Why Did Jesus Have to Die
To Reveal the Father's Love
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.(John 3:16)
When it is said that God loves mankind, it's not just mere words; rather, He demonstrated His love by sending His only Son to die for us. Why did He send His Son to die? Because He wanted people to be saved from destruction and to receive eternal life. If Jesus had not died, you and I would have been condemned to an eternal hell of suffering.
Paul wrote: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
As Scripture says, we are neither lovable nor desirable people. People may not wish for a righteous person to die, yet they may not want to die for them. No one protests the death of the wicked; While they may not say it openly, they desire their destruction. Yet God sent His Son to die for us while we were still sinners. How would you respond to the Father who loved you so much that He gave up His only Son to die for you?
To Reveal Jesus' Love
We know that Jesus loves us because He gave His life for us (1 John 3:16). It is not only the Father who loves you; the Son Himself has shown His deep love for you. How does the Son demonstrate this love? He shows it by dying in your place. However, if you do not understand the punishment you deserve, you will not value what He gave up for you. A person may feel no worry if they do not know they owe a large debt. If someone else pays off that debt out of kindness, they might not be thankful but could even blame the helper instead. People with large debts, however, would be deeply appreciative if someone paid it off. Below, we will explain further how you have a great debt to pay for your sins.
To Pay the Penalty for Sin
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17).
"Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ ...for you are dust, and to dust you shall return(Genesis 3:19).
The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23a). Death is the legal consequence of sin (Romans 5:12–14). According to the judgment of the court of heaven, man must pay with his life for his sins. Since you are a descendant of Adam, you are a sinner. Because you are a sinner, you commit sins daily. People usually recognize outward sins like stealing, killing, and lying. However, according to God's will, every act that goes against His command is sin. The Bible says: "All have strayed" (Psalm 14:2). It also says: "We all go astray like sheep" (Isaiah 53:6). Therefore, everyone must pay the penalty for these sins.
If a sinner dies without redemption, he goes to hell. But God provided His Son to die in place of sinners: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3). The Lord Jesus took upon Himself the punishment for our sins (Romans 4:25). Even though we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He was crucified in body and raised again by His Spirit to bring us back to God. Thus, the One who is righteous took upon Himself the punishment of those who are not righteous (1 Peter 3:18).
John wrote that Jesus' death as a substitute for sin was for everyone: "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). Therefore, there will be no one left who has to go to hell or suffer punishment. However, if you do not believe that Jesus paid your penalty, then you will end up in hell needlesly.
Therefore, I urge you to believe and accept the fact that Jesus paid for your sins. If you do not believe it or pay no attention, you will suffer eternal torment in the fires of hell forever.
To be Delivered From the Curse of the Law
Man believes that by obeying the Law he can become righteous, live forever, and enter heaven. Therefore, even though he cannot keep the Law, he makes a solemn vow to follow it. If someone said that one cannot keep the Law, they are completely dissatisfied. However, what happens if one does keep the Law?
Scripture says,For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” (Galatians 3:10; Deuteronomy 27:26).
People do not realize they are under this curse because they cannot keep the Law. Paul writes that Christ was crucified so as to deliver us from this curse of the Law. According to Scripture, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree," and so Christ became a curse for us, delivering us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).
To Become a Sacrifice
Because humanity has fallen into sin, sacrifices were necessary. The first individuals to offer sacrifices were Adam's sons, Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:3-5; Genesis 8:20). Later, Noah also offered sacrifices. Abraham was known for offering sacrifices wherever he went, and his son Isaac and grandson Jacob likewise offered sacrifices. However, God taught Moses the proper way to offer sacrifices. The sacrifices made by the Israelites throughout their history were merely shadows.
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. (Hebrews 10:5-6). By offering His body once for all in accordance with this will, we are brought into holiness (Hebrews 10:10). Consequently, after Christ's sacrifice, there was no need for further sacrifices. However, because the Israelites failed to comprehend this truth, they continued to offer sacrifices according to their old customs. Because of this, God allowed the Romans to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70 and scattered them among various nations, so that they could no longer offer sacrifices.
To be Pleasing Aroma to God
To be a pleasing aroma to God, we must first understand what it means. Scripture describes being pleasing aroma as looking upon others with favor, having a joyful heart, and receiving them with acceptance. People also need to be pleasing aroma to one another; if someone is not pleasing, people may avoid speaking with them, meeting them, or helping them. Among people, we often give gifts as a sign of our desire for them to be pleased. Similarly, the Israelites offered sacrifices to please God (Leviticus 1).
However, regarding their offerings, the Lord declared: "“The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies." (Isaiah 1:11-13).
Why did God reject their offerings? It was because they were not following His will and plan but offering according to their own desires.
Today, Christians believe that by performing good deeds, giving alms, praying, and being devoted to God, they can be pleasing before Him. However, these actions alone cannot make them acceptable. The reason is that sin renders us unclean and unacceptable in God's sight. Therefore, Christ loved us and gave Himself as a sacrifice so that we might become pleasing to God through His death. He also said: "Walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us" (Ephesians 5:2). The crucifixion of Christ is the means by which we are made acceptable before God. In another sense, He became our fragrance; without this fragrance, approaching God would be offensive and unacceptable. Therefore, Christ declared, "No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
To Destroy the Old Self
While people know that Christ died on the cross, they often fail to realize that everyone has already died with Him. When a person is born into this world, they are born as an "old man of sin." This old self is an enemy of God and cannot enter heaven; furthermore, it cannot listen to the Word of God. Therefore, rather than merely reforming individuals, God intends to completely destroy the old self and create something new. To accomplish this, Christ takes on our old self within Himself. Scripture affirms: "You are being built up in Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:30). The Bible further records regarding Jesus on the cross: "We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" (Romans 6:6). Paul writes, "I have been crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20). In this way, Christ's death on the cross serves to destroy the problem of our old self. This death is not physical but spiritual.
To Conquer Death
Death is Satan's weapon. Through this weapon, Satan threatens people, making them his slaves. People fear death so greatly that they cannot serve God or dedicate their time and strength to Him. Therefore, Scripture says: "Since the children share in flesh and blood, Jesus also shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy the one who has the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death." (Hebrews 2:14-15).
How did Christ conquer death through His death? When Christ died on the cross, the power of death was defeated. However, when He rose from the dead, it demonstrated that death had been conquered. Paul, who believed this, declared to Death: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
"For our Lord Jesus Christ has given us the victory through His death." How did He conquer death? Through His resurrection. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live." (John 11:25). Therefore, those who believe in Christ no longer need to fear or be slaves to death. Like Paul, we can say: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." (Philippians 1:21-23).
To Make Peace Between God and Man
Man has been an enemy of God from the beginning, born into a lineage of enmity. His parents were enemies of God because of Adam, who became an adversary by listening to Satan and aligning himself with him. As enemies, they refused to heed God's Word, choosing instead to do what displeased Him. They had no attachment to God's kingdom but were deeply attached to the world, which God forbade. However, because God loves man, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us so that we might have peace with Him. Paul wrote: "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. " (Romans 5:10).
Furthermore, God has made peace between us and Himself through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18). Therefore, my friend, you should believe in and accept reconciliation with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are reconciled to God truly experience peace.
To Make Peace Between People
People are not only enemies of God but also enemies of one another. They hold enmity toward different ethnic groups, nations, neighbors, spouses, siblings, parents, and children. To reconcile these divisions, the Lord Jesus Christ died for us, as Scripture declares: "He is our reconciliation" (Colossians 1:20). "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility" (Ephesians 2:14). Regarding those who believe in Jesus' death, it is also written: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28).
To Be Set Apart from the Law
People believe that by obeying the Law they will become righteous and enter heaven. However, the Law cannot make people righteous; it only brings condemnation. Therefore, there is a need to be set apart from the Law. Yet, man cannot separate himself from the Law on his own. Through God's wisdom, He has separated us from the Law through the death of His Son. "So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." (Romans 7:4).
To Bring Healing
The death of the Lord Jesus Christ brings benefits not only to our spiritual lives but also to our physical bodies, as Scripture declares: “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24).
