Why did Jesus die?

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.

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.

.....Maybe so with many plants, but not with humans and animals........except, that is, for the Son of God.