Why Did Jesus Die?

This week, we discussed one of the core truths of the Christian faith: the cross. Many people have heard of Jesus and of Christianity yet do not know how crucial Jesus' death is to the Christian faith.

Nicky Gumbel highlighted three key areas:

1. The Problem : Sin 

    I think we can all admit that we have made some serious mistakes in life. And it's extremely obvious from the things happening around us that sin is evident in our world. In our discussion on sin, we came to an agreement that sin is a thought or action that offends God. There are many people, however, that think that sin is the 'bigger' wrongs one commits (ie: murdering, stealing, etc). Even if we see ourselves as being good people compared to others who commit these bigger offenses, we "all have sinned", every single one of us (Romans 3:23). Nicky says that sin is not just a minor issue: it pollutes our mind and our body; it entices us into repeating the behaviours; it leads to death; it separates us from God.

As a group, we discussed the addictive and destructive nature of sin, noting that from personal experiences our sin can destroy ourselves and those around us. Sin doesn't self-contaminate, its effects spread like a contagious illness.

We quickly found out, though, that there may not necessarily be a distinct white and black line for what sin is. Take lying for example. Is a lie always a sin? Or can it be contextual? Is lying to a gunman about where the children hiding a sin? Perhaps it is our attitude that is the most important factor.
When we lie to someone, the action may look bad but if we are doing it to protect someone, is it still bad? Or when we are doing good deeds, our action may look good but if we are doing it to boost ourselves up, is it really a good deed?

2. The Solution: Cross

The most important truth of the cross is this: GOD LOVES YOU!
God loves each and every one of us. It doesn't matter who you are or what you have done. God still loves you. In fact, our sin is exactly why Jesus came as a substitution for us - because we have been separated by God and He wants us back. Jesus came to this world and suffered on our behalf. Why? Because "by His wounds, we are healed."

Nicky provided a helpful analogy of two friends who went separate ways, one becoming a judge, the other becoming a criminal. When the criminal appeared before the judge, the judge still had show justice and so he handed out a fine. However, he also showed his love as a friend and paid the fine for his criminal friend. The same is true for God: He is perfectly just and perfectly loving. Our penalty for sin is death, but He paid it for us so that we don't have to. Imagine if the criminal did not accept the money...the debt that he would owe. Imagine if we do not accept God's payment...the debt that we owe.

3. The Result: Freedom

God is love, but love never forces. Therefore, God the gift of forgiveness is offered to us, but we must receive it. And when we do, the pollution of sin is removed, the power of sin is broken, the penalty of sin is paid, and we are reconciled in a relationship with God.

In discussing God's forgiveness, we mentioned the external or internal changes that may occur as we are forgiven. Some people experience intense emotional relief while others have body sensations. But we did discover that forgiveness from God does not mean that we are simply let off from the consequences. There is a spiritual and a temporal aspect to our actions: we can be forgiven by God, but we may still have to deal with the earthly consequences. Let's say if I committed a crime for example and the justice system required me to be sentenced to 10 years in prison. God may forgive me in a spiritual sense, but I still am responsible for my actions and must pay the 10 years.


As we have experienced, "What is sin?" is not a question easily answered. However, the question "Why did Jesus die?" has a clear answer: God loves us.

I encourage you to take some time this week to think about the personal implications. This is not a simple topic so feel free to ask questions or post comments. The comment box is now open to anyone so I will get a notification if you post :)

Enjoy your week and I'll see you next week!