Why in the world did Jesus have to die?

Steve Brown:
Why in the world did Jesus have to die? Let’s talk about it on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
That was Steve Brown. He doesn’t want to be your guru, and he’s not trying to be your mother. He just opens the Bible and gives you the simple truth that will make you free. Steve’s a lifelong broadcaster, author, seminary professor, and our teacher on Key Life.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. It’s Holy Week and the time with Justin, Dr. Bishop Holcomb yesterday has been so good. And that whole Lenten series has been good and I’ve learned a lot. But now we’re into Holy Week and I want to spend some time this week answering the question Why did Jesus have to die? Do you remember the movie The Passion of the Christ? I saw that once and I have friends who have copies of that, that they watch often. That was the most horrifying movie I have ever seen. Not because it wasn’t true, but because it was. And I realized when I watched that. And it was almost like being there, that Jesus’ death was more horrible than I ever imagined. But let me tell you something else, something else was going on on Calvary that day when Jesus died. And if your eyes had been supernaturally opened, you would have seen something even bigger and more scary in the supernatural battle that was taking place in the cosmos, Jesus dying. That’s a sad thing. Let me read to you just a little bit from Matthew 27, and then we’ll talk about it. I’ll start at the 32nd verse.

Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear the cross. And they had come to the place called Golgotha (that is to say the Place of the Skull), they gave him sour wine, mingled with gall to drink, but when he had tasted it, he would not drink. Then they crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Sitting down they kept watch over him there. And they put up over his head the accusation written against him, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and another on the left. And those who passed by it blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross.” likewise, the chief priest also mocking with the scribes and the elders, said, “He saved others; himself, he cannot save. If he is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in him.

Sometimes we forget, don’t we, how horrible that really was. And then the question comes to mind, could God have done it in another way? I mean, why did Jesus have to die? It doesn’t, it doesn’t seem like it had to be that, does it? God’s Son ought to sit on a throne and not hang on a cross. The uniqueness of the Christian faith, however, lies in the fact that God has Himself suffered. That God has entered time and space and He was lonely, not just to keep you from being lonely, but to be lonely as you are lonely. Not to just keep you from being afraid, but to be afraid the way you are afraid. Not just to keep you from dying, but to die as you must die. I Corinthians 119

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.

I Corinthians 1: 22 through 23

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks see fact for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. To the Jews, a stumbling block, and to the Greeks, foolishness.

But the question still lingers, why did Jesus have to die? So, for this week, and for the rest of the time allotted to me, we’re going to talk about it. First, you should know that Jesus had to die because evil cannot stand in the face of good. Acts 2:22 through 23

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know– this Jesus, delivered according to the definite plan of and foreknowledge of God, and you crucified, he was crucified at the hands of lawless men.

Philippians 3:18 through 19, which we’ve studied in our Philippian series.

For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Hebrews 12:3

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself.

The truth is that evil can’t stand in the face of good, nor can good in the face of evil. And one will destroy the others. Let me read you a passage in Calvin Miller’s The Singer. If you’ve read that trilogy, you’re aware that Earthmaker is God. The Singer is Jesus who sings his song in the world, a song of healing and love. And is a world hater in this, is Satan himself. World hater is leering at the death and torture of the singer on an instrument of torture of death. And this is what Calvin Miller writes from the mouth of Satan himself.

You give me joy and music you will never know, Singer. Groan for me, scream the fire that fills your soul. Spew the venom of your grudge against the city. Never have I known the triumph of my hate until now. He rose and walked across the beam and stepped upon the cable. The added strain drew the manacles into the wrists of the dying Singer. The Singer felt the agony of dying. The multiplied pain of a hundred thousand men all dying at one time. With an agility of delight, the Hater danced his way around the armature and strutted on the ropes. He looked again and shouted, Your move, Earthmaker. I have you crying, Earthmaker. You can never glory in your universal riches again, for I have made you poor.

That passage is profound, and you know why? Because it shows how evil wants to destroy good every time. I remember in a counseling session one time, I was talking to a woman who was sweet and nice and Christian until she wasn’t. She was talking about her sister, and she was saying she was hard to love, but I love her, and then out of nowhere, this woman said I hate her. And I said, you do? Why do you hate her? And then she said something profound. Because she is beautiful and good. Evil tries to destroy good. It’s always been true. It’s true now today. And it will be true until Jesus comes back. And good will destroy evil. Because that is the nature of good. And that’s what was going on on the cross on Golgotha. That’s the reason Jesus had to die. Because it looked like a failure and a death and the end, and it was the beginning of a glorious victory. And when you look at the cross, and you shake your head, and you think, why did he have to die? Remember, in his dying, there was victory, and evil destroyed. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thanks Steve! If you’re just joining us, we’re in a week long study on Easter as a part of Holy Week. Still more to discover tomorrow, so hope you will join us again, then. Well, as you know, obviously Easter is this Sunday, but Easter can bring up some challenging questions. No, not questions like, where do we hide that last Easter egg? I’m talking about big questions, the kind that Steve just taught on. Why did Jesus even have to die? Couldn’t there have been another way? Well, Steve has addressed these questions in a sermon called Why Jesus Had To Die, and we would love to send it to you on a CD for free. Our gift to you, get it by calling us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail Steve@keylife.org to ask for that CD. Or if you’d like to mail your request, just go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Again, just ask for your 100 percent free copy of the CD called Why Jesus Had to Die. And Hey, just one more thing before you go. If you’re blessed by the ministry of Key Life, would you help share that blessing with others through your giving? Giving is easy. Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or just pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950 then follow the instructions. And please remember that big or small, ongoing or one time, every gift matters, and every gift really helps. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And Key Life is a listener supported production of Key Life Network.