Why did Jesus have to die for us?
This is a question that we can all continue to learn about no matter where we are in our walk towards God. However, it is also a good one to get a little bit of a grasp on. I will describe it like this… God created the Earth and everything in and on it; this is stated in many scriptures from Genesis to the book of Revelation. Who would create, invent, or build something that they did not have specific plans for regarding its use? In the same fashion, God had plans for His creation. If you had the ability to create your own planet and put whatever you wanted on it, would you not also have your own set of laws and rules that its inhabitants must follow as well? God put man on Earth; His first command to us was to be fruitful, multiply, subdue, and have dominion over the earth and the animals on it. He also told us not to mess with two trees that He had put here; one was the Tree of Life and the other was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. By believing the deception of the serpent (Satan), we chose to sin against God by not being obedient to Him, specifically by eating fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Prior to this event, there was no death of man or animal; we were vegetarians and ate our food from the Garden of Eden. This event created the first death: God killed animals to create a way for man to be clothed (their skin). Blood had then been shed due to the disobedience of the children of God. Due to this violation of the rules God had set forth, man’s destiny had changed. Over time, man asked God how he was supposed to live. At that point, man had the knowledge of what was good and what was evil as defined by God. From the beginning of the days of man, all men have been expected to live by these laws and rules. God spoke to His people again—this time through Moses—giving them His laws and rules and making a covenant with them that they must be obedient to His desires as they were written on the rock (stone) tablets. Every covenant God made with man required blood to seal it—this was no different. The children of God had to bring animal sacrifices to Moses. Half of the blood of the animal was then placed in basins where it was later sprinkled on the people, and the other half was poured out on the altar of God. This was done to signify the people’s affirmation of the covenant made with God.
Due to our sins, death was brought to the earth. At each formation of a covenant with God, there was always a sacrifice, and blood was required to seal the deal. This was God’s rule for His creation.
There are two other requirements of bloodshed as well. One is what is known by the Israelites as “Passover”. Passover took place when the Israelites were held captive by the superpower Egypt. God sent through His servants Moses and Aaron ten plagues on Egypt for not allowing the Israelites to leave. The tenth and final plague was the death of all the firstborn of Egypt including people and animals! However, the Israelites were given reprieve from this. Each family was to kill a lamb—one without blemish—and to cover the side posts and the lintel of their doors with its blood. God Himself passed through Egypt that evening and killed all the firstborn, passing over the houses covered by the blood of the slain lamb. The other requirement of bloodshed is for the atonement of our sins. Our sins are created when we “miss the mark” or willfully rebel against the laws and rules of God. It is blood that is required to cleanse us of these sins. In this ritual, the priest of God took two goats before the temple of God; one goat was killed and some of its blood sprinkled in the Holy Place in the Temple. The priest then placed his hands on the head of the other goat and verbally confessed the sins of the people into this goat. It was then released into the wilderness, taking the sins with it. This is where the term “scapegoat” comes from. This had to take place annually according to the command of God.
Jesus was sent to earth and was the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form (John 1, Colossians 2:9). He was sent to fulfill the law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). In this, a new covenant was made with God, one by which blood needed be shed in order to seal it, just as in every covenant made before. Jesus was also the “unblemished” Passover “Lamb of God”. It is His blood that is sprinkled on us when we agree to the covenant just as Moses sprinkled it on the people of Israel to seal their covenant with God. By this blood we atone for our sin, and death will pass us over. This is in reference to the second death, which is eternity in Hell.
It is by the blood of Jesus that we agree to the covenant with God through His Son. It is by the blood of Jesus that we are covered (atoned) for our sins, and it is by the blood of Jesus that we are “passed over” during the condemnation of the second death (Revelation 21:8) According to the rules and laws God had set forth from the beginning, this was the only way that we can be reconciled to God.
Due to our sins, death was brought to the earth. At each formation of a covenant with God, there was always a sacrifice, and blood was required to seal the deal. This was God’s rule for His creation.
There are two other requirements of bloodshed as well. One is what is known by the Israelites as “Passover”. Passover took place when the Israelites were held captive by the superpower Egypt. God sent through His servants Moses and Aaron ten plagues on Egypt for not allowing the Israelites to leave. The tenth and final plague was the death of all the firstborn of Egypt including people and animals! However, the Israelites were given reprieve from this. Each family was to kill a lamb—one without blemish—and to cover the side posts and the lintel of their doors with its blood. God Himself passed through Egypt that evening and killed all the firstborn, passing over the houses covered by the blood of the slain lamb. The other requirement of bloodshed is for the atonement of our sins. Our sins are created when we “miss the mark” or willfully rebel against the laws and rules of God. It is blood that is required to cleanse us of these sins. In this ritual, the priest of God took two goats before the temple of God; one goat was killed and some of its blood sprinkled in the Holy Place in the Temple. The priest then placed his hands on the head of the other goat and verbally confessed the sins of the people into this goat. It was then released into the wilderness, taking the sins with it. This is where the term “scapegoat” comes from. This had to take place annually according to the command of God.
Jesus was sent to earth and was the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form (John 1, Colossians 2:9). He was sent to fulfill the law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). In this, a new covenant was made with God, one by which blood needed be shed in order to seal it, just as in every covenant made before. Jesus was also the “unblemished” Passover “Lamb of God”. It is His blood that is sprinkled on us when we agree to the covenant just as Moses sprinkled it on the people of Israel to seal their covenant with God. By this blood we atone for our sin, and death will pass us over. This is in reference to the second death, which is eternity in Hell.
It is by the blood of Jesus that we agree to the covenant with God through His Son. It is by the blood of Jesus that we are covered (atoned) for our sins, and it is by the blood of Jesus that we are “passed over” during the condemnation of the second death (Revelation 21:8) According to the rules and laws God had set forth from the beginning, this was the only way that we can be reconciled to God.
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