I have good news [This is Gospel] (part 2)

This is a continuation from my blog post "I have a confession [Pharisee goes Prodigal] (part 1)" so if you're just jumping in, you might want to go to that post first before continuing on with this one.

Last time I left off saying I was wondering why I had not experienced God's wrath since I had committed a sin against Him. 
I realize that I had been wondering about this, without realizing it's what I've had trouble understanding.
I did not deserve God's mercy or forgiveness, but I had received it because of Jesus... but if God really hates sin, and I had hurt Him like I did when I sinned, why was I not receiving SOME SORT of punishment?

Well, after 20-ish days of wondering this, I finally got my answer.

The church is going through a series called "No Longer Slaves" and we read through Numbers 11:4-20 (21-35 were summed up).

It's an account where the Israelites are complaining about eating manna (that God Himself was providing for them) and were LONGING for the food and "comforts" of Egypt. Moses and God hearing the Israelites whining, caused God to get angry and Moses questioned why God placed this people of burden on him.  God helped Moses first by getting him to appointed elders to assist him lead the people... then God gave exactly what the Israelites wanted - meat, and lots of it. "Until it comes out of [their] nostrils and [they] loathe it," because they had rejected the Lord (Numbers 11:20). Their very God whom was among His people, and they wailed before him about why they even left Egypt, their place of oppression. As the people who had rejected God ate the meat, they were struck with a plague and died, and that placed was called "Kibroth Hattaavah {graves of craving}, because there they buried the people who had craved other food" (Numbers 11:34).

While the preacher was talking, something triggered in my head.
I recalled in John's gospel that Jesus referred to himself as the "bread of life" that replaces the Manna that Moses gave (John 6: 30-36), and in this chapter of Numbers, the Israelites were rejecting the Manna that God was providing for them and craving for the things of Egypt (and the place itself even though it was an oppressive and enslaving place).
Then there's Moses, the mediator and advocate for the people of Israel, who, after the people had been wailing, said to God, 

"Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” (Numbers 11:11-15).

Moses couldn't even handle these people, and God dealt justly with them by giving them what they wanted. Then God let a plague kill the rebellious people, because they had rejected God and sinned against Him even though they said they would be His people and follow Him. 

I thought through this chapter and saw how these chosen people rejected God (thusly sinning and angering Him), and received His wrath justly.

I wondered, "Why didn't I experiencing something like that when I sinned against God."
It was then I realized... 
Jesus was my advocate. 

He was/is the better Moses, the one who COULD/CAN handle the burdens of sinful people, the one who COULD/CAN face the ruin of the cross and be glorified through it. 
Jesus was not just a sinless human... he was and is God Himself, that came to take all my sins away so I could have a relationship with Him. 

In my moment of sin... it was because my flesh was weak... I was going with what my sinful nature knew to look promising but under-delivered, but my mind that belongs to God showed me what choosing to view pornography was doing to Jesus on the cross.
"What a wretched [human] I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25).

Had I been an Israelite living under the O.T. Laws... I could have been obliterated by God because of the sin I committed against Him, but because of Jesus, and his establishing of the New Covenant with his death on the cross... God's wrath was taken out on Him.

When I realized that Jesus was/is my advocate,

I had this image come to mind where Jesus stood before me, facing God, and defending me.

His arms were stretched out, like he was shielding me... and all I could do to express

my thanks... was to hug him from behind. 

How I long to meet with Jesus so that I can thank him face to face for what he has done for me. Because of Jesus I do not have to fear the wrath of God for my sins... and I can have a right relationship with Him, because I have the righteousness of Jesus in me as I claim him as the Lord and Saviour of my life and follow as he leads in the Bible.

This is the Gospel, dear readers... Jesus, who is one with God, came to earth to bring hope, love, and understanding to humanity in order that we would have a right relationship with God that sin no longer separates us from.

Praise be to Jesus who revealed the love of God with his life and death!

~To God be the Glory