The Cross Wasn’t a Moment of Abandonment: A Trinitarian Perspective (Part 3)

God Was Present at the Cross

God, the Just and the Justifier

God is both just and the one who makes us right. He is perfectly holy, so sin must be punished—but He is also loving, so He provides a way for humanity to be saved (Romans 3:26). Since no human could pay the penalty for sin, God Himself stepped in. Salvation is a gift of grace from the Triune God, who justifies, renews, and gives eternal hope (Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:4–7).

N. T. Wright warns against imagining God as a cruel, wrathful deity taking out His anger on Jesus. The Bible shows that the cross was not about a Father punishing a Son unwillingly. As Millard Erickson explains, the atonement was the work of both Father and Son, perfectly united in purpose. The Father and the Son are not in opposition—Jesus’ sacrifice is the Father's plan realized through the Son.

Jesus is the one Mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5–6). Redemption was God’s plan from the very beginning. Jesus was foreknown before the world was created (1 Peter 1:19–20) and fully revealed God’s plan for salvation on the cross (Revelation 13:8).

Robert Farrar Capon beautifully summarizes it:

“Retribution won’t take evil out of the world; it will simply perpetuate it. The only way to remove evil is for God to take it on Himself on the cross and make a new creation through the power of the resurrection. With God, all things are possible—even grace.”

On the cross, God’s justice and love meet perfectly. It was not a moment of division between Father and Son, but a united act of the Triune God, taking on sin to reconcile the world. Redemption was planned, and in Jesus, it was perfectly accomplished.

Divine Love and Unity of the Father and the Son

The Bible never says the Father abandoned Jesus on the cross. Even Mary stayed at the cross (John 19:25–27), showing the importance of presence and care. Jesus willingly carried out the Father’s plan to the very end (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 8:28; 14:10; Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13). Acts 2:23 reminds us that Jesus’ death was according to God’s foreknowledge and plan.

God’s love is unfailing. Isaiah 49:15 asks, “Can a woman forget her nursing child?” Even if human memory can fail, God cannot forget or abandon His Son. Jesus is both fully God and fully Son of God—His relationship with the Father is eternal.

Millard Erickson, quoting George Ladd, emphasizes that imagining a stern Father opposing a loving Son is a misunderstanding of Scripture. God is perfectly good, loving, and compassionate (James 1:17; Psalm 103:13; Romans 5:8; Zephaniah 3:17). The parable of the Prodigal Son shows God’s love in action: the father runs to welcome the wayward son, forgives him publicly, and celebrates his return (Luke 15:11–32). If humans can display such love, how much more God the Father?

God’s love for Jesus is eternal. He loved Him before creation (John 17:24), declared Him His beloved Son at baptism and transfiguration (Matthew 3:17; 17:5), and affirmed His ministry (John 5:20). Even at the cross, the Father was present, supporting and upholding His Son (John 16:32; Psalm 22:24). Today, Jesus is glorified at the Father’s right hand, honored and praised forever (Philippians 2:9–11; Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 5:12).

As Dr. Chiqui Wood puts it:

“In creation, God gives of Himself. In redemption, God gives of Himself. And in restoration, God gives of Himself. Abba is a giving Father who gives of Himself.”