Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

“There is none righteous, not even one.” – Romans 3:10

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23

«No hay justo, ni aun uno». – Romanos 3:10

Por cuanto todos pecaron y no alcanzan la gloria de Dios. – Romanos 3:23

Why did God have to send His Son to die on the cross for us? Simply put, it is because humanity could not (and cannot) save itself—we cannot pay the penalty (make atonement) for our sins because we are all sinners (Rom 3:10–11, 12, 23; cf. Gen 8:21). We needed a “Savior” (Luk 2:10–14; Joh 4:42; Tit 1:4; 3:4; 2Pe 1:1, 11; 2:20; Jud 24–25; 1Jn 4:14; Act 5:31; 13:23; 1Ti 2:3–4; 2Ti 1:10; cf. Joh 3:14–16), as only a perfect, spotless, unblemished (by sin) blood sacrifice[1] could make atonement for us to God, take away our sins, and offer us “the hope of eternal life” (Tit 1:2; 3:7; cf. Joh 1:29; 3:16–17; 1Jn 1:7; Eph 2:13; Heb 7:27; 12:13; 1Pe 2:24; Rev 1:5) as God had originally intended for humanity. Jesus was that “lamb unblemished and spotless” (1Pe 1:19); as it is written, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Joh 1:29).[2]

God literally had to “purchase” us (Act 20:28; Rev 5:9; 14:3–4; also pay “ransom,” Mat 20:28; Mar 10:45; 1Ti 2:6) by the shed blood of His Son on the cross in order to “rescue” and “redeem” us from “the domain of darkness” where we were in “bondage” and held “captive” to sin, Satan, and death.[3] For “just as through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death through sin” (Rom 5:12), another Man, Jesus of Nazareth, willingly “gave Himself up for us” (see Eph 5:2, 25; Gal 2:20; cf. Joh 10:11, 15, 17–18; Mat 20:28; 26:53; Isa 53:7–8), being put to “death on a cross” (Php 2:8; cf. Act 5:30; 10:39; Eph 2:16) for our sins to redeem us. As it is written, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (Joh 3:16–17).[4]

Jesus didn’t come to Earth the first time dressed in the fine purple linen attire of kings or the business suit of commerce. He wasn’t born in a lofty palace but in a lowly manger (Luk 2:7, 12, 16), and He didn’t come to the religious and political rulers or self-professing “elites” of that day (Mat 9:12–13; Luk 5:31–32; Mar 2:17; cf. Luk 15:7; 16:15; Joh 9:40). He came as:

A “humble” (see Php 2:5–11) and Suffering Servant (Gen 3:15; Isa 53:7, 10–12; Mat 20:28; 27:22–50),
A sacrificial “Lamb of God” (see 1Pe 1:19; 2:22–24; 3:18; Joh 1:29, 36; Act 8:32; Rev 5:6, 8, 12–13; 22:1, 3),
A lowly “Shepherd” (see Mat 2:6; 25:32; 26:31; Heb 13:20; 1Pe 2:25; 5:4), to gather His “lost” and broken “sheep” (Mat 10:6; 18:11; 25:32–33; Luk 15:6; 19:10; Joh 10:11, 16, 26–27; 21:16–17; Psa 100:3), and
A friend of sinners (Mat 9:10–11; 11:19; Luk 5:30; 7:34; 15:1–2; 19:7), “despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa 53:3; Psa 22:6) and “pierced through for our transgressions” (Isa 53:5).

He came in order to “save” (see Joh 3:16–17; 5:34; 10:9; Act 2:21, 47; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30–31; Eph 2:8–9; 1Ti 2:4; Rom 5:9–10; 8:24; 9:27; 10:9, 13; 1Co 1:18; Luk 7:50; 13:23; 23:35; 1Pe 4:18; Tit 3:5; Mat 10:22; 19:25) those who are “sinners” (1Ti 1:15), just like you and me:

The “poor in spirit” (Mat 5:3; cf. Mat 11:25; Luk 4:18; Isa 57:15; Zep 3:12),
The humble and contrite in heart (Mat 5:5; 18:1–4; 23:12; Luk 1:52; 14:11; 18:14; Jas 4:6, 9–10; 1Pe 3:8; 5:5–6; Psa 51:17; cf. Psa 19:9; 111:10; Pro 1:7; 9:10; contrast Luk 14:11; Jas 4:6; 1Pe 5:5; Pro 3:34; 8:13; 16:5, 18; Psa 138:6; Isa 2:12; 13:11),
Those who are wandering “through the valley of the shadow of death” in “the domain of darkness” of this fallen world (Psa 23:4; Col 1:13), and
Those who are not only sick with sin[5] (Mat 9:12; Mar 2:17; Luk 5:31) but also sick of sin (Mat 5:4; 1Pe 1:14; 4:1–5; Act 17:30; Eph 2:2–3; 4:17; 1Th 4:5; Tit 3:3; Rev 22:17; cf. Mar 7:20–23; Rom 1:20–32; Rev 17:4–5; 22:11; Jos 24:15).

And Jesus did all this so you could be with Him in heaven for eternity. Amen.

[1] Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (see Heb 9:22).

[2] Note that God had to intervene several times in order to save humanity: (1) first with Noah bringing him and his family through the flood, (2) then with the Israelites to bring them out of bondage in Egypt, and finally, (3) with Christ to make a complete atonement for sin. If God hadn’t intervened due to His love for us, we would have had no hope!

[3] See the chapter “Our Hope” for verse references.

[4] Some refer to Jesus’ death on a cross as a “substitutionary sacrifice,” but realize that Christ didn’t “take your place” on the cross—He actually took your sins on Himself (2Co 5:21). For even if you had died on a cross, you would still have only died a sinner.

[5] Those who “mourn” over their sinful condition, as well as the sinful nature of the world in general (Mat 5:4).