Why did He die?

In a book called “Crucify Him: A Lawyer looks at the Trial of Jesus” the author begins with a statement of facts. His research showed that:

Jesus of Nazareth was the son of a carpenter named Joseph. After preaching throughout the hills of Galilee for several years and gaining many followers, he headed toward Jerusalem for the high holy days. His teachings and miracles confounded the religious authorities. The leaders of the Jews, deciding that Jesus was a threat, plotted his death.

After presenting those facts, he offered this summation:

If I were presenting this brief in a court of law, I would tell the jury that the evidence will show that the above facts are believable, based upon accepted ancient writings, archaeological evidence, and common sense. Furthermore, as we learn more about the evidence and the criminal law of the day, we will prove that the so–called Jewish trial was illegal according to the court’s own procedures and that Jesus of Nazareth was not guilty of any crime against the Roman Empire.

He also writes of inconsistencies in the gospel narratives and points out that to Jewish writers, “truth was a matter of meaning and spirit as well as narrative representation. Though the Gospels are accurate and reliable, the writers may emphasize different elements because their primary goal was to convey the meanings behind the events.”

The issue is that Jesus was CRUCIFIED, not for His own crimes but for the sin of the world, the crimes against God. To natural thinking, this makes no sense, which the NT acknowledges:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:22–25)

However, to the Jews it was a different matter. After His resurrection, Jesus explained to two of them:

“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself . . . . Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:25–27; 45–47)

The Jews expected liberation from their oppressors, not liberation from sin. To them, the claims of Jesus were an affront; they were the people of God so why should they need that kind of Savior? But they did. But we all do — for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No matter how good we are, we miss the mark and the consequence of missing the mark is separation from God for eternity. Jesus was crucified to take that penalty on Himself that we might repent (turn from sin), be forgiven, and enter a personal relationship with our Creator that had been ruined by our “I’ll do it myself” sinful attitude.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. God’s Word says I have “been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live” and my life now is to be like His, not that old self. I have been “set free from the law of sin and death” yet at the same time, I’m also to “put to death what is earthly” in myself — saying no to sinful desires, words and deeds. This is done by being filled with the Spirit and living in His power and grace. The Bible calls it, “working out my own salvation with fear and trembling” because “it is God who works in you, both to will and work for His good pleasure.” In other words, the old me has been put to death — so keep my eyes on Christ and His death — the crucifixion that made it possible for me to die to sin and live for Him.