Have you ever thought about this question: “Why did Jesus die for us?” There are many arguments, speculations, and perspectives available across the internet and mainstream media answering this. Some will use the scriptures, others will use the oral traditions, some are the bible commentaries, and there are many more! But can we look at this using the lens of love?
According to The Gospel Coalition, Jesus died on the cross mainly for two things; (1) To bring us closer to God. (2) To reveal God’s character. Before this event, we were far away from God because of the proliferation of sins during the Jewish time. These are what separates us from the pure and pristine character of God the Father; that is why, it needs to be cleansed. The consequences of these sins is death as provided by Roman 6:23; “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus’ death proves how God the Father gives action to the disobedience of the human kind. Mark 10:45 compared Jesus’ life as a ransom for our sins. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
His death also fulfilled the covenant sacrifices as foreshadowed by the Passover lamb. Jesus’ death on the cross did not signify God’s vengeance, but the portrayal of his love and justice. Sending His Son for the salvation of mankind was his way of showing love and mercy to reconcile the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:19) “that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”
As to reveal God the Father’s character, it can be argued that the Jewish in the New Testament did not know about the Father’s promises in the Old Testament. But because of the death of Jesus, the Jewish were reminded about the traces of the past and how the present world that time relates to it, paving the way to look back to His promises.
Going back, this question can be answered in different ways. These are just the connected dots of the scriptures, but the real and exact one remains a mystery. It is only the Holy Trinity who knows about this as part of the Divine Mystery. However, whatever the reason may be, it is always important to reflect and go back to this question, as it will make us realize how we are loved by God. This Good Friday, everyone of us should commemorate that sacrificial act and live through it. It is the time to reflect, to repent, and to replenish our souls for the sins that we have made and the best time to renew our faith. The death on the cross, the sacrifice of the Father, were all proof of a sacrificial love that should never be forgotten.
