Why did Jesus have to die?

Slightly different style question today. Today I got the following.

this is going to bea touchy question and if it offends anyone, I am profoundly sorry but I am asking out of ignorance and I truly want to know. I have asked this question of Christian pastors but no one seems to be able to answer me or get what I am trying to ask. So, rather than ask a believer in Christ, I would rather ask a Rabbi. my question is very profound and please just concentrate on my words. The core of Christian faith is that Christ died for our sins.I just don’t understand this.from a strictly cause and effect position, Why would a divine being need to sacrifice himself? What universal law was in effect from the beginning of existence that says that a god must die to forgive the sins of lesser creatures?or perhaps it was just a gesture? A grand gesture to show how much God loved us? I can understand this more if there was a logical cause and effect. For instance, if you are reading a story or a book, or watching a movie and see so meone give their life to save someone else. You understand why, you see the cause and effect and the reasons. But I see no reason for the verse “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son’. of course, faith has much to do with this, but faith cannot answer my question. And does faithful enough to just believe this cannot answer my question either.why not, if God so loved the world, he declared it divine law that our sins were forgiven, or just allowed us to be. Why sacrifice his incarnated son? there must be some law or rule to define this. Why must Christ be sacrificed for the sins of the world? why the death of a god? the god rather?of course I know that Judaism is not Christianity and more than likely you’re asking yourself, why I ask a Jew this? well, I ask because no doubt you are a learned and scholarly person, but I also ask you because I have not been able to find an adequate answer elsewhere. Thank you for any enlightenment might be able to give m e.

Actually a good question compared to half of them I get on here. Now I am not sure if this will actually answer your question but I too have problems understanding the answer behind it and that is – atonement or better way to put it. I may be wrong with this answer but I will try the best that I can based on what I know and information that I can find..

  1. That there is a G’d.
    1. Gen. 1:1, “In the beginning G’d created the heavens and the earth.”
  2. That G’d is limitless
    1. Psalm 90:2, “Before the mountains were born, Or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art G’d.”
    2. Psalm 147:5, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.”
    3. Jer. 23:24, “Can a man hide himself in hiding places, So I do not see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.”
  3. G’d is holy
    1. Isaiah 6:3, “And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”
    2. Rev. 4:8 “And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord G’d, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
  4. G’d is righteous
    1. Neh. 9:32-33, “Now therefore, our G’d, the great, the mighty, and the awesome G’d, who dost keep covenant and lovingkindness, Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before Thee, Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and on all Thy people, From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day. 33“However, Thou art just in all that has come upon us.”
    2. 2 Thess. 1:6, “For after all it is only just for G’d to repay with affliction those who afflict you.”
  5. Therefore, G’d is infinitely holy and just.
  6. Furthermore, G’d speaks out of the character of what He is.
    1. Matt. 12:34, “…For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”
  7. G’d spoke the Law
    1. Exodus 20:1-17, “Then G’d spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your G’d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me….”
  8. That the law G’d passed is holy and righteous.
    1. Rom. 7:12, “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”
  9. Due to this, breaking G’d law is to offend him.
  10. Thus G’d must punish the law breaker – why have law if it is not to be enforced.
    1. Amos 2:4, “Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not revoke its punishment, because they rejected the law of the Lord And have not kept His statutes.”
    2. Rom. 4:15, “…for the Law brings about wrath.”
  11. G’d decided that death must be the punishment.
    1. Ezekiel 18:4, “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine.  The soul who sins will die.”
    2. Rom. 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of G’d is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
  12. Due to this, the sinners need to escape G’d judgement else they will face damnation.
    1. Rom. 1:18, “For the wrath of G’d is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”
    2. Matt. 25:46, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
  13. However due to G’d being infinite, the offense of sin is also infinite meaning nothing a sinner can do can fix the sin.
    1. Gal. 2:16, “…by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.”
    2. Gal. 2:21, “I do not nullify the grace of G’d; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
    3. Rom. 8:3, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, G’d did: sending His own Son…”
  14. Because G’d want to people to be saved and the sinner can not do it, G’d has to do it.
  15. Thus Jesus is born – who is G’d in the flesh.
    1. John 1:1,14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G’d, and the Word was G’d…. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
    2. Col. 2:9, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”
  16. Jesus follows the law.
    1. 1 Tim. 2:5, “For there is one G’d, and one mediator also between G’d and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
    2. Gal. 4:4-5, “But when the fullness of the time came, G’d sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
  17. This bit I am not too sure why and how, but Jesus took the sins of mankind when he died on the cross but due to this the law and the punishment is done.
    1. 2 Cor. 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of G’d in Him.”
    2. 1 Peter 2:24, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”
    3. Rom. 8:3-4, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, G’d did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
  18. Thus Jesus died in our place and thus provided salvation.
    1. Eph. 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of G’d; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”
    2. Gal. 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”
    3. Eph. 5:2, “and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to G’d as a fragrant aroma.”

So according to the Christian faith, Adam and Eve was sinned but due to the nature of G’d we could not save ourselves. So instead G’d saves mankind by sending Jesus which was G’d in the flesh.

Reference Me

Kyle ben Avraham Avinu (קייל בן אברהם אבינו) (2013) Why did Jesus have to die?. [online] Ask a Jew. Available at: https://askajew.co.uk/question/why-did-jesus-have-to-die/ [Accessed 20 Apr 2024]