What does it mean that Jesus died for our sins?

Response

Simply put, without Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins, no one would have eternal life. Jesus Himself stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” «Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. », (John 14:6). In this declaration, Jesus reveals the purpose of His birth, death, and resurrection—to offer a path to heaven for sinful humanity, who could not achieve it on their own.

When God created Adam and Eve, they were flawless and dwelled in a virtual paradise, the Garden of Eden «And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. », (Genesis 2:15). God made man in His likeness, granting them the freedom to make choices of their own accord. Genesis 3 recounts how Adam and Eve yielded to Satan’s temptations and deceit. By doing so, they defied God’s will by consuming fruit from the forbidden tree of knowledge: “And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die'” (Genesis 2:16-17). This marked humanity’s initial transgression, leading all people to experience both physical and eternal death due to our inherent sinful nature inherited from Adam.

God decreed that all who sin will face physical and spiritual death. This is the destiny of all humanity. However, in His kindness and compassion, God offered a solution to this predicament—the sacrificial blood of His flawless Son on the cross. God proclaimed tThat “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” «And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. », (Hebrews 9:22), but through the shedding of blood, redemption is provided. The Law of Moses provided a way for the people to be considered “sinless” or “right” in God’s eyes—the offering of animals sacrificed for every sin they committed. These sacrifices were only temporary, though, and were really a foreshadowing of the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross «By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. », (Hebrews 10:10).

This is why Jesus came and why He died, to become the ultimate and final sacrifice, the perfect (without blemish) sacrifice for our sins (Colossians 1:22;1 Peter 1:19). Through Him, the promise of life eternal with God becomes effective through faith to those who believe in Jesus. “So that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe” «But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. », (Galatians 3:22). These two words, faith and believing, are critical to our salvation. It is through our believing in the shed blood of Christ for our sins that we receive eternal life. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).