Why Jesus Christ Died

Q: What does the Bible say about why Jesus Christ died?

Jesus Christ died to fulfill the requirements of God's justice, to redeem His people, and to bring them to God. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ's death was essential for the redemption of His people. In Galatians 4:4-5, it states that God sent His Son to redeem those under the law. Additionally, I Peter 3:18 highlights that Christ died, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. His sacrifice satisfied God's justice while providing a means for mankind to be reconciled to Him. Without this substitutionary atonement, there could be no forgiveness or restoration to a holy God.

Q: How do we know Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for our sins?

Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient because He is both the perfect high priest and the ultimate sacrificial lamb, fulfilling all Old Testament types. In Hebrews 9:11-12, the author explains that Christ entered the true holy place in heaven, having offered His own blood as the final sacrifice for sin. This was the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system, which could only provide a temporary covering but not true atonement. When Jesus exclaimed, 'It is finished' (John 19:30), He proclaimed the completion of the redemptive work needed for salvation. His singular sacrifice is sufficient, as it perfected forever those who are sanctified (Hebrews 10:14).

Q: Why is it important for Christians to understand the significance of Christ's death?

Understanding Christ's death is vital as it reveals God's love, justice, and the means by which humanity can be reconciled to Him. Christ's death is the cornerstone of Christian faith, encapsulating the love and justice of God simultaneously. Romans 3:25 portrays Christ as a propitiation, satisfying God’s need for justice while extending grace to believers. Understanding this allows Christians to appreciate the depth of their redemption, acknowledging that they have been bought with a price (I Corinthians 6:20). Furthermore, this understanding fosters a deeper relationship with God, recognizing Him not just as a ruler, but as a loving Savior who took the penalty for sin upon Himself, enabling a restored relationship and presenting us as righteous before Him.

I'm going to speak to you today
on this subject. Why did Jesus Christ die on the
cross? Now, let's look carefully at
this subject. Let's study a little bit. Go
to school and learn some things. If you listen very carefully,
I believe you'll learn some vital facts today that you need to
learn. Now, many of you know this. that
the Old Testament Scriptures, in the Old Testament Scriptures,
salvation is promised, and it's prophesied, and it's pictured,
and it's typified. That is, in the Old Testament,
the believer, those who believed in God and who believed in redemption,
they built a tabernacle, they built a temple, they ordained
priests, and they offered blood sacrifices. But none of these
things could put away sin. Sins were not put away by these
sacrifices and ceremonies and special days and priests. Sin was not put away by these
things, but these people were saved by believing in the Christ,
in the Redeemer who would come and fulfill all of these promises
and prophecies and patterns by His life and His death. Do you
see what I'm saying? In other words, none of these
sacrifices, none of these priests, none of these ceremonies or laws
or atonements could remove sin. None of these things could effectually
remove sin because Paul wrote in Hebrews, then they would have
ceased to be offered if they could put away sin, the comers,
the people who came by these sacrifices would have no more
conscience of sin. But he wrote this, it's not possible
that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. Now, do
you understand that? Most people know that. The Old
Testament ceremonies and ordinances and sacrifices and priesthood
and laws couldn't put away sin. These people weren't saved. by
doing these things, by offering these sacrifices. But they were
saved by looking to the coming Christ who would fulfill all
of these sacrifices. And these special days and sacrifices
and high priest and so forth stood in the place of Christ
till He should come. You see that? In other words,
in the Old Testament, throughout the Old Testament, Three things. Now listen to this carefully.
Three things were vital to acceptance before God and atonement for
sin. Three things were vital. First of all, there was a tabernacle. There was a tabernacle made.
Most of you are familiar with the tabernacle in the wilderness. Moses received directions from
God on the mountain. as to how he should build this
tabernacle. Now, this tabernacle is where
God met men and where men met God. There were two sections
of the tabernacle. The outer, there was the holy
place and the holy of holies separated by the veil. And in
the holy of holies was the mercy seat and the ark. And there the
Shekinah glory of God was on the mercy seat between the cherubim. And there God met men. and men
met God. It was a tabernacle. That's where
the atonement was offered. That's where the sacrifices were
made. That's where the mercy seat remained, and that's where
the glory of God was revealed in that tabernacle. Now, secondly,
there was always a high priest. Now, there were many priests.
They went about the sacrifices 365 days a year, seven days a
week, morning sacrifice, noon sacrifice, evening sacrifice.
There were many But there was just one great high priest, one
great high priest. And this high priest, this great
high priest wore the robe. He wore the mitre, holiness to
the Lord. He wore the breastplate upon
which was engraved the names of the children of Israel. And
this great high priest was ordained by God from among men. No man
took this office on himself, but the one whom God chose. And
this great high priest was the only one who was allowed to come
once a year, no more, once a year, under the veil into the Holy
of Holies, before the ark, before the mercy seat, and there sprinkle
the blood on behalf of the people whose names he wore on his breastplate. That was called the atonement.
And the high priest offered it. Now, are you with me? Now, understand
what I'm saying. You just must understand this.
God has never saved people one way, and that's by His Son, Jesus
Christ. And these people in the Old Testament,
they had Christ in promise, Christ in prophecy, Christ in pattern. And these things that I'm talking
about were the patterns and the types. Now, I said there were
three things necessary to coming before God, three things necessary
for an atonement for sin. the tabernacle where God met
men and men met God, the high priest who was the mediator,
who represented men to God and who represented God to men. But
he came into that Holy of Holies once a year with a blood sacrifice,
with a blood sacrifice, not without blood. It distinctly says that.
Into the Holy of Holies, into the holy place, went the high
priest alone, alone. Remember that. Once a year, there
to offer atonement for the sins of the people and for his own
sin, without the shedding of blood. There's no remission.
Now, all of these things were patterns. They were pictures
of things in the heavens to be fulfilled when Christ came. Now,
here's the fulfillment of these things. Now, will you listen
carefully? Here's the fulfillment. In the fullness of time, Christ
came. God gave His Son. And Christ
Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world and He tabernacled
among us. That's what it says in John 1.
It says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. And all things were made by Him.
Without Him was not anything made. And the Word was made flesh
and dwelt among us. That Word is tabernacle. He tabernacled
among us. God was in Christ. It is in Christ
that God meets men and men meet God. You see, He's our tabernacle. He tabernacled among us. He's
the fulfillment of that Old Testament tabernacle, Christ Jesus the
Lord. The presence of God dwelt in
that tabernacle, the Shekinah glory of God over the mercy seat.
God has set forth His Son to be a mercy seat, a propitiation. And God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto Himself. Christ is where God meets men
and men meet God. He's our tabernacle. Now, what
about our priest? He's our great high priest. Hebrews
9, 11 says this, listen, But Christ being come, a high priest
of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
that is, not one made with hands, but a body hast thou prepared
in thee." Christ is our high priest. Hebrews 4, 14 says this,
"...seeing then that we have a great high priest who is passed
into the heavens, Jesus Christ, the Son of God." Now, let's go
back just a moment. You know, one of the things,
one of the ways to teach is repetition. And I don't want to keep repeating,
but remember back in the Old Testament, there was a tabernacle. There God met men and men met
God. His glory dwelt upon the mercy
seat. There was a great high priest,
only one, who came once a year into the Holy of Holies before
the mercy seat to sprinkle the blood, representing the people.
And there was a blood atonement. There was a blood sacrifice,
real blood. He sprinkled the book. He sprinkled
the tabernacle. He sprinkled the people. He sprinkled
the mercy seat. Without the shedding of blood,
there's no remission. Now, all of that's a picture.
And these people who did these things faithfully looked to Christ
who would tabernacle among us and be our great high priest.
Now, watch this. What about the blood sacrifice?
By His own blood, Hebrews 9 says, by His own blood, He entered
in once. not into the temple in Jerusalem,
not into the tabernacle in the wilderness, into heaven itself. You see that? By His own blood,
He entered once into the holy place, into heaven itself, having
obtained eternal redemption for us. There you have it. That's
the way we come to God. Men have always ... Abel came
to God by the blood. Abraham came to God by the blood.
Aaron came to God by the blood, and you'll come to God the same
way. We have a tabernacle. It's Christ. We have a great
high priest. It's Christ. Seeing we have a
great high priest, let us come boldly before the throne of grace,
and we have a blood atonement. And right here in two verses,
the fulfillment of all the Old Testament pattern of redemption
is right here in these two verses, the tabernacle, the priest, and
the sacrifice. right here in Hebrews 9, 11,
12. You ought to mark that in your Bible. You write it down,
go back and read it again. Here's the whole story. But Christ
being come, a high priest, remember I said we got to have a high
priest, of good things to come, the promises of God, the prophecies
of God, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle. Remember
I said there must be a tabernacle? Not made with hands, not one
that Moses designed in the children of Israel erected, but by his
own body, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his
own blood he entered once." There are not many sacrifices, just
one. There are not many atonements
now, there's just one. There were many in the Old Testament
because they could never put away sin. And there was a remembrance
of sin made every year because the sacrifice was made over and
over and over again. But Christ, by one sacrifice,
has perfected forever them that are sanctified. By His own blood,
He entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. Hebrews 9, 24, listen, For Christ
is not entered into the holy place made with hands, that's
the earthly tabernacle. which is a picture of the true."
Isn't that what I've been saying? Christ is not entered into the
holy place made with hands, which is a picture of the true, but
into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
Now then, when our great high priest, Jesus Christ, who was
made in the likeness of sinful flesh, who took upon himself
the form of a servant, who was obedient unto death, yea, even
the death of the cross. When he died on that cross, in
that body which God the Father prepared, when our great high
priest tabernacled among us and shed his blood, the blood from
that body which God prepared, he fulfilled, he fulfilled every
promise all the way back to Adam, the seed of woman. He fulfilled
every type, the Passover, the rock, the manna, all, the Sabbath,
the priesthood. He fulfilled every type and every
pattern and every picture. When he died, he satisfied every
law. When he died, he honored God's
justice. When he died, he fulfilled every
requirement, he paid for every sin of every believer, he honored
God's justice, and he could triumphantly say, what did he say when he
died? It is finished. It is finished. All Old Testament prophecies,
pictures, patterns, types, sacrifices, ceremonies, Feast days, Sabbath
days, the priesthood, it is finished. Every requirement God made upon
us, every law God gave us, it is finished. Redemption is finished. It is done. No more Passover.
No more high priesthood. No more uniforms and robes. No more sacrifices. No more. No more burning of incenses.
No more Sabbath days. It is finished. It is finished. He taketh away the first, the
first types and pictures and patterns, and establishes the
second. I Peter 3, 18, For Christ also
hath once, not many times, once, suffered for sin, the just for
the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Who does it? He does. When He had by Himself purged
our sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. Do you know
how significant it is when the Bible says Christ sat down? If
you'll study the Old Testament tabernacle in the temple, there
were no chairs, no seats, no benches. Those priests never
sat down when they were going about their duties and responsibilities. You know why they never sat down?
their work was never done. If they were in that tabernacle
at any time or in that courtyard rendering the service of God
and the atonement, they never sat down because their atonements
and their sacrifices were never effectual. Christ, after He had
accomplished our redemption by one sacrifice, sat down at the
right hand of God. He entered into His rest, having
finished what the Father gave Him to do. Nothing can be added,
nothing need be added, because God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto Himself. Do you see that picture? That's
what the Old Testament says someone is coming. The New says He has
come. He's fulfilled all things. Now,
I want to take, briefly, seven Scriptures and show you what
Christ accomplished when He died. why He died on that cross and
what He accomplished. Now, if you don't want to turn
rapidly to these Scriptures, because I don't have very much
longer, if you don't want to, then write them down and study
them later, or else write for the tape, and our tape director
will send it to you, and you can listen to it again and study
it more fully. Now, here's the first Scripture.
Why did Christ die? Why all this? First of all, Romans
14, 9. For to this end Christ both died
and arose." Now that's pretty, that's to this end, for this
purpose, to this goal, that he might be Lord, both of the dead
and the living. That's why he died, that he might
be Lord. By his death, Jesus Christ purchased
the whole universe. He is King of Kings and Lord
of Lords. He is the Lord of the church
and He is the Lord of the dead. He is the Lord of His people.
He is the Lord of the rebels. He's the Lord of the dead. He's
the Lord of the living. God turned all things over to
Him. Jesus Christ bought the world. To this end, Christ died
and arose and revived that He might be Lord both of the dead
and the living. In John 17, 2, he says, Thou
hast given me authority over all flesh. In Matthew 28, 18,
he said, All authority is given to me in heaven and earth. Philippians
2, 9, and 11 talks about his death. Wherefore God hath exalted
him, highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name. That is the name of Jesus. Every
knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that he Lord. He is the sovereign Lord of heaven
and earth and of all creatures by decree, by design, and by
death. And all judgment is committed
to the Son. And the question is not, will
you let Jesus be your Lord? That's not the issue. He is your
Lord. He is your Lord. God made Him
your Lord. And He was made your Lord when
He died. He bought you. He bought every
creature. He bought the world. He bought
the universe. He bought all things. And the
Father had given all things into the hands of the Son in His death. Secondly, Galatians 4, 4 through
5. But when the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth His Son made of a woman, made under
the law to redeem them that were under the law, in whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin." Why
did he die? He died to redeem his people. You see, by man came death, by
man came life. In Adam we died, in Christ we're
made alive. God made one man, Adam, and all
mankind was represented in that one man, in him and by him. When
he sinned, Death, judgment, condemnation came upon all men by representation
in Adam. Jesus Christ became a man, born
of a woman, made under the law, and He obeyed the law and died
under the curse of the law, thereby redeeming all whom He represented. As we have borne the image of
the earthy, we shall bear the image of the heavenly. By man
came death, by man came life, and He died. that he might redeem
his people. Thirdly, Galatians 1 forward,
listen, Christ gave himself for us, that he might deliver us
from this present evil world according to the will of God
our Father, that he might deliver us. My friends, there are two
kingdoms. There's a kingdom of this world,
there's a kingdom of God's dear The kingdom of this world is
under the wrath and judgment of God, like the world in the
day of Noah, like Sodom in the days of Lot. It'll be destroyed. The kingdom of God is eternal.
And Jesus Christ came to deliver us from this present evil world
and translate us into His kingdom called the kingdom of God's dear
Son. That's why He died. All right,
fourthly, I Peter 3, 18, listen, Christ died, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God. You know, when one considers
how holy God is, have you ever actually considered how holy
God is, how infinitely, immaculately, majestically holy God is? how far removed and above us
God is. And when we consider how sinful
we are, how wicked, how evil in our thoughts, words, deeds,
how evil we are in our imagination, then the question arises, well,
who among us can ascend to the hill of the Lord? Who's going
to stand in His holy presence? David said, Thou, Lord, if Thou,
Lord, shouldest mark iniquity, who will stand? There's but one
answer, and that's why Christ died. He's that answer. It's
not found in the Law. It's not found in the Church.
It's not found in our works. It's found in that person, that
one Mediator, Jesus Christ, who died for us, who fulfilled all
that God requires of us, demands of us, commands of us, that He
might what? Bring us to God. Bring us to
God. When that old high priest entered
the holy place and under the veil and came there into the
presence of the Shekinah glory of God with that blood and sprinkled
it on that mercy seat, he was bringing those people. And that's
a type and picture of Christ who, with His own blood, entered
into the holiest of all, into heaven itself, and brought us
to God. brought us to God. He's one mediator
between God and me and the man Christ Jesus. Romans 3.25, God
has set forth His Son to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to
declare God's righteousness that God may be both just and justifier
of those who believe in Christ. Did you hear what I read? Jesus
Christ died. for us. That's right. He did
something for us. He put away our sins. He justified
us. He redeemed us. He cleansed our
sins. He covered our sins. He was a
propitiation, but He did something for God. When Christ died, He
did something for us, everything, but He did something for God.
In the death of Christ is revealed the holiness of God, the righteousness
of God. And when He took our place and
died our death and bore our sins, He enabled a holy God to be just
and justify you and me. You see, the law's got to be
fulfilled, and we can't fulfill it. Justice says the soul that
sinneth, it must die. And how are we going to die?
We'd have to go to hell to die. We'd have to be separated from
God. So Jesus Christ literally actually came here, the just,
the just one. for all the unjust to bring us
to God. Well, God can't accept us like
we are. No, but He covered us in His righteousness and washed
us in His blood and paid for our sins. And when He takes us
to God in Himself, we don't have any sins. In Christ, there is
no sin. Do you see that? That's why He
died. And then in the next place, Titus
2.14, He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from
all iniquity and purify under Himself a peculiar people, zealous
of good works. He died, Paul said in II Corinthians
5.15, that we should not henceforth live to ourselves but unto Him
who died for us. The Lord Jesus in His death not
only put away our sins and justified us before God, but He, by His
Spirit, made us a new creature. He gave us a new heart. We not
only have a perfect standing before God in Christ, but we
have a new nature. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creature. And God's people are a holy people,
an honest people, a loving people. They delight in the commandments
of their God, and they live for His glory, and they manifest
through their lives the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace,
patience, meekness, kindness, gentleness, moderation. They
manifest these things. They're new creatures. He did
something for us. All right, in the last place,
Ephesians 2, 7, Christ died and redeemed us that in the ages
to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus. God will show us off someday
as trophies of His grace and goodness. And if you want this
tape to study or to give to someone else to listen to again, it's
Why Christ Died. Write for it. Send two dollars.
This message will be on one side and another one on the other
side. Until next week, may God bless
you.

Why Jesus Christ Died

What does the Bible say about why Jesus Christ died?

How do we know Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for our sins?

Why is it important for Christians to understand the significance of Christ's death?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Why Jesus Christ Died

What does the Bible say about why Jesus Christ died?

How do we know Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for our sins?

Why is it important for Christians to understand the significance of Christ's death?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book