Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

Today is Holy Saturday, but I want to post the Good Friday message from yesterday's church sermon which was on the question, "Why did Jesus have to die?"

Text: Romans 3:22-26


Rom 3:21
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

Rom 3:22
even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all* who believe. For there is no difference;

Rom 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Rom 3:24
being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Rom 3:25
whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

Rom 3:26
to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Key Verse: Romans 3:25 is one of the most significant verses in the Bible. This verse is the heart of the Gospel - Christ's death on the cross for us. No single explanation can adequately explain the full meaning of Christ's death. Why Jesus died can only be understood by various and combined Biblical viewpoints.

Jesus hung on the cross for six, long, excruciating hours. Many people question just why he had to die. The answer is that if there was any other way, God would have done it.

1. WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO DIE?

Ransom
Key words: ransom/payment
Main idea: Jesus paid ransom to set us free. A ransom is paid for a sense of relief.

Scriptures: Mk 10:45, Jn. 8:34-36, Rom. 8:2, Eph. 1:7, Titus 2:14, Rev. 5:9, 1 Cor. 6:20, Is. 51:1

Jesus came to serve. We are all slaves to sin. He came to save us from the penalty of that sin.

Moral Influence
Key words: love/example
Main Idea: Jesus died to demonstrate how much God loves me (you, us).

Scriptures: 1 Peter 2:21-23, 4:1,2, Eph. 5:2, Phil. 2:3-8

Luke 23:42, 43, and 47 are key verses as well.

The Our Daily Bread message for Good Friday describes quite well the result that Jesus accomplished at Calvary's Cross. Notice that the devotional is labeled, "The Great Divider." Notice the different (and dividing) decisions of the two thieves on either side of Jesus during his crucifixion:

Their contrasting attitudes toward the Man on the center cross made all the difference.

We are all represented by one of those two men. We either believe on Christ or we reject Him. Our eternal destiny depends on our decision. Jesus said of Himself, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already” (John 3:18).

People enjoy sharing that Jesus Christ is our loving Savior. That He certainly is!! However, as evidenced by what Jesus said in John 3:18, he is also the Righteous Judge of the universe.

The devotional ends with:

At Calvary's cross, we stand at the crossroads to heaven and hell.

We can't appreciate what is to come on Easter unless we recognize what happened on Good Friday! Christ's sacrifice!! Jesus smashed Satan's power at the cross!

When you accept Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, no matter WHAT happens to you physically, while on this earth; when death does comes it is not the end of you! Jesus' resurrection to life is the promise he has given all believers. We will spend eternity with Him in heaven!

Paul stated (paraphrased here) that there is 'no need to know anything but Jesus and him crucified.'

Why is that?

Victory
Key words: power/triumph/victory forces
Main Idea: History is a battleground between forces.

Scriptures: Heb. 2:14,15; John 16:33; 19:30, Col. 1:13; 2:14, 15, 1 John 3:8, Rev. 17:14, Gal. 1:4

The forces in play in this battle are between God and man; Lucifer and our Lord. There is but one Mediator between God and man...Jesus Christ.

Relationship
Key words: redemption/reconciliation
Main Idea: Jesus died to bring us back together with God; to win us back and reconcile us unto Himself!

Scriptures: Rom. 5:6-11; 2 Cor. 5:18,19; Col. 1:20-22, Eph. 2:12-16, 1 Tim. 2:5

We will never be good enough. We need that cross-bridge to God. The only way is through Jesus; not Jesus plus...anyone else.

Substitution
Key words: sacrifice/atonement
Main Idea: God is the final Judge.

Scriptures: Is. 53:4-6, Rom. 3:25, 26; 5:8, 2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 9:28, 1 Peter 3:18, 1 John 2:2, 1 Cor. 5:7, Gal. 3:13

We are flat guilty!! He was condemned for you!

II. OUR RESPONSE TO CHRIST'S DEATH

We ought to:

Hate sin

"Be holy yourselves in all your behavior." 1 Peter 1:15

It is like God says to us, "I look at you, I love you, but you are guilty."

Through Christ's sacrifice, the guilt of sin is lifted and we are freed from the penalty.

Love Christ

"We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Make The Message Known.

"He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." II Cor. 5:15