Why did Jesus have to die?

veve · Newbie Alert Joined: 25 May 2008 Posts: 4

First of all id like to say I AM a christian. But i dont understand why Jesus had to be crucified. Like yes i know it was for our sins etc but why this act had to be performed if God could have forgiven us even without it? Why our faith isnt enough but He had to die so painfully?

cballard · Grizzly Bear Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 728 Location: WV

Because the sons of Adam had risen up in rebellion against God. Jesus puts us back to a right relationship. Salvation comes from God alone. Faith just accepts this salvation.

Luvnlife · Lion King Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 1257 Location: US

I think there's more to it than that.

Jesus death is a blood atonement. His blood is the seal of the covenant between man and God. His blood is what covers our sins.

Remember back when Israels descendants were struggling for their freedom? Remember the passover when the first born sons of the Egyptians were killed but the first born sons of the Israelites were spared?

If you recall, they were saved by the blood of lambs under the old covenant. The blood of lambs or goats were smeared on the doorways of the Israelites. This was a covenant between God and man. God 'passed over' their homes and their sons were spared.

The only blood required under the new covenant is the blood of one lamb, perfect, unspotted, unblemished. Our Lord Jesus Christ. His blood is our covering and serves the same function as the blood of the lambs under the old covenant. By his blood, we are 'passed over' if we love, believe in and follow Jesus.

I believe that the other reason that Jesus died in this manner is to understand the pain of man who he sits in judgment of.

The thought just occurred to me that in the OT, people sacrificed animals all the time as atonement for their sins. Over and over this ritual was performed. But in the end, there is but one sacrifice that is good enough to cover the sins of man and that is a sacrifice from God. His only begotten son.

Luv
_________________
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
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TBax · King Kong Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 2072

veve,

The Mosiac Law taught us that without the shedding of blood, no forgiveness is possible.

Heb 9:22 Yes, nearly all things are cleansed with blood according to the Law, and unless blood is poured out no forgiveness takes place.

That Law also showed what perfect justice is. Like for a like.

Ex 21:23 But if a fatal accident should occur, then you must give soul for soul, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 branding for branding, wound for wound, blow for blow.

This is also why Jesus is refered to as the last Adam.

1 Cor 15:45 It is even so written: “The first man Adam became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Adam was a perfect man and lost that and everlasting life for his offspring. It took a perfect man to buy back what Adam lost. That is why Jesus sacrifice is called an act of justification.

Rom 5:12 That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned—.

...
18 So, then, as through one trespass the result to men of all sorts was condemnation, likewise also through one act of justification the result to men of all sorts is a declaring of them righteous for life. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were constituted sinners, likewise also through the obedience of the one [person] many will be constituted righteous.

That is why Jesus' perfect shed blood can cover over all our sins, like the animal sacrifices never could. Those animal sacrifices forshadowed the necessity of Jesus' perfect sacrifice. That is why the animal was to be without blemish. Smile

_________________
Agape,
TBax

dabmci · House Cat Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 152 Location: Wylie

veve,

If you go back to Genesis 3:21 you see God first sacrifice for our sin being done right there. That was the a prequel of the greatest sacrifice to come. Only perfection could atone for our sin. That is why they sacrifed all the time. It was tempary, and what Jesus did would be perminate, and bring us back into a relationship with the Father.

Ryck · Lion King Joined: 05 Dec 2002 Posts: 1094