I first read and copied the article shown below a few years ago, but I’ve since lost the original link and I don’t know who the original author was. Nonetheless I think this is one of the clearest and simplest explanations of the foundational question “Why did Jesus Christ have to die on a cross?” that I’ve ever read. If anyone knows who wrote this piece, or if someone can find a link to the original article I’d be glad to give credit where credit is due.
May we who are called by His Holy Name never cease to wonder at the cross of Jesus Christ in all its grisly shame and unspeakable glory!
One day as we were coming home from church, my grandson Bailey chirped, “Gwandad!! Jesus died for you!” There was a pause and he said, “He died on a Cross because bad men put him there. He was covered with boo-boos!” (Being three, Bailey is not up on all the latest medical terms, but he knew what he was talking about) “An’ He died for Mummy and for Gwandma and because He loves us.”
I was absorbing all this as I drove when Bailey asked me the next logical question, although I wasn’t braced for it coming from a three-year-old.
“Gwanddad!”
“Yes, Bailey.”
“Why did He have to die?”
When we got home, I tried to explain to a three-year old something that many adult Christians have difficulty explaining. Yet it is one of the first questions posed by the skeptic.
Why, indeed, if Jesus was God, did He have to die? To the skeptic, the whole Cross, Blood and death thing doesn’t make any sense. I know many Christians to whom the answer is simply, “So He could be resurrected on the third day.”
That was never a satisfactory answer when I was a skeptic, either.
1 Peter 3:15 says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. . .” So let’s do.
The Scripture says God’s Justice demands a sacrifice, but for most Christians contending with the skeptic, that answer is unsatisfactory.
The explanation that only a sinless man was qualified to take on the sins of the world makes sense, but it doesn’t answer the nuts-and-bolts question of why He had to die. Not fully.
The answer to the nuts-and-bolts legalities is found, not in the New Testament, but rather in the Old.
In Genesis Chapter 15, we find Abram questioning God’s promise that his seed will be numbered as the stars of heaven and that they would inherit the land to which God had led him.
Genesis 15:6 says “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” But Abram wanted a guarantee, nonetheless.
“And he [Abram] said, LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” (15:8)
It was then that God proposed a blood covenant after the manner of the Chaldeans. “And he [God] said unto him, [Abram] Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram knew what to do next, since this was something he was familiar with. “And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.”
The blood covenant worked this way. The animals were slaughtered and cut up. The pieces were intermingled and then carefully arranged to form a kind of aisle through which the two parties to the covenant would walk together, hands joined.
The principle of a blood covenant, and the symbolism of the rended animal parts was clearly understood to Abram. Whoever broke the covenant would end up like those piles of animals.
A blood covenant was, by common custom, a joining of 2 or more persons, families, clans, tribes, or nations, where the participants agree to do or refrain from doing certain acts. More specifically, God had proposed a patriarchal covenant.
The patriarchal form of covenant is a self-imposed obligation of a superior party, to the benefit of an inferior party. In this form, the terms the parties use to refer to each other are: father and son.
God’s proposal included not only Abram, but extended to Abram’s seed forever.
(Galatians 3:29 makes plain that Christians are also “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”)
Are you still with me? Here’s where we are so far. Abram has just prepared a blood covenant between himself and God in which his seed would forever be bound to God as heirs. To be an heir, under the implied terms of the covenant, also required being faithful to the Father.
Abram understood those terms and waited for God to appear. Consider the picture. Abram waited, driving away the carrion eaters from his grisly creation, waiting for God Himself to come down, join hands with Abram and together, they would swear a blood oath. God would be the Father of Abram and his descendents, who would then be required behave as sons to keep that covenant.
Genesis 15:12 records that as Abram waited for God, a deep sleep fell upon him. During that deep sleep, “it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:” (Genesis 15:17-18)
And there’s the key! While the covenant was between Abram and God, by passing through the aisle alone, God signed the contract — alone — for both sides, binding Himself to keeping both parts.
We know that Abram’s seed did NOT remain faithful to the covenant. And violating the blood covenant demanded that somebody had to die. That was what justice required.
The Apostle Paul was, before his conversion on the road to Damascus, a Pharisee, or a religous lawyer, one well qualified to explain the law of covenant oaths.
As Paul explains, “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:9) Further. that “they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” (3:9)
And also, “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” (3:11)
Of the covenant that God signed on behalf of Abraham, Paul explains “Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.” (3:15)
The covenant could only be confirmed when the price demanded for its violation was paid in full.
When the Law was given to Moses four centuries later, it was assumed by the Jews that to break it was to break the Abrahamic Covenant, for which the penalty was death. Remember, somebody had to die. But God signed on behalf of Abraham, and Paul pointed out the blood penalty required of the covenant was paid in full.
“And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.”
Why did Jesus have to die? Because the covenant demanded satisfactory payment for its violation, and no one who had broken that covenant was qualified to stand in payment except those who signed it.
And God signed on behalf of Abram and his seed.
It is for that reason that God stepped out of eternity and into space and time. To keep the provisions of the original covenant and be a true Son, as it demanded.
And having kept its terms on behalf of sinful humanity, it was incumbent upon Him to make payment, as justice demanded, for its violation by those on whose behalf the covenant was signed.
To be torn and rended like the animals that formed the corridor through which God alone passed.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah (53:3)
To make restitution on behalf of the seed of Abraham. You. Me. And everyone who ever broke its provision of faithfulness. All of us.
Jesus made that payment on our behalf. On the Cross, as He gave up the ghost, Jesus cried with a loud voice ‘it is finished’ (Tetelestai!) meaning, literally, “paid in full.”
The terms of the violated Covenant were met, its price was paid by its Signer. God’s justice was fulfilled. That is why Jesus took on a human form and allowed Himself to be crucified by His own creation. That is the reason the Blood of Christ is so precious. Why nothing less would do.
Because justice demanded it.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Pilgrim
thejunglemissionary
Bill
Manfred
abidingthroughgrace
Chris Hohnholz
Dear Coram,
Thank you for the reminder of “WHY?” Jesus Christ had to die. I never tire of hearing the wonderful message of the Blood Covenant. I am also thankful that it was for me He died and for all who place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by grace alone. Be encouraged in the mercy and grace of our precious Saviour.
The Desert Pastor
Coram / TDP:
We mustn’t forget that the gospel is not only for unbelievers, but for believers also. Praise God for a foolish message, that is so glorious and edifying to a heart that has been made alive by Him.
Coram,
Thanks so much for that reminder! I really enjoyed it when I read it earlier today! What a heart-warming message for me to contemplate on!
Very true Nathan!
Thanks be to the Lord for your kind words of encouragement DPW!
Actually, I don’t agree with the one you sent about what Christ had to die. The Abrahamic Covenant had nothing to do with the reason Christ was crucified. God caused Abraham to fall asleep and He walked between the sacrifices alone because it was an unconditional covenant. That is, God would fulfill His promises to Abraham whether Abraham and his descendants were obedient or not. It was based on God’s word and His faithfulness, not their obedience. That is not why He died. If that is why He died then what do you do with everyone that lived between Adam and Abraham? Christ had to die because the wages of sin is death. Sin began with Adam and Eve, not Abraham. Just some insight I thought I would share. Agree? Disagree?
Bob,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Sometimes I find it helpful to work things out by a simple reductionist approach. For example, you’ve articulated a position by posing some very reasonable questions so it may be that we can work our way backwards to gain some insight into the Biblical answers to the inquiries posed, agreed?
The original question posed by little 3-year old Bailey was “Why did He have to die?” which was made in reference to Christ. Now, as you’ve correctly pointed out Christ died because of fallen humanity’s sin and the wages of sin is death. This is true as far as it goes. Maybe we can begin working backward from here. If you’re willing we can go back and forth a few times as I believe this could be an interesting thought experiment.
Why did Jesus Christ (the God-man) need to die for remission of sin? Why, for example, couldn’t I simply die for my own sins and be forgiven, or else why couldn’t the OT animal sacrifice system fully atone for my sins?
If death is all that’s required for payment of my sin then I should qualify to pay for that since I’ll certainly die someday, correct? But presumably in the light of scripture neither you nor I can ever believe that I could actually pay for my own sins with my own death, nor could animal sacrifices ever atone for the sins of human moral agents made in God’s image, therefore according to your understanding of the Bible how would you answer little Bailey’s question “Why did He (Jesus Christ instead of me, or you, or bulls and goats) have to die (to pay for my sin)?”
Looking forward to your reply,
CD
Coram Deo,
Thanks for helping me understand further about the covenant, by digging a little deeper. Thanks for responding to the statement I posted and my subsequent question.
Going back to your original posting question: I believe it was Chuck Smith who was the original author of the piece. Don’t hold me to that, but I’m pretty certain it was he who wrote the piece.
Honestly, to answer the childs question would have been simpler to just stay with the facts; God is a Holy, righteous, and a just God, His being and person is infinitly Holy. We are His creation and are therefore finite, unable to make payment of our sins (all our rightesous deeds are like filthy rags). Only a perfect Son could fulfill a prefect requirement revealed by a perfect law. For God to overlook sin would make God to be unjust. Only Jesus Christ could atone (make payment) for our sins. I think to answer the child with the long drawn out piece like that presented could have been a lot for him or anyone to wrap there heads around.
I liked the parts in the piece about the atonement and the fact that we cannot repay the debt owed to God and that our righteous deeds are like filthy rags.
I think were it went off course is when it talked about the covenant that God made with Abraham. For the sake of time and restating information already presented I am including a piece that I believe accurately states the details of the covenant.
“A covenant is an agreement between two parties. There are two types of covenants: conditional and unconditional. A conditional or bilateral covenant is an agreement that is binding on both parties for its fulfillment. Both parties agree to fulfill certain conditions. If either party fails to meet their responsibilities, the covenant is broken and neither party has to fulfill the expectations of the covenant. An unconditional or unilateral covenant is an agreement between two parties, but only one of the two parties has to do something. Nothing is required of the other party.
The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant. God made promises to Abraham that required nothing of Abraham. Genesis 15:18-21 describes a part of the Abrahamic Covenant, specifically dealing with the dimensions of the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants.
The actual Abrahamic Covenant is found in Genesis 12:1-3. The ceremony recorded in Genesis 15 indicates the unconditional nature of the covenant. The only time that both parties of a covenant would pass between the pieces of animals was when the fulfillment of the covenant was dependent upon both parties keeping commitments. Concerning the significance of God alone moving between the halves of the animals, it is to be noted that it is a smoking furnace and a flaming torch, representing God, not Abraham, which passed between the pieces. Such an act, it would seem, should be shared by both parties, but in this case it is doubtless to be explained by the fact that the covenant is principally a promise by God. He is the one who binds Himself. God caused a sleep to fall upon Abraham so that he would not be able to pass between the two halves of the animals. Fulfillment of the covenant fell to God alone.
God determined to call out a special people for Himself through whom He would bring blessing to all the nations. The Abrahamic Covenant is paramount to a proper understanding of the kingdom concept and is foundational to Old Testament theology. (1) The Abrahamic Covenant is described in Genesis 12:1–3 and is an unconditional covenant. There are no conditions attached to it (no “if” clauses, suggesting its fulfillment is dependent on man). (2) It is also a literal covenant in which the promises should be understood literally. The land that is promised should be understood in its literal or normal interpretation—it is not a figure of heaven. (3) It is also an everlasting covenant. The promises that God made to Israel are eternal.
There are three main features to the Abrahamic Covenant:
1. The promise of land (Genesis 12:1). God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees to a land that He would give him (Genesis 12:1). This promise is reiterated in Genesis 13:14–18 where it is confirmed by a shoe covenant; its dimensions are given in Genesis 15:18–21 (precluding any notion of this being fulfilled in heaven). The land aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant is also expanded in Deuteronomy 30:1–10, which is the Palestinian Covenant.
2. The promise of descendants (Genesis 12:2). God promised Abraham that He would make a great nation out of him. Abraham, who was 75 years old and childless (Genesis 12:4), was promised many descendants. This promise is amplified in Genesis 17:6 where God promised that nations and kings would descend from the aged patriarch. This promise (which is expanded in the Davidic Covenant of 2 Samuel 7:12–16) would eventuate in the Davidic throne with Messiah’s kingdom rule over the Hebrew people.
3. The promise of blessing and redemption (Genesis 12:3). God promised to bless Abraham and the families of the earth through him. This promise is amplified in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34; cf. Hebrews 8:6–13) and has to do with “Israel’s spiritual blessing and redemption.” Jeremiah 31:34 anticipates the forgiveness of sin. The unconditional and eternal nature of the covenant is seen in that the covenant is reaffirmed to Isaac (Genesis 21:12; 26:3–4). The “I will” promises suggest the unconditional aspect of the covenant. The covenant is further confirmed to Jacob (Genesis 28:14–15). It is noteworthy that God reaffirmed these promises amid the sins of the patriarchs, which fact further emphasizes the unconditional nature of the Abrahamic Covenant.
God’s method of fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant is literal, inasmuch as God partially fulfilled the covenant in history: God blessed Abraham by giving him the land (Genesis 13:14–17); God blessed him spiritually (Genesis 13:8, 18; 14:22, 23; 21:22); God gave him numerous descendants (Genesis 22:17; 49:3–28). The important element of the Abrahamic Covenant, however, demands a future fulfillment with Messiah’s kingdom rule:
(1) Israel as a nation will possess the land in the future. Numerous Old Testament passages anticipate the future blessing of Israel and her possession of the land as promised to Abraham. Ezekiel envisions a future day when Israel is restored to the land (Ezekiel 20:33–37, 40–42; 36:1–37:28).
(2) Israel as a nation will be converted, forgiven, and restored (Romans 11:25–27).
(3) Israel will repent and receive the forgiveness of God in the future (Zechariah 12:10–14). The Abrahamic Covenant finds its ultimate fulfillment in connection with the return of Messiah to rescue and bless His people Israel. It is through the nation Israel that God promised in Genesis 12:1–3 to bless the nations of the world. That ultimate blessing will issue in the forgiveness of sins and Messiah’s glorious kingdom reign on earth.” as presented on GotQuestions.org
Sorry for the long post-I hope it clarifies and points to the differences accurately and compassionately.
Thanks again and I really like the sharing and fellowship the blogs allow.
All I have is Christ, nothing else,
Bob
It is obvious that both of you have a deep understanding of God and His Word. The Word of God is like a diamond with many facets. Exciting!! I agree with both you. Man has a part to play in the Covenant. Our part is to accept the covenant, but the fulfillment of the covenant is done by God Himself. Both views are scriptural. If we go back to the beginning the first covenant was already made before man was created. Genesis 1:26 “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea…”the US that is mentioned here is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Okay let me give an example. If I say,”Bob, let us build a house”. You can agree and work with me or disagree, but in order to build the house you and I MUST AGREE or in other words come to AN AGREEMENT OR COVENANT. You agree with me so far? So the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit came to an agreement to make man in their image and likeness. God has already seen that man would sin, but does stop God from creating man. But man has a choice in the matter either we could accept the covenant and become covenant partners with God or forever separated from God. Remember all this is based on LOVE. The love factor makes it more understandable or gives a clearer picture of why Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, has to endure death on the cross.
Brother in Christ,
helper
Helper Samuel,
I think I see where you’re coming from, but maybe my perspective is slightly different from yours.
I’d say that apart from Jesus Christ all men are, by nature since the fall, guilty covenant breakers. We aren’t exempted from nor do we have any choice about keeping the covenant that our father Adam broke, yet we’re unable to do so due to our radically corrupted sin nature which we all inherited from the first Adam. In this miserable estate we find that we cannot agree with God to become covenant keepers apart from His divine enablement which is commonly known as regeneration or the new birth, which enablement He must grant before any man has the remotest desire to approach unto Him by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone – the second Adam.
I apologize if it seems that I’m trying to split hairs because I’m not; I’m attempting to clarify what I understand the Bible to teach about man’s inherited, fallen, sinful nature and how this spiritual reality relates back to us being guilty covenant breakers who are unable in and of ourselves to even so much as have any glimmer of a desire whatsoever approach the One True and Living God apart from His miraculous and unmerited gift of regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
This being said I do agree that it is from God’s boundless oceans of pity, mercy, compassion and love that any man has any hope of beholding His glorious face in heaven for all eternity. May all praise be unto His Holy Name forever and evermore, amen.
In Christ,
CD
None is more worthy than the Lamb who take away the sins of the world. Glory to God in the highest.
I enjoy the fellowship. I am doing a research on the power of the Blood when I happened upon this site.
Brother in Christ,
helper
I was reading this book entitled “Classic Christianity” by Bob George and I like his explanation of why Jesus died. Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” In Romans 3:23 says”all man have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” That means we are dead so we cannot die for own sins. It would be like killing or beating a dead horse. Useless! To die you must first have life before it will be taken away. We inherited death and the sinful nature from Adam. Before you leave the earth you can only leave your kids what you have and so that is what we got from the first Adam.
Jesus, even though He is a man, is without sin because he was conceived when the Holy Spirit came upon virgin Mary. He is not the son of Adam, but the Only Begotten Son of God. The same Spirit that gives us life when we are born again is gave birth to Jesus. He is the only one who could pay the penalty of sin which is death because He is the only man alive after the first Adam.
Brother in Christ,
helper