Why did Christ die on the cross?
Jesus was born to die. His greatest work was not that of healing the sick, casting out demons, stilling the storm, raising the dead or even teaching the multitudes. It was done in three days. First, Christ died to save us. He was buried. Three days later Christ in triumph rose again.
When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, God laid all my sin on Him. He died as my sin-bearer. The Bible says, ‘Who himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree.’ (1 Peter 2:24).
Christ also died and rose to be my Saviour. He is able to forgive my past sin and give me strength to live a new life. He will give power over sin day by day.
Because of His death and resurrection, Jesus is able to cleanse the past and also control the present and future. He will guide my life and your life as we serve and obey Him in everything. He died, therefore, to be my Saviour and yours. The Bible says, ‘For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.’(Romans 14:9).
Jesus died paying for the sins which cut us off from God, keep us out of heaven and would condemn us to hell. If I trust Him for forgiveness, that great barrier between God and me, sin, can be forgiven. I can have a link up to God which will last forever. Christ’s death is absolutely vital, because it is the only way I can know God and everlasting life.
Frederick Farrar, in his book, ‘The Life of Christ’ described crucifixion:
‘For indeed a death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of horrible and ghastly dizziness, cramps, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, shame, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds – all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness.
The unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the wounds, inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened; the arteries – especially at the head and stomach – became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood; and while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and raging thirst; and all these physical complications cause an internal excitement and anxiety, which made the prospect of death itself – of death, the unknown enemy, at whose approach man usually shudders most – bear the aspect of a delicious and exquisite release.’
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