FreeGrace2 said:
Jesus took the sin penalty of mankind. He took God's justice poured out on Him rather than on mankind.
Sorry you didn't know that.
Seriously? Jesus was condemned under Roman rule, so the other 2 were simply being executed for their crimes. However, we know that Jesus WAS bearing all the sins of mankind because of what He said on the cross: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"
Know that Jesus perfectly understood WHY He was on the cross, and His prayer in the garden proves that. He asked the question as a "teaching moment" for US, to understand why He was on the cross.
Keep in mind that the Triune God (Father, Son, Spirit) had been in perfect harmony/fellowhip from eternity past. This was a huge break in that, when the Father and Spirit HAD TO turn their backs on the Son, as He was paying for all of our sins.
God cannot fellowship with sin. Period. So when the Father judged the Son for our sins, THAT was spiritual death for Jesus. Total separation from the Father.
That is why Jesus was able to say "it is finished" BEFORE He died physically. His physical death was simply His exit from this planet.
The death that He died on the cross was spiritual and paid for the sins of mankind.