Gerhard and Walther

When God the Lord sends upon us cross and tribulation, this in no way is a sign of His wrath. Rather, it is an indication of His fatherly love and gracious benevolence, just as one can see this in Christ. He was God’s most beloved Son, and at the same time, His entire life on earth was nothing other than constant cross and tribulation.—Johann Gerhard, Schola Pietatis III:171.

By His blood and His death on the cross, He atoned for the sins of all people and redeemed them to bring them back into the arms of His heavenly Father. This is precisely Christ’s office: to seek all who have gone astray.—C. F. W. Walther, God Grant It!, p. 519.