Was Jesus “Soft On Crime?”

I think most Christians believe the God of the Old Testament was fearsome. He spoke from Mount Sinai words that terrified the Israelites. He gave them hundreds of laws and commanded harsh penalties for disobedience. He actually killed 25,000 Israelites once for disobeying his command to not intermarry with other nations.

To be fair, God also declared his love for his people time and time again, but disobedience wasn’t an option. He was a God to be both loved and feared.

Then along came Jesus. “Meek and Mild” Jesus. The forgiver of the woman caught in adultery and of Peter who denied him. He even asked the Father to forgive the soldiers nailing him to the cross. It’s easy to think of Jesus as being soft on sin – a kinder, more gentle version of the Old Testament God.