:29; Haggai 2:5; Zechariah 4:6; Mark 13:11; John 14:16-17, 26; 16:5-15; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 17-18; 10:19-20; 13:2-4; 16:6-7; 20:23-25; 21:10-11; Romans 1:4; 5:5; 8:9-16, 26-27; 14:17; 15:13, 16, 18-19, 30; 1 Corinthians 2:10-12; 12:3-13; 3:16; 6:19; Colossians 1:8-12; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; Hebrews 2:4; 9:14.

Both are further involved in the salvation, sanctification, and glorification of believers:

The Son – Isaiah 53:1-12; Matthew 1:21; Mark 10:45; 14:24; John 3:14-18, 36; 5:21, 25-29; 6:27-29, 32-51, 53-58; 10:7-18, 27-28; 11:23-27; Acts 2:37-38; 3:16; 26; 4:5-12; 5:31; 10:43; 13:23, 38-39; 15:11; 16:30-31; 26:18; Romans 3:21-28; 5:8-11, 15-19; 8:3, 31-39; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 17-24, 30; 6:9-11; 15:1-4, 12-28, 45-49; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 1:4; 2:16, 20; 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:3-7; 2:11-22; 5:1-2, 23, 25-26; Philippians 3:8-11, 20-21; Colossians 1:13-14, 19-20; Colossians 2:8-15; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 4:13-18; 5:1-2, 9-10; 1 Timothy 1:12-16; 2:5-6; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:3; 2:9-18; 4:15-16; 5:5-9; 6:19-20; 7:24-28; 9:22-28; 10:5-14; 1 Peter 1:2, 21-23; 2 Peter 1:1; 1 John 1:7; 2:1-2; 4:10, 14; 5:18; Revelation 7:9-17.

The Holy Spirit – 1 Samuel 10:6, 9-11; Psalm 51:11; 143:10; Isaiah 63:7-14; Ezekiel 36:25-27; 37:12-14; 39:29; John 3:3-8; 7:38-39; Romans 2:26-29; 8:1-2, 5-16, 23; 14:17; 15:13, 16; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 9-15; 6:11; 12:1-4, 7-13; 14:1-2, 12; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 3:17-18; 5:5; 13:14; Galatians 3:2-3, 5, 14; 4:6; 5:5, 16-26; 6:1; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:18-22; 4:3, 30; 6:17-18; Philippians 1:19; 3:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6; 4:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2.

It should therefore be clear from the foregoing data that the doctrine of the blessed and most holy Trinity is based on the explicit testimony of the Holy Scriptures. The doctrine is based on the following three clearly revealed truths:

There is one eternal God whom the inspired writings call Yahweh (LORD).

The Holy Bible affirms that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are fully God, and that all three Divine Persons possess every essential attribute of Deity.

The same inspired Scriptures attest that the Father is not the Son who is not the Holy Spirit who is not the Father. Rather, these three are engaged in intimate loving communion and perfect fellowship with one another.

The Holy Bible proclaims that God is an incomprehensible Being who is utterly unique in terms of his existence and actions.

It is also important to keep in mind the fact that, according to the Holy Bible, even though God can be truly known he cannot be fully known since he is an infinite Being that is beyond the ability of any finite creature to fully comprehend. The inspired writings attest that there is nothing in creation that is identical to God and that his essence and characteristics are simply incomprehensible.

Read the following for the Biblical evidence: 1 Kings 8:26-27; Job 5:8-9; 10:4-5; 11:6-11; 12:6-25; 35:5-14; 36:26; 37:5, 16, 23; Psalm 86:8-10; 89:5-9; 113:5-6; 139:1-16; 147:4-5; Isaiah 40:13, 17-18, 25-26; 55:8-9; Jeremiah 10:6; 23:23-24; Matthew 11:27; John 1:18; 6:44-46; Romans 11:33-36; Ephesians 3:17-19; Philippians 4:7.

The Holy Scriptures also affirm that man only sees or perceives God dimly for now. However, things will be different when the Lord Jesus returns since he will transform the saints by perfecting their souls, minds and bodies:

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:9-12

In light of this, we shouldn’t be surprised to discover that we may not be able to fully understand or make sense of how the atoning death of Christ affected the Divine Persons of the Godhead. We should actually expect to find that the different roles that the Godhead assumed in this divine transaction, in the economy of redemption, will be quite difficult to completely fathom, especially in all its glorious details. Therefore, we need to approach this subject with great humility and a recognition that perfect comprehension of this majestic work of the Triune God in saving mankind will be beyond our finite minds to completely absorb or take in.

With the foregoing in perspective we are now ready to embark on our investigation of the Holy Bible in order to see what it has to say in regard to the objections raised concerning Jesus’ vicarious sacrifice.

It is now time to examine the inspired Scriptures to see what they say concerning Christ’s death being a sacrifice which appeases God’s wrath. We will see whether Jesus’ death propitiated the Father’s anger or the entire Godhead collectively.

According to the NT writings Christ’s sacrificial death saves believers from God’s wrath and judgment:

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:8-11

“for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape… For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, 9-10

This coming wrath from which Jesus saves all who turn to him is variously called “the day of God’s wrath” or “the day of the Lord.” This refers to the time in which God will gather the nations in order to judge them through the Lord Jesus Christ according to all that they have done:

“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous… This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.” Romans 2:5-13, 16

It is a day in which God will pour out his righteous anger upon all the wicked and ungodly when the Lord Jesus returns from heaven to punish them with unquenchable fire:

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.” Matthew 3:7-15 – cf. Luke 3:7-17

The book of Revelation says that this will be a day in which Christ will make all the ungodly drink from the cup of God’s wrath which will be poured out full strength upon the wicked:

“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.’” Revelation 14:9-11

“The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.” Revelation 16:19

“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” Revelation 17:12-14

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.’ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.” Revelation 19:11-21

The OT has much to say concerning this day as well. For instance, it is a day in which Yahweh will be revealed in fire to pour out his anger upon the nations whom he will gather before him in judgment, as well as save all those who call upon him:

“‘See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment on all people, and many will be those slain by the LORD. Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow,’ declares the LORD. ‘Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, says the Lord. For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory,’” Isaiah 66:15-18

“And I will give portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there, on account of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations, and have divided up my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and have sold a girl for wine, and have drunk it… Hasten and come, all you nations round about, gather yourselves there. Bring down thy warriors, O Lord. Let the nations bestir themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the nations round about. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the wine press is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. And the Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwell in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy and strangers shall never again pass through it.” Joel 2:30-32; 3:1-3, 11-18

This is also described as the time when Yahweh will bring destruction to the rebellious:

“Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.” Joel 1:13-15

What makes this all the more amazing is that the NT actually calls this time of judgment the day of the Lord Jesus Christ!

“Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:7-8

“For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 1:13-14

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus… And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:3-6, 9-11

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:16

The NT further teaches that it is Christ who will be revealed in blazing fire with all his angels in order to gather all the nations. At this time Christ will save all who call on his name and destroy all those who refused to obey the Gospel by repenting of their sins and turning to him as their Lord:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46

“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near… Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:20-28, 36

“All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

This identification of Jesus’ return to judge creation with the day in which Yahweh will pour out his righteous anger upon the ungodly basically means that Jesus is Yahweh and that it is his own wrath which will be unleashed upon the wicked. This shows that Christ isn’t simply God’s agent sent to execute God’s fierce anger on all unrepentant sinners. Rather, Christ is coming to unleash his holy indignation upon the evildoers as well.

In other words, the wrath which Jesus will display is that of the entire Godhead collectively, i.e. it isn’t simply the Father’s righteous indignation which will be manifested on that day but that of the Triune God.

This point can be seen clearly in Revelation. In certain verses it is the wrath of Lord God Almighty (i.e., the Father) which will be unleashed upon the wicked:

“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.’ Revelation 11:15-18 – cf. 14:10, 20; 16:1, 19; 19:15

Yet in the following passage it is the wrath of both God and the Lamb that will be poured out upon the world:

“I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of THEIR wrath has come, and who can withstand it?’” Revelation 6:12-17

Here we see that “the day of Yahweh,” “the day of God’s wrath,” and “the day of the Lord Jesus Christ,” have now become “the great day of THEIR wrath,” e.g., the day when the holy indignation of the Father and Son will be revealed against all evil and ungodliness.

There are other texts which refer to the Son coming to destroy the wicked in his anger and wrath:

“Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed (Christ), saying, ‘Let us tear THEIR fetters apart And cast away THEIR cords from us!’ He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, ‘But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.’ I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage (Nashqu – Kiss) to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For HIS wrath may soon be kindled How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 2:1-12 NASB

This next passage recalls Yahweh’s promise to David’s Lord that he would be enthroned at Yahweh’s right hand as a priestly King until all his enemies are vanquished under his feet:

“The LORD says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies!’ Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of HIS wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high.” Psalm 110:1-5

It is clear from the context that it is David’s Lord at Yahweh’s right hand who crushes kings on the day of his wrath. This is brought out more clearly in the footnote to this particular translation:

c. Psalm 110:5 Or My lord is at your right hand, LORD

The following Jewish Christian author shows from the context that it is clearly David’s Lord who will destroy rulers in his wrath:

“… Unlike v. 1, where the vowels used generally (although not exclusively) indicate a human master (’adoni) rather than God, in v. 5 the vowels indicate that it is certainly a Divine Master being described. This has led many commentators to assume that this is not the King at Yahweh’s right hand but instead Yahweh at the King’s right hand.57

“Yet it is better to view this as the King at the right hand of God. First, grammatically, all the third-person singular pronouns in vv. 5-7 refer back to the Lord (’adonay).

The Lord [’adonay, the messianic king] is at Your right hand;

He will crush kings on the day of His anger.

He will judge the nations, heaping up corpses;

He will crush leaders over the entire world.

He will drink from the brook by the road;

therefore, He will lift up His head.

“Plainly, it is the King who battles and drinks. Since there is no change in subject, it is the King who is called the Divine Lord (‘adonay) in v. 5. Edward J. Kissane notes the error of understanding ’adonay as Yahweh while taking the third singular pronouns that follow as referring to the King: ‘This introduces a change in subject of which there is no indication in the text. If the Messiah is the subject of v. 7, he must also be the subject of the preceding verses.’58

“Secondly, just as it is the Lord (’adoni) who is seated at the right hand of God in v. 1, so He is once again described in v. 5 as the one who is on the right hand of God. As Perowne says, ‘It is hardly probable that in so short a Psalm the King should first be said (ver. 1) to be at the right hand of Jehovah, and then that in ver. 5 Jehovah, on the contrary, should be said to be at the right hand of the King.’59 The logical conclusion is that the King is called ‘the Lord’ (’adonay), a title reserved for God alone. While it is possible to object that the King would not have been granted a divine title, there are implications of the King’s deity throughout the psalm. In light of Ps 45:6 saying to the King, ‘Your throne, God, is forever and ever,’ therein calling Him ‘God’ (’elohim), why is it so objectionable, apart from dogmatic presupposition, for Him to be called ‘Lord’ (’adonay) in this one?

“Thus, in 110:5-6 the victorious Divine Messiah is graphically depicted defeating all who have rebelled against God. He crushes kings and rulers, judges the people (nations), and heaps up corpses, indicating that no rebels will escape. The violence of the imagery recalls Isa 63:1-6, where the messianic King tramples through the winepress of the nations, staining His garments with blood and crushing nations in His anger.60 The psalmist says all this will occur on ‘the day of His anger,’ with the pronoun ‘His’ referring to the King. Since the phrase ‘day of anger’ (yom ’ap) occurs in only six verses in Scripture61 and in each case it refers to God’s wrath, this would imply that the triumphant King is indeed a divine King.62” (Michael Rydelnik, Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic? [B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, TN 2010], pp. 178-179; bold emphasis Mine)

According to the NT these texts find their fulfillment in Christ’s enthronement and subsequent return to the earth where he will rule the nations with an iron scepter:

“While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, ‘Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’” David himself calls him “Lord.” How then can he be his son?’ The large crowd listened to him with delight.” Mark 12:35-37

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father’? Or again, ‘I will be his Father, and he will be my Son’? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’ … But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.’ He also says, ‘In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.’ To which of the angels did God ever say, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’?” Hebrews 1:1-5, 7-13 – cf. 5:5-6; 8:1-2; 10:12; 12:2

“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who ‘will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.’ And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne… Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.’” Revelation 12:1-5, 10

“Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” Revelation 19:15 – cf. 2:18, 26-27

These verses shouldn’t surprise us since we should actually expect that Christ will come to also pour out his wrath upon unrepentant sinners. After all, sin is just as much an offense to the Lord Jesus as it is to the Father or the Holy Spirit.

The Gospels themselves record several instances where Jesus got rather angry and upset over the transgressions and stubbornness of the people:

“Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, ‘Stand up in front of everyone.’ Then Jesus asked them, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.” Mark 3:1-5

“People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16

“On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.’ Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, ‘There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.’ The Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?’ When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.” Luke 13:10-17

“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’ His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” John 2:13-17 – cf. Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46

With the foregoing in perspective it is abundantly clear that Christ’s sacrifice didn’t simply appease the wrath of God the Father. Rather, the Lord’s atoning death removed the righteous anger of the Godhead collectively. The wrath which the Father poured out, and which the Son absorbed, was the indignation which the Triune God feels towards those who persist in their disobedience and rebellion.

So to answer the question, the Lord Jesus offered himself to the Father in order to satisfy the perfect righteousness and holiness of the Triune God. The Father accepted his Son’s vicarious death on behalf of the Godhead collectively.

According to the inspired Christian Greek Scriptures, the Lord Jesus came as our High Priest in order to present himself as a sacrifice for the sins committed by all those whom God effectually calls to salvation:

“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.” Hebrews 3:1

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

“For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life… Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.” Hebrews 7:14-16, 23-28

“And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Hebrews 10:10-14

In fact, the Holy Scriptures consistently teach that the Lord Jesus voluntarily gave himself up for the sins of his people:

“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.” Mark 10:45

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” John 10:14-18

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,” Galatians 1:3-4

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us (kai paredoken heauton hyper hemon), a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God… Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her (kai heaton paredoken hyper autes),” Ephesians 5:1-2, 25

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6

“while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us (hos edoken heauton hyper hemon) to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:13-14

Yet these same inspired writings attest that God himself was personally involved in offering up his Son on behalf of everyone who by his sovereign look to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. The NT even employs the same language to describe what God did in offering the Son that it does in relation to the Son willingly offering himself:

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:25-26

“For God so loved the world that he gave (edoken) his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“He who did not spare (epheisato) his own Son, but gave him up for us all (alla hyper hemon paredoken auton)—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32

Interestingly, this last verse employs language which is similar to the way the Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures describes Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his one and only beloved son Isaac:

And it came to pass after these things that God tempted Abraam, and said to him, Abraam, Abraam; and he said, Lo! I am here. And he said, Take thy son, the beloved one, whom thou hast loved—Isaac, and go into the high land, and offer him there for a whole-burnt-offering on one of the mountains which I will tell thee of… And Isaac said to Abraam his father, Father. And he said, What is it, son? And he said, Behold the fire and the wood, where is the sheep for a whole-burnt-offering? And Abraam said, God will provide himself a sheep for a whole-burnt-offering, my son. And both having gone together, came to the place which God spoke of to him; and there Abraam built the altar, and laid the wood on it, and having bound the feet of Isaac his son together, he laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraam stretched forth his hand to take the knife to slay his son. And an angel of the Lord called him out of heaven, and said, Abraam, Abraam. And he said, Behold, I am here. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the child, neither do anything to him, for now I know that thou fearest God, and for my sake thou hast not spared (epheiso) thy beloved son… And an angel of the Lord called Abraam the second time out of heaven, saying, I have sworn by myself, says the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and on my account hast not spared (epheiso) thy beloved son, Genesis 22:1-2, 7-12, 15-16 LXX

The similarity in language demonstrates that God took an active role in offering up his Son just as Abraham did when he presented his son as a burnt offering. In other words, just as Abraham was not a passive observer when he offered up Isaac neither was God the Father passive when he willfully gave up his Son for us all.

The following passage is an OT prophecy of the substitutionary death and subsequent glorification of Yahweh’s Servant, the Messiah:

“See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because HE POURED OUT HIS LIFE UNTO DEATH, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, AND MADE INTERCESSION FOR THE TRANSGRESSORS.” Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Both the Lord Jesus and his followers took this to be a prediction of Christ’s atoning death and his ascension into heaven after his resurrection. The NT in several places alludes to the very language of this specific prophecy to describe Christ’s ministry, especially his sufferings and exaltation (cf. Matthew 12:15-21; Luke 22:37; 24:44-46; Acts 2:33-36; 3:13-15, 26; 4:27, 30; 5:31; 8:26-38; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 2:21-25).

What makes this prediction relevant to our discussion is that it attributes the work of the Servant’s vicarious sacrifice to both Yahweh and the Servant himself. It is Yahweh who makes the Servant’s life an offering for sin and at the same time it is also the Servant who willingly pours out his life unto death on behalf of transgressors. Therefore, since the NT identifies Yahweh in this context as the Father and the Servant as the Son this means that both the Father and the Son were fully involved in offering up the Servant as a sacrifice for sin.

Moreover, the same inspired Scriptures further teach that Christ offered himself to the Father as a perfect, sinless sacrifice through the eternal Spirit:

“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” Hebrews 9:11-15

In fact, there is a repeated emphasis throughout the Gospels and Acts on the active role that the Holy Spirit played in empowering Christ to successfully carry out his divine mission:

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’” Matthew 1:18-21

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” Luke 1:26-35

“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Mark 1:9-11

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” Luke 4:1-2

“Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”’” John 1:32-33

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4:14-21

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”Matthew 12:28

“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.” Acts 1:1-2

“You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached — how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Acts 10:37-38

This indicates that the Holy Spirit also was involved in the offering up of Jesus as a perfect sacrificial substitute for all the sinners that he came into the world to save.

In light of the foregoing it is demonstrably clear that the Holy Bible affirms that Jesus’ vicarious death was a work of the Triune God. All three Persons were involved in presenting Christ as an acceptable and pleasing sacrifice on behalf of sinners.

And, as we saw in our previous discussion, these same Scriptures also testify that Christ offered himself to God the Father who then accepted it on behalf of the entire Godhead collectively. Christ didn’t merely die to appease the Father’s wrath towards rebel sinners, but sacrificed himself to satisfy the perfect justice and righteousness of all three Divine Persons of the one true God.

Liberal NT scholar James D. G. Dunn does a fine job of putting this all together in his discussion on the early Christians’ worship of Christ and whether they made sacrifices to the risen Lord:

“… The point of relevance for us that emerges, however, is that in earliest Christianity, Christ was never understood as the one to whom sacrifice was offered, even when the imagery of sacrifice was used symbolically for Christian service. Christ was less frequently understood as the priest who made the sacrifice, the exception being in the letter to the Hebrews, where Christ is both sacrificing High Priest and sacrificial victim! Even in the book of Revelation, Christ is ‘the Lamb who had been slaughtered’. If then being offered sacrifice is ‘the ultimate criterion of deity’, Jesus would not seem to qualify. Yet at the same time we should recall that Paul saw the death of Jesus as an act of God: God put Christ forward as a sacrifice of atonement (Rom. 3.25); it is Christ’s death that demonstrates the love of God (5.8). The logic seems to run counter to the rationale of sacrifice as offered to God. So if God is on both sides of the transaction, presumably we should not press a strict subject-object antithesis in considering to whom the sacrifice of Christ was offered. Perhaps if God was on both sides of the sacrifice of Christ, so also Jesus was somehow on both sides – not as the one to whom sacrifice was offered in the death of Christ, but as bound up with the receiving of God just as much as God was bound up in the giving of Christ as sacrifice.” (Dunn, Did the First Christians Worship Jesus – The New Testament Evidence [Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY 2010)], 2. The practice of worship, 2.4 Sacrifice, p. 56; bold emphasis Mine)

Indeed, that is precisely what the inspired NT records proclaim, namely, that salvation is a glorious and majestic work of the Triune God from beginning to end. The Holy Bible affirms that all three Divine Persons were/are fully involved in and responsible for saving a people for the glory of the one eternal God of all creation.