Why did Jesus die?

Three reasons:1) to show that his love for us was greater than any amout of suffering to demonstrate that Christians should love all people as God (the Father) does
2) to show that he did die and resurrected himself as a demonstration that the body is an important part of the resurrection
3) to show that no human killed him (what he went through would have killed a true human)He was killed by neither Roman or Jewish Priest (though I agree that they would have if they could have). He died of his own free will to fulfill the promise of the Father to all His children that a way back would be provided.Very best regards,
Bob, Alice, and Eve

I've puzzled over this for quite some time. Its one thing to accet the fact, but another to fathom the reasoning behind it. I finally came up with this. If God is the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit, then God crucified himself for us! The only difference between God and Jesus was that Jesus was God made flesh. If God is all-powerful, totally good etc, He could have no idea what it is like to be human and have the frailties of humans for example jealousy, hatred, the power of temptation on us and why we give in. By becoming human He experienced all this for Himself, a sort of understanding of the human condition - a sort of bridge between the human and the Divine. Now God can use this bridge to have a personal relationship with all mankind, He's more sympathetic of our weaknesses and more able to forgive us.Another idea which I came up with was based on a peculiar line in a version of the Creed. It goes If Satan demands payment for all our sins, could God have been paying for them either himself or by giving His Son to suffer the torments for us? I was told that this was a heresy since it implied that God was beholden to Satan in some way.Anyway, I think the key to understanding it all is to remember that jesus and God are one and the same.

I too have often thought as this. What greater love, now if I can reconcile it all as being true I would be so happy.

According to some members of Alcoholics Anonymous Jesus was an alcoholic and the Last Supper was really the first AA meeting. Had Jesus not been nailed to the cross the bottle would have finished him.

Hi Corkscrew.Do you have any intention of posting something worthwhile at any time?This is your third post on the forums that I moderate, and your contributions have all been pointless.You must have too much spare time on your hands.AdminBrian

1. It all began in the Garden when God proclaimed the death penalty on sin by telling Adam if he sinned he would die. The process of death began when he was booted from the garden and from direct fellowship with God. He immediately died spiritually in that he lost communion/fellowship with God.2. His body immediately began the deterioriation process leading to physical death several centuries later.3. God in his mercy allowed for animal sacrifices to cover for the sins of those who shed the blood of the innocent animal as substitute for their own requred death as sinners.3. Even before the law and temple worship was enacted, animal sacrifice was required as demonstrated with Cain and Abel. Abel's sacrifice was the only one of the two acceptable by God because it was a blood sacrifice.4. The animal sacrifices covered the sins of the people until an acceptable sacrifice was to come in due time.5. God sent his Holy Spirit to earth to cause conception of the virgin and his son Jesus was born.6. Jesus was "obedient" to the death of the cross which he knew would come. He was to replace the animal temporary sacrifices as the once and for all "finished" sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. This was accomplished because he lived a perfect life and was not subject to the death penalty God had imposed upon mankind in the Garden of Eden. So he was the innocent substitute for all who availed themselves of his vicarious death via the shedding of blood which was required.7. Being born of the Holy Spirit, the grave could not keep him. Why? Because though his physical body was killed, the eternal Holy Spirit in him never died. While his body lay in the grave, his Spirit was in Hades ministering to those awaiting resurrection in the part of Hades that was for them.8. On the third day his Spirit re-entered the body and rejuvenated it to rise from the dead.9. The NT says he was the "firstfruit" of resurrection and because he was raised all who are in him will also be resurrected in time. How so? The same Holy Spirit that was in the body of Jesus comes into the very body of believers in Jesus who receive him, i.e. receive his Spirit, i.e. the Holy Spirit by calling upon the name of Jesus for salvation. Thus Jesus said to Nicodemus that in order to see the kingdom of God he must be born again i.e. literal Greek, born from above He went on to explain that this was a spiritual birth. The apostle Paul said that the bodies of Christians become the temple of God, i.e, the Holy Spirit. Thus the awaiting spirit/souls of dead Christians which are preserved by the Holy Spirit will, like Christ, eventually reunite with the elements of the dead bodies and be resurrected to be new creatures and be caught up by the angels to meet Jesus in the clouds to be with him forever.10. This process of reconciling the sinner with the perfect God/Jehovah, creator of all and majesty of the universe would have been impossible without the vicarious death and shedding of the innocent blood of the perfect substitute sacrifical Lamb of God Did I miss anything?Oh yes. Why the need for such a brutal death? Because Jesus's death sufficed for the worst of sinners who deserved the most severe punishment. Thus, David Berkowitz, i.e Son of Sam, serial killer becomes a saint because the brutal death of Jesus sufficed even for his henious crimes. James Dobson had his man interview this killer in prison for life and had a 3 day series of the interview on his program and David who was for ten years so bad the guards couldn't deal with him became converted/born again and a completely new creature. His cell was once littered with porn and vile stuff. Now he's an avid student of the Bible. He now serves others in prison. He who once sneered at everyone who passed his cell now ministers in prison and helps in any way he can, though he knows he's in for life with no parole. He wrote and apologized to every one of the close kin to his victims and assured them that he had no intentions of ever seeking parole. They were concerned because NY law requires that all come up for a parole hearing every so often. He also wrote to Govenor Pataki that he needn't be concerned about him ever seeking parole.

Yes, you forgot to add 'and they lived happily ever after.'Brian.

You are looking at it through the lense of a particular theology, and I certainly respect that. However, if we consider the humanity of Jesus, and according to Christian theology Jesus was fully human just as you and I are, then we can look at the death of Jesus from a human and social perspective. You may say that Jesus went freely to his own death and that it provided a means of salvation; no problem, that is your theology, but if Jesus existed at all( and some on this forum would discount that), and if he did die a horrible death at the hands of the Romans, then wether or not God was in full control of the situation and might have changed it, it was the Romans who killed Jesus. Romans crucified people, not the Jews.

Exception noted, Prozacman.Thank you,
Bob, Alice, and Eve

JustinCy,Yeshua (Jesus) once commented to His disciples that there were many things that he wanted to explain to them, but that they couldn't bear to hear it. In a recent movie, some character screams out to someone else asking for the truth about some incident, that "you can't handle the truth." I hope you accept this about yourself, that the answer to your question is beyond you, and that the only way you will ever understand it is to grow up, into the maturity to handle what you seek to know.The process involves using the blood sacrifice of Yeshua in your testimony and prayer life. "They overcame Satan, by the blood of the Lamb, and word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death." Start praying, start changing the world by prayer. Start small, staying with prayers that are definitely answered, so that you see your prayers as actually making people and the environment better. Then "work to believe" to grow in faith, letting God speak to you about how to pray. He will tell you when and how to speak about what happened at the cross and resurrection, and you will see amazing things happen, and you will grow in understanding of why that form of sacrifice was necessary.But, as things stand, it's too much.Stephen

Hmmm... the differences of christian opinion; I used to think that Jesus death was so horrible because that's what it took to pay for the sins of all humankind in general, not because Hitler, Vlad the Impaler, Mussolini, Son of Sam, the Boston Strangler, David Berkowitz etc. were worse than the rest of us. [indent][indent]No you probably didn't leave anything out with the proviso that there may be several differences of opinion and interpretation about your ten points within christianity as a whole.
For example some christians (and jews) point to 1st century Jewish Midrash to show that Eve, the serpent, and the tree of knowledge were used by God to foster Adam's(humankind's) growth towards God.

Sin a personal concept which makes no sense to me personally. As far as I can tell it's the Christian code of conduct, which people choose, or choose not to adhere to.
Tell your little brother that he is only responsible for his own actions, and the consequences of these actions are only what he considers them to be.

Why does anything die ???...for the same reason, to perpetuate the endless cycle of life

I'm a Christian and this is my basic understanding of what the point of Jesus' death is.It was to save us from the meaninglessness of our selfish existence by bringing us into a relationship with God.
Naturally we don't love God.
Jesus died to show us the ultimate sign of love so that we would have a chance at loving God. It is only in first believing that God loves us that we can love God.If anybody really wants to understand the answer to this question ask God about it. even if you don't believe in God you can say, "Hey God! If you exist I challenge you to show yourself to me and make me understand what your deal is!"I'm totally serious. God shouldn't need people to fight his battles for him.

The happy ever after comes at the resurrection. In the meantime, blessing, peace with God and inner joy, in spite of the hate and persecution the world dishes out as Jesus and the apostles experienced and prophesied that all who live godly will experience.