Why did Jesus have to die?

JesusIn theological review

The short answer

Because sin is real, God is holy, and forgiveness is not the same as pretending. Isaiah said the Servant would be pierced for our transgressions and bear our iniquities. Paul says God proved his love in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The cross is where God's justice and God's love meet without either one being set aside.

The fuller answer

The problem starts with us. Sin entered the world through one man, Paul writes, and death through sin, and death spread to everyone because all sinned. A holy God cannot call evil good, and a just judge cannot simply shred the charge sheet. If Jesus had only taught and healed, the debt of human sin would still stand unpaid.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.

Romans 5:12 (BSB)

Centuries before the cross, Isaiah described a Servant who would carry what belonged to others: pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, with the punishment that brought us peace laid on him, and the LORD laying on him the iniquity of us all. The New Testament reads the cross straight through that prophecy. Jesus did not die as an accident of Roman politics. He died as a substitute, in the place of sinners.

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 (BSB)

We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6 (BSB)

And the motive was love, not reluctance. God proves his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The Westminster Shorter Catechism describes Christ's priestly work the same way: he offered up himself once, a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God. The resurrection then declares that the sacrifice was accepted, which is why the death of Jesus cannot be separated from the empty tomb.

But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 (BSB)

Sources

Berean Standard Bible (BSB)
The Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647)

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Dig deeper

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What is the gospel?The gospel is the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ: he died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. It is news before it is advice: a death that pays for sin, a resurrection that proves it, and a living Lord who is to be confessed, believed, and followed.How can I be saved?By grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and not by anything you contribute. Ephesians says it outright: it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. To be saved is to turn from your sin, confess Jesus as Lord, and trust that God raised him from the dead for you. The rest of your life is learning to live from that gift.Did Jesus rise from the dead?Answered in 30 seconds, 3 minutes and a deep dive.Bible Character: IsaiahThe prophet who saw the LORD high and lifted up in the temple, volunteered to be sent, and foretold the child to be born and the servant pierced for our transgressions.On the map: JerusalemFind it in the Lands of the Bible, with the verses that place it there.Lesson: Did Jesus rise from the dead?The Christian faith stands or falls here, and Paul says so himself. Learn the answer at three depths: hallway, coffee, and the long evening.