The death of Jesus Christ on the cross is central to the Christian faith. All four gospels record His death, and the rest of the New Testament elaborates on its significance. But why exactly did Jesus have to die? What purpose did it serve? The Bible provides several important reasons.
To Fulfill Old Testament Prophecies
One key reason Jesus had to die was to fulfill the many Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. There are over 300 prophecies about the coming Messiah in the Old Testament, many of which specifically mention His suffering and death. For example, Isaiah 53 vividly describes the Messiah as a suffering servant who would be “pierced for our transgressions” and bear the punishment for our sins (Isaiah 53:5). Psalm 22 graphically portrays the Messiah’s crucifixion, describing the mockery and pain He would endure on the cross. Jesus confirmed that He came to fulfill what was written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms (Luke 24:44). His death by crucifixion precisely matched what the Old Testament said would happen to the Messiah.
To Serve as an Atonement for Sin
The most fundamental reason Jesus had to die was to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin. According to the Bible, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). God’s justice and holiness demand that sin be punished. But God’s love compelled Him to take that punishment upon Himself by sending Jesus to die in our place (John 3:16). Jesus served as a substitutionary sacrifice for sinners, satisfying God’s wrath against sin (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2). Without Christ’s death, there would be no way for God to be both “just and the justifier” of those who believe in Jesus (Romans 3:26). But with Jesus paying the price for sin, God’s justice was satisfied and salvation was made possible for all who trust in Christ.
To Reconcile Us to God
Sin separates mankind from a holy God (Isaiah 59:2). Through Jesus’ death, however, sinful man can be reconciled and restored to fellowship with God. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross removed the barrier between God and man, allowing us to be declared righteous in God’s sight (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Jesus served as the perfect high priest, becoming the mediator between God and man by paying the ransom price to free us from sin and redeem us back to God (1 Timothy 2:5-6). His death bridged the gap so we could once again have access to the Father.
To Demonstrate God’s Love
The amazing love of God is most clearly seen in Jesus’ willingness to suffer and die on the cross (1 John 4:9-10). Even while we were steeped in sin and rebellion against Him, God demonstrated His own love toward us by sending His Son to die in our place (Romans 5:8). Jesus said that “greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus willingly laid down His perfect, sinless life to save those who were His enemies but would be His friends. His painful death on the cross proved, once and for all, the depths of God’s love and the high cost of our salvation.
To Provide an Example of Selfless Love
Jesus’ death provides the perfect example of selfless, sacrificial love. As the Good Shepherd, He was willing to lay down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). Jesus commanded His followers to take up their crosses, deny themselves, and follow His example of total commitment and sacrificial love (Matthew 16:24; Philippians 2:1-11). Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross also serve as an example for believers to remain faithful even in the face of persecution (1 Peter 2:19-24). Those who accept Christ’s offer of salvation must in turn be willing to lose their lives for His sake (Matthew 10:38-39).
To Defeat Sin and Death
Christ’s physical death paid the price for sin, but His resurrection won the ultimate victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). His death paid the penalty for sin and satisfied God’s justice, but His resurrection overturned the power of sin and broke the curse of death. It is through Jesus’ resurrection that believers have eternal life and hope of one day rising from the dead themselves (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). The crucifixion broke sin’s dominion; the resurrection established Christ’s lordship. The cross made forgiveness possible; the empty tomb secured eternal life for all who believe. Resurrection Sunday truly marks the decisive defeat of sin and death.
To Bring Us to God
Another purpose of Jesus’ death was to bring sinners near to God. Jesus bore sin’s penalty on the cross so those who were once far away could be brought spiritually near and have access to God (Ephesians 2:13). His death removed the enmity between God and mankind. It also tore down the dividing wall of hostility that separated Jews and Gentiles, making peace and reconciling both groups to God in one body through the cross (Ephesians 2:14-16). With sin atoned for, Jesus’ death allows anyone to approach God’s throne with confidence, boldness and freedom (Hebrews 4:16).
To Take Away Our Sins
Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross took away our sins, freeing us from the eternal penalty that the law pronounced on us (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 2:24). God achieved through the death of His Son what the Old Testament sacrifices could never do – provide cleansing and forgiveness for sins (Hebrews 9:11-14). Whereas the old covenant required repeated sacrifices for sin that could never fully atone for it, Jesus paid for sin once for all time and sat down at God’s right hand, having accomplished eternal redemption (Hebrews 10:1-18). When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” He meant the debt of sin was paid completely and forever.
To Break the Power of the Devil
The writer of Hebrews states that Jesus shared in humanity’s flesh and blood so that “through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). Satan seemed to have the upper hand when Judas betrayed Jesus and Jesus was arrested and crucified. But the Bible teaches that what Satan intended for evil, God used for the ultimate good (Genesis 50:20). By dying on the cross and rising from the grave, Jesus broke the power of the devil and delivered those held in slavery by the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). The cross crippled Satan’s kingdom and ushered in the kingdom of God.
To Bring Us to Glory
Jesus endured the cross and despised its shame because of the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). What joy? The joy of redeeming a people for God and restoring them to glory. Though Jesus faced a painful, humiliating death on the cross, He looked past the cross to the glory yet to come. Not only did the cross make eternal life possible for believers; it also opened for them the way to the Father’s presence and a personal, intimate relationship with God. Through Christ’s blood, we can enter the Most Holy Place with boldness (Hebrews 10:19). The cross was the means to bringing many sons to glory.
The reasons are many, but clearly Jesus had to die for God’s divine plan of redemption to unfold. His death by crucifixion fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, paid the penalty for sin, reconciled mankind to God, demonstrated God’s love, provided the ultimate example of sacrifice, defeated sin and death, removed the barrier between God and man, and broke the power of Satan. While on its surface the cross represents suffering and defeat, in the light of God’s plan it represents triumph and deliverance. Only the perfect, sinless Lamb of God could take away the sins of the world. Without the cross, there would be no hope of salvation or eternal glory.