Why Is God So Different in the Old Testament Than in the New Testament?

Last year, I overheard two religion professors talking. They were having a hard time reconciling that the God of the Old Testament was the same God as in the New Testament. One talked about how in the Old Testament, God showed His wrath and frequently gave out punishment. Yet, in the New Testament, He showed love, grace, and mercy. "Why are the Two so different?" the other asked, nodding his head in agreement with the first.

"...and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you" (2 Chronicles 30:8).

I was stunned. These men had Doctorate Degrees in Theology and should have known the answer. The answer is one word -- Jesus. Jesus makes all the difference.

God is no longer the God of wrath He was in the Old Testament, because He poured out His wrath on His Son. This happened on the cross, when Jesus took on our sins. He traded His perfection for our sinfulness, and in that moment, God turned from Him. 

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying ... my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46).

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we don't have to be perfect,

because Christ was perfect for us. We don't have to be punished for our sins, because Christ was punished for us. There may still be consequences, but Jesus bridged the gap, so we could experience God's love, grace, and mercy.

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