Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? Your SIN is so dreadful that you deserve execution –...

Just Looking …Just Looking …

WhyWhy Did Did

JesusJesus Have to Have to

DieDie??

Your Your SINSIN is so is so dreadful dreadful that that you deserve you deserve execution execution – – but our but our justjust and and lovingloving

Father killed Father killed His His innocent innocent

SonSon instead of instead of youyou


WhyWhy Did Did JesusJesus Have to Have to DieDie??



The death of Jesus is central to the Christian faith …

Each gospel dedicates between a quarter and a third of its narrative to the last week of Jesus’ life

The cross has become one of the most widely recognised symbols in the world



WHYWHY did did Jesus Jesus

have to have to die?die?

That That depends depends on who on who

you ask!you ask!



From a From a Jewish Jewish point point of view, Jesus of view, Jesus

claimedclaimed to be to be God God – which was – which was

punishablepunishable by by deathdeath



From the From the Roman Roman authorities’ authorities’ point point of view, Jesus was of view, Jesus was a possible source a possible source

of of civil unrestcivil unrest, , most easily dealt most easily dealt

with by with by eliminationelimination



From a From a Christian Christian point of view, the point of view, the

deathdeath of Jesus (and of Jesus (and his his resurrectionresurrection) )

were part of were part of God’s God’s planplan from the from the dawn dawn

of of timetime..

But But whatwhat was the was the planplan??



The early church’s The early church’s understanding of understanding of whywhy Jesus Jesus

had to die came from had to die came from reflectionreflection on what they had on what they had

experiencedexperienced, combined , combined with with rememberingremembering what what

Jesus had Jesus had taughttaught



++ ++KnowledgKnowledge of the e of the death of death of

JesusJesus

Experience Experience of the of the

resurrection resurrection of Jesusof Jesus

RememberiRemembering the ng the

teaching of teaching of JesusJesus

++Searching Searching

the the (existing) (existing) scripturesscriptures

New Testament New Testament explanationexplanation




JesusJesus







New Testament New Testament explanationexplanation

The power of sin and The power of sin and death defeateddeath defeated

““I saw Satan fall like I saw Satan fall like lightning from lightning from

heaven”heaven”




JesusJesus







VictoryVictory!!

The power of sin and The power of sin and death defeateddeath defeated

““I saw Satan fall like I saw Satan fall like lightning from lightning from

heaven”heaven”




JesusJesus







The final, perfect sacrificeThe final, perfect sacrifice

A new agreement A new agreement needs a sacrificeneeds a sacrifice

““This is my This is my blood, given for blood, given for

you”you”

““I will make a I will make a new covenant”new covenant”




JesusJesus







He died in our He died in our placeplace

““The Son of Man The Son of Man came to give his came to give his life as a ransom life as a ransom

””

The suffering The suffering servantservant



He died in He died in our placeour place

VictoryVictory!!

The final, The final, perfect perfect sacrificesacrifice

PicturesPictures that that make make sense sense of of

the the experienceexperience of of being being rescued rescued through the through the deathdeath and and




He died in He died in our placeour place

VictoryVictory!!

The final, The final, perfect perfect sacrificesacrifice

The reality of The reality of being saved is being saved is

more more important important than the than the

detail of the detail of the picturespictures



In mediaeval times, the death of Jesus was seen as the necessary repaying of honour

In the Reformation, the death of Jesus was seen as the necessary requirement of law

In the 19th century, the death of Jesus was seen as an encouragement to repentance

More recently, the death of Jesus has been thought of in terms of reconciliation



God cannot simply forgive. Someone had

to die for your sin. Jesus offered his life to satisfy God’s need to be absolutely just

The Bible is full of God forgiving quite serious sin

This picture separates a vengeful God from a loving son – this divides the Trinity

While our sin is serious, this picture does not seem moral



In God, Jesus took upon himself the full weight of our wrong-doing and guilt. He

takes the punishment we feel we deserve.

The destructive force of sin is acknowledged

Father and Son work in harmony

Our hearts are moved to response

God acts voluntarily and self-sacrificially to rescue broken and damaged people



… … because our because our Father God wanted Father God wanted to to healheal our broken our broken relationship, and relationship, and

chosechose to do it that to do it that way!way!

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