Why did Jesus have to die?

Response

When we pose a question like “Why was it necessary for Jesus to die?”, we need to be cautious not to challenge God. Questioning why God couldn’t have found “another way” to accomplish something implies that the path He has chosen is not the optimal course of action and that an alternative method would be superior. Often, what we perceive as a “superior” method is one that aligns with our own understanding. Before we can comprehend any of God’s actions, we must first recognize that His ways are beyond our comprehension, His thoughts surpass ours—they are higher than ours «For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. », (Isaiah 55:8). Furthermore, Deuteronomy 32:4 reminds us that “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” Therefore, the salvation plan He has orchestrated is flawless, just, and upright, and no one could have devised a better one.

The Scriptures state, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The evidence confirms that the sinless Jesus bled and died on a cross. Most importantly, the Bible elucidates why Jesus’ death and resurrection are the sole means of entry into heaven.

Why was it necessary for Jesus to die? — The consequence of sin is death.

God created the earth and humanity in a state of perfection. However, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s commands, He had to impose punishment. A judge who pardons lawbreakers cannot be considered just. Similarly, overlooking sin would render the holy God unjust. Death is the rightful consequence of sin by God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).Sin leads to death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). Even good deeds cannot compensate for offenses against the holy God. In comparison to His goodness, “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6b). Since Adam’s transgression, every person has been culpable of disobeying God’s righteous decrees. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin encompasses not only major transgressions like murder or blasphemy but also includes the love of money, hatred of enemies, deceitful speech, and pride. Due to sin, everyone deserves death – eternal separation from God in hell.

Why did Jesus need to die? The covenant necessitated an innocent death.

Although God expelled Adam and Eve from the garden, He did not abandon them without hope of reconciliation. He pledged to send a Savior to crush the serpent: “and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15). Until then, individuals would offer blameless lambs, demonstrating repentance from sin and trust in the future Atonement from God who would bear their punishment. God reiterated His pledge of the Atonement with figures like Abraham and Moses. Herein lies the magnificence of God’s flawless scheme: God Himself provided the sole sacrifice (Jesus) capable of expiating the sins of His people. God’sPerfect Son fulfilled God’s perfect requirement of God’s perfect law. It is brilliantly simple. “God made Him (Christ), who knew no sin, to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” «For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.», (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Why did Jesus have to die? — The prophets foretold Jesus’ death.

From Adam to Jesus, God sent prophets to mankind, warning them of sin’s punishment and foretelling the coming Messiah. One prophet, Isaiah, described Him:

“Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and thThere was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:1-12). He likened the coming Sacrifice to a lamb, slaughtered for the sins of others.

Hundreds of years later, Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in the perfect Lord Jesus, born of the virgin Mary. When the prophet John the Baptist saw Him, he cried, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” «The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. », (John 1:29). Crowds gathered around Him for healing and teaching, but the religious leaders scorned Him. Mobs cried out, “Crucify Him!” Soldiers beat, mocked, and crucified Him. As Isaiah foretold, Jesus was crucified in between two criminals but was buried in a rich man’s tomb. But He didn’t remain in the grave. Because God accepted His Lamb’s sacrifice, He fulfilled another prophecy by raising Jesus from the dead (Psalm 16:10;Isaiah 26:19).

Why did Jesus have to die? Remember, the holy God cannot let sin go unpunished. To bear our own sins would be to suffer God’s judgment in the flames of hell. Praise God, He kept His promise to

Send and sacrifice the perfect Lamb to bear the sins of those who trust in Him. Jesus had to die because He is the only one who can pay the penalty for our sins.

If God is showing you your need for the Lamb of God, discover how His sacrificial death can remove your sins – click here!