The cross is where God forgave His children without lowering His standards. The cross is where God put our sin on His Son and punished it there, once and for all. Envision the moment. God is on His throne. We are here on earth. And between us, suspended between us and heaven is Christ on His cross. Our sins have been placed on Jesus and buried with Him. God unleashes his wrath on our sin, but as Jesus is between us, He absorbs it all. Our sin is punished but we are safe—safe in the shadow of the cross.