Why Christ had to Die

He fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:39)

Jesus prayed that if it was possible, if there was some other way than the way of the cross and death that God the Father might spare Him from what was about to happen. But there was no other way! The breach between God and Man was so deep, so wide that only God could heal it. Only the death of the Son of God could make it possible for God to save sinners. Why?

First God had to find a way to forgive men and women for what they had done. Now you or I might say, "Why is that a problem? Does not God command us to forgive others when they sin against us"? True, but we are not God, and offenses against us are not of the same nature as offenses against God. He is first of all absolutely Holy and Just in His very nature. And secondly He is God, King and Judge of the universe. Offenses against Him are not private offenses, they constitute an attack on the government of God and are acts committed in public against His reign. For we must remember that human beings are not the only intelligent and moral creatures that inhabit creation. God has also created innumerable spiritual and angelic beings that are all aware of the actions of human beings and of God. As some have summarized: He that thinks forgiveness is no problem for God has neither considered the majesty of God nor the seriousness of sin.

Second, God had passed over sins previously committed, withholding the demonstration of His justice and righteousness, and this called into question His character. For example: God had allowed king David to live and remain as king after his sin of adultery and murder even through God's Law demanded that David must be put to death. This forbearance of God had been multiplied millions of times over as God restrained from the prompt demonstration of His righteousness and justice. Furthermore God had spared some sinners while destroying others. He had spared Noah and his family while destroying the rest of mankind. He spared Lot and his daughters, while destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. Was God capricious? Did He have favorites? Was He unjust?

God is Love, but God is also Holy and Just. God's love sought to reconcile humankind to Himself, yet His love had to do this in harmony with His justice and holiness.

God's solution to sin and the problem of forgiveness

First of all, it must be clear that the solution to the problem of sin must come from God and not from sinners. We all must recognise that sin is a trap for all who enter. The holiness of God is perfect. The only acceptable state for the creatures of God is a state of pure holiness. As Jesus (quoting the Law) said: "You shall be holy for I [God] am holy." That standard of holiness is expressed by the two great commandments:

"And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30 etc.)

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31 etc.)

Anyone who honestly looks into the mirror of these commandments must admit that they have fallen short of this standard, God's standard of rightness. Those who do not ALWAYS obey these commandments demonstrate that they are not in right standing with God, but stand in opposition to Him. Now we may object that we are incapable of measuring up to God's standard, which is true. But that is my point and the point of the Law. We cannot make ourselves acceptable to God for we have all already proven in both thought and deed that we are creatures that don't obey God and keep His commandments. Since we are already guilty of breaking the Law, we have no capacity of unbreaking the Law. We cannot make ourselves holy, for we are already unholy. We cannot make ourselves innocent, for we are already guilty.

As the Apostle Paul writes:

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:19-26)

Jesus Christ, who is God the Creator made Man (John 1:1-4, 9-14), as God and the Creator of humankind, took responsibility for our actions (sin) and He Himself took upon Himself the just punishment for our rebellion (death). Moses had revealed our sin to us through the covenant of the Law and death on Sinai with the blood of sheep and goats, but Jesus brought about a new and better covenant of grace and life with humankind which He purchased with His own blood. By dying on the cross Jesus satisfied the justice of God by fulfilling the God's requirement that sin be punished by death, thus opening the way for God's forgiveness of sin and the reconcilation of sinners with Himself.

But how could Jesus die for sinners? Is this not unjust? Did not God say:

"The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
(Ezekiel 18:20)

There are two possible answers to this:

1) The first answer: Jesus Christ is Himself God the Creator of humankind so that He rightly can assume responsibility for what His creatures have done. He is also God the Judge, so that the offenses of men and women are offenses against Him the Judge and Creator. Jesus was in effect saying to the watching universe: "I made them. I take responsibility for them. I as Judge and Creator will bear the sentence of death upon My own body." This answer is somewhat speculative in that it is based more in the nature of Jesus as Creator and Judge, than in text of the New Testament.

2) The second answer to how the death of Jesus can count as punishment for my sin is the answer the New Testament gives us: The nature of the New Covenant (Luke 22:20) is that of a wedding covenant (1 Corinithians 6:15-20, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7, etc.). In marriage the two become one, and are no longer two separate persons but one new creation. When a person enters into this New Covenant with Jesus Christ, it can truly be said that our sin becomes His and His righteousness and death becomes ours. This is why Paul could say "I have been crucifed with Christ." And not only this but His life, righteousness, Spirit, and resurrection also becomes ours. To be in Christ (i.e. in this New Covenant of Marriage with Him) is to be made one with Him. He is the Bridegroom and the Church is His Bride.

In summary: by Jesus Christ dying on the cross, God was able to demonstrate and vindicate Himself and make possible the forgiveness of His enemies and their reconcilation to Him. But what Christ did on the cross was more that enabling God's righteous forgiveness, He also brought able a New Covenant with all humankind that enables all who will enter to be both forgiven and made new as truly Sons of God, holy and righteous, the workmanship of God Himself.

Please read Understanding Salvation