Saturday 18 July 2020

why did Jesus have to die?


The main crux of the christian faith is that we sinful humans are released from all our wrongs because of the death and resurrection of the son of God, Jesus. Jesus repaired the rift between us and God, caused by sin, by being beaten and crucified.

Have you ever wondered though - why did Jesus have to die? 

Why did human blood have to be shed in order for the relationship between God and man to be fixed?

I have been a christian for many years and just simply accepted that God knows what He is doing even if I don’t understand it. So, I confess, I never really understood why it had to be that Jesus was required to die. I understand the symmetry between his death and the death of sin, yet even then It seems extreme and cruel. Also, the whole Earthly life of Jesus was about his death. That was the purpose of his time on this world, to  be the perfect heavenly man, and then be killed. Doesn’t that sound like a tragedy rather than the event we celebrate it to be?

So, why did Jesus have to die? I know, as you may do too, that the Jews offered animals as sacrifices throughout the Old Testament to atone for sin, they had to give regularly. When Jesus came, he was the ultimate sacrifice - once for all - he has covered all sin once through his death. As he died no more animal sacrifices are required, his one offering was enough for all eternity, which is pretty incredible!

Yet, still, why did Jesus have to die? What was it that made it necessary? Surely the measures outlined above are not it? They don’t seem a big enough issue to change the whole of the faith system let alone justify the torture and murder of an innocent, perfect, holy man.

Well, you see, God does see and know more than us, and we are right to trust Him, because He is not cruel nor unjust, He always had a plan and a purpose, this is it;

‘he (Jesus) is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. *16*For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. *17*For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.’
Hebrews 9:15-17

Now, that makes sense - God had made a will. His  promise was for a new way, a gift of freedom from sin forever, and just lie a will - this promise can only come into effect when the one who has made the assurances within it dies. Therefore Jesus had to die.

Jesus, the son of God, was involved in the creation of all things; the universe, people, animals, the Old Covenant. So, in order for that way of doing things to be changed, ‘the death of the one who made it must be established.’ That is Jesus. He was around at the formation of the world as well as at the formation of the covenant, ‘without him (Jesus) nothing was made that has been made’ (John 1).

Jesus saw that the Old Covenant did not give a finality or full restoration to God, so there was a greater plan, a will that was formed. A promise for the future generations to benefit by, everlasting restoration. Yet it cannot come into being until, ‘the death of the one who made it’.

Therefore, Jesus had to die. He couldn’t of just died naturally either, where would the sacrifice of been in that? Jesus had to die in order for the will to be fulfilled and come into effect, yet the atonement for sin requires sacrifice. Jesus had to endure the weight of the world’s sin on his shoulders and suffer separation from God for a time in order to be able to restore our broken relationship with God.

Jesus had to die. He had made a will, a promise, a covenant and assurance to all humanity. Jesus passed onto us a rich inheritance, and he was tortured, beaten, murdered to give it to us. Jesus died so that his promises could be realised.
Without Jesus horrific death nothing would have changed. The will, the promises made throughout the Scriptures would not yet be realised because the ‘will’ would not be in effect.

You have the privilege of freedom, you have the gift of eternal life, you have a relationship waiting for you - do you accept it?

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