Why Did Jesus Die?

Theories abound for why Jesus died. Some believe Jesus was just a tragic figure or martyr that died to be heroic or to identify with us. Others hold to the belief that Jesus’ death was like any other pagan sacrificial ritual—a victim sacrificed to appease a wrathful God.

In 2004 several people wrote in to TIME magazine to express their sentiments about the question, "Why did Jesus die," after the magazine itself published an article by that name.

The responses show that very few truly understand the answer. One writer from Florida wrote, "Jesus' life and death were an example to us. He had to die to be resurrected. Jesus attempted to show us that death is not an end. He was trying to remove some of the fear and desperation from our lives and prove that we are more than meaningless specks of dust on this planet. We have eternal life."

Another writer wrote from Virginia, "The death and resurrection of Jesus are a revelation on a grand scale of what takes place in every life. We all go through suffering, death, and resurrection, on one level or another. The energy that keeps us going is the presence of Christ's spirit in us. Why did Jesus die? To show us how life works and to empower us to live fully now and forever."

Another wrote from Wisconsin, "Jesus stood up to the injustices of the world, and was crushed in the process. That is happening all over the world to day, and not only to Christians. People of every religion who see wrongs and try to right them lose their lives. That is what the Christian spirit is all about."

And one final writer from California wrote, "Christ died in a dramatic and painful way to demonstrate that even in the most ignominious death, there is a spectacular resolution. Thus death is not the end of hope or life. Christ's death was necessary so he could rise again, the ultimate proof that he was no longer a son of man, but the Son of God."ⁱ

Are These People Right?

Was Christ's death a spectacular display of heroic martyrdom? Did He die just to show us what the Christian spirit is all about? Was His death just to emphasize that He empathizes with us about suffering and death? Or to tell us that we don’t have to worry—we are all immortal and death is nothing but a door to a wonderful new existence? Is the Florida writer correct—did Jesus have to die in order to be resurrected? Did He really die just to show us how life works?

Unfortunately, none of the above-expressed sentiments accurately explain why Jesus died. In fact, they show an appalling lack of understanding of what really happened not just 2000 years ago, but at the very beginning of time.

In the search for truth, we need to trust more than opinions. Let us take a look at the Bible itself to find an answer for the purpose of Jesus' death, life, and resurrection. Although Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies regarding a Messiah, we must realize that Jesus did not come only to fulfill prophecies. The reasons behind His life, death, and resurrection are much more glorious than that.

The True Story

Almost everyone knows the story of Adam and Eve—how they were forbidden to eat of a particular tree in the Garden upon pain of death, how Eve ate the forbidden fruit, offered it to Adam who also ate, and how they then were cast out of the Garden (Genesis 3), and became the parents of every person who has ever lived on this planet. But the story begins even before Adam and Eve.

The Bible shows Jesus or God as the Creator of all things both on Earth and in heaven (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16). God is also eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27, 1 Timothy 1:17), having always existed. He certainly had to have existed before Creation. The Bible even mentions the “morning stars,” or angels, singing at the Creation of our world (Revelation 1:16,20; 12:4,7-9; Job 38:7), showing that angels existed before Creation.

One of these angels was Lucifer, an anointed cherub that served as one of the covering angels over God’s throne (Ezekiel 28:14). Although Lucifer was created perfect, he became proud and was not satisfied with his position beside the throne of God. He wanted more. He wanted to be on the throne of God.

Lucifer campaigned against God and managed to sway one-third of the angels over to his side (Revelation 12:4). He and these angels were cast out of heaven (Luke 10:18, Revelation 12:9 ). Sometime after Lucifer’s defection, he met Eve at the tree in the Garden of Eden deceiving her into believing that God could not be trusted.

From that point on, sin marred the world. Jesus' death accomplished a number of things, including taking our punishment for sin. Read about them in Six Purposes for Christ's Life and Death on Earth.

i. David Van Biema, "Why Did Jesus Die?" TIME (April 12, 2004).