"Why did Jesus Die?"
Article by the Rev. Matt Kennedy
for the website
The Church of the Good Shepherd
October 6th, 2005

“Jesus died for my sins”

It's such a common phrase. Likely we've all said it at some point, perhaps without thought or hesitation.

But what does it really mean?

The answer to this question is the most important answer to the most important question anyone might ever ask. The answer points us to the central truth of the Christian faith. It points to an event 2000 years ago that forever changed the way human beings relate to God, to each other, and to themselves.

You probably think that I'm going to talk about God forgiving our sins.

Well, no, not exactly. Forgiveness will come up, but not yet.

To understand what it means to say, “Jesus died for my sins,” we have to start with the concept of justice. Not regular everyday human justice, but God's justice.

God is perfect in every way. That means his justice is perfect. A perfect judge cannot simply “forgive” a crime. Such an act would not represent justice but rather it would be the height of injustice. Let's say someone steals your car, drives it into a tree, and then gets arrested. What would you think if the judge were to smile down sweetly at the thief and explain to the courtroom that he has decided to let the prisoner go with no jail time, no parole, no fine, no penalty whatsoever? Would this be just? What if the crime were murder instead of theft? Such a judge would be impeached within a week.

If an imperfect human judge can't simply forgive how much more out of character is it for God, the perfect judge, the origin, standard, and measure of justice itself to let injustice go unpunished? God's very nature demands that all wrongdoing be met with perfect justice. Jesus himself said, “Be perfect, therefore, as my Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matt 5:48) Divine perfection is the standard by which all human beings will be judged.

Have you ever done anything wrong?

Don't worry you're not alone.

The bible teaches that all human beings have failed to do what is right and that all human beings are guilty of sin (Romans 3:10-18).Even the best of us have failed to live perfectly.

And yet though God is perfectly just and all human beings are guilty of sin, the bible teaches that God has provided a way for human beings to be forgiven and reconciled.

But if God is the perfect judge, how is forgiveness possible?

Well, God is not only perfect in his judgments; he is also perfect in his love. In fact the apostle John wrote that" God is love" (1st John 4:8). He's the origin and the measure of love. It is out of God's perfect love that he created the heavens and the earth and all the plants and animals and the first human beings. He wanted us to live with him and with each other in perfect harmony, perfect communion, unbroken by sin or selfishness. That was long ago. But he is still creating. He created you and he created me and he loves us with a perfect love, a love that is beyond all measure, limitations, or boundaries.

But doesn't this pose an irresolvable dilemma? How can God act toward humanity with perfect justice and with perfect love? Wouldn't his justice require our punishment and his love require our forgiveness?

The answer is Yes. It would and it does. And this is the glory of the cross.

On the cross of Jesus Christ, God's perfect justice and perfect love meet perfectly. In the person of Jesus, God himself took on human nature and bore in his passion and death the full and complete penalty for the sins of all humanity (Romans 3:21-26).

But how can one man pay for the sins of the world? They are infinite in number?

Jesus of Nazareth was fully God. In his divinity Jesus, as God the Son bore the innumerable sins of humanity.

Well, how is it just for God himself to be punished for human sins?

Jesus of Nazareth was also fully human. He was like us in every way except he did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). In this way God, as a human being, justly stood as the representative substitute for all humanity.

Through his death, God in Jesus Christ made it possible for God the Father to justly forgive human sin and declare human beings righteous in his sight.

Thus, Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all humanity.

But there's one more thing.

God in Jesus Christ made it possible for human beings to be forgiven and declared righteous. But it's up to you and I as individuals to access that forgiveness and righteousness personally.

How?

That is where repentance and trust comes in. When an individual recognizes his guilt, repents of his sins, and invites Jesus Christ into his heart, trusting in His work accomplished on the cross, then that person is forgiven of all his sins, past present and future on the basis of Jesus' death on his behalf .

Let's make it more personal. When you personally, as an individual, come to faith in Jesus Christ, God forgives you of all your sins, even the sins you haven't yet committed (God can do that, he's eternal) on the basis of Jesus' death on the cross.

And for that reason everyone who believes has as Paul says, "...peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."(Romans 5:1-5)

Peace with God. That is what you and I and all beleivers have now and will enjoy forever thanks to Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord!

So, the next time you say, “Jesus died on the cross for my sins” think about what it means.

It means God loves you so much that he gave his only Son so that you could live with him forever.

Amen