Why Doesn’t God Give Us What We Deserve?

“I’m only asking for what’s rightfully mine.”

“I just want what I deserve.”

“I’ve earned at least this much.”

Have you ever had thoughts like those?

Most of us have some idea of what we think we deserve in life… because of good behavior, hard work, or just how we stack up to those around us.

Yet our “earnings” don’t always materialize.

And we can find ourselves shooting questions, like arrows, up to heaven.

“Why, God?”, we ask with furrowed brows and distrusting hearts. “Why are you withholding what should be mine?”

Maybe you can relate. At times, the seeming lack in our lives can spark raw questions like these.

And yet, this is when we need the perspective shifting truth of Luke 23:13-25.

Take a moment to read Pilates verdict on Jesus:

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”

But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

…

So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. (NIV)

The intertwined stories of Jesus and Barabbas give “what we deserve” a new meaning.

Barabbas deserved punishment because, for one thing, he had incited an insurrection.

Jesus, meanwhile, did not deserve punishment. The religious leaders had accused Jesus of inciting a rebellion, but it was a false accusation and Jesus was found overwhelmingly innocent in the court of law.

If everyone had gotten what they deserved that day, Barabbas the rebel would have hung on the cross and Jesus the innocent would have gone free.

But God didn’t give Barabbas what he deserved. Instead, He gave Jesus what Barabbas deserved.

And the rebel got to walk free.

This, in a nutshell, is the gospel.

It’s my story and yours, if you are a Christian.

Like Barabbas, we were found guilty of rebellion—rebellion against God.

You know, on the surface our sins may look different–some people are murderers while others are mere liars—but we’re actually all guilty of the same underlying crime.

We have chosen our way instead of God’s way.

We have rebelled against the One who made us.

And so all of us deserve the same penalty: a death sentence, according to Romans 6:23.

Because of this, God could have rightly looked at us on death’s row and said:

“you’re only getting what’s rightfully yours.”
“This is what you deserve.”
“You’ve earned at least this much.”

But instead, He looked at us with love and laid the punishment for our rebellion on Jesus.

This means that if we’ve put our faith in Him, we will never get what we deserve.

Instead of death, God gives us life.
Instead of curses, God gives us blessings.
Instead of guilt, God gives us a clear conscience and a cloak of righteousness.

As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (NIV)

This is incredible mercy and grace.

But maybe you’re thinking, “I’ve heard all this before” and you’re about to scroll away.

It’s true that these truths are Christianity 101.

But that doesn’t mean we outgrow them.

No matter how long we’ve been saved, we need to remember daily that Jesus took what we deserved on the cross.

Here are 2 reasons why:

1) Remembering the cross changes how we approach God:

When we realize that every lashing of the whip, every labored breath, every cry of despair from the cross should have been ours, it brings us to our knees in humility.

“Why, God?”, we find ourselves asking with awe-struck eyes and grateful hearts, “Why did you withhold what should have been mine?”

And the answer comes back, “Just because I love you.”

We are recipients of great grace.

2) Remembering the cross helps us trust God with the details of our lives:

Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (NIV)

There are times when life doesn’t make sense and God’s hand is hidden. But in those moments, if we’ll look to the cross, we’ll find a reason to trust God’s heart.

He doesn’t give us what we deserve.

No, He gives us far, far better.

This devotion is based on one of the Scriptures from my reading plan: “The Wonder of the Cross.” To receive a copy of the reading plan, sign up for the email list below. Hope you’ll follow along!

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