Why Jesus died for our sins

If Jesus did not die, our faith as Christians would be in vain, the Bible says. His death and resurrection are the main core beliefs of Christianity. Why? In the Old Testament they offered unblemished animals and put them to death, and religious leaders got the blood of the animals that they sprinkled on the people to “cover” their sins.

In the New Testament, these were replaced in an excellent way. Instead of killing animals to get their blood as covering for sins, God has a different plan in he revealed in John 6: 37-41.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out,” it begins. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

These passages tell us that God deployed his son to earth to do the will of his father. If we study the scriptures, we find that Jesus came for two purposes:

1. PTH ministry: Preaching, teaching and healing as recorded in the gospels.

2. Death and resurrection: He went to the cross to die for you, me and the human race. He suffered excruciating pain while in that cross. Later on while in that cross, he said, “it is finished.”

Satan’s tactics of not letting Jesus go on the cross is over. It means that Satan was defeated that time. In Romans 5:8, Apostle Paul tells us, “God demonstrates His own love towards us while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Then, Apostle John gave us the greatest verse in the Bible — John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Paul explains in Romans 6:23 that, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He continues with, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Does the love of the father give us an assurance we will all go to heaven? No. We need to respond of God’s love in John 3:16.

The Bible is clear that those who make commitments and believe in Jesus Christ by faith as their lord and savior will be saved, and their names will be written in the Book of Life. It means that when you make a commitment, you believe in him and do what he says in the pages of the scriptures, follow and obey him until your last breath. Then, according to God’s word, you will inherit eternal life.

To those who would not respond to the grace of God in offering his free gift of salvation to all through to his son are headed to eternal condemnation, which is in hell, and later on to the lake of fire because they do not believe in him.

You remember when Satan tempted Jesus in Matthew 4, Jesus did not say he was doomed to failure and going to hell. All three temptations of the devil/Satan to Jesus were answered by Jesus from the Word of God, which he said to him, “It is written (three times) and Jesus quoted verses in the OT.”

Witness the last temptation of Satan to Jesus and observe what Satan said: “I will give you all the kingdoms of the world, if you bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from Me Satan, for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”

Why did Satan say that to Jesus?

1. Satan knew that he is the god of this world, and Jesus did not disagree with him because Jesus knew Satan’s role was to deceive the people so that many will follow him.

2. Satan did not want Jesus to go to the cross because if Jesus will go to the cross, then Satan will be defeated for his plans and purposes to deceive the human race.

The death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the way to eternal life to be with him in his timetable. He paid the price of our redemption. He died once and for all, and there will be no more blood sacrifices as practiced in the Old Testament because his precious blood wipes out all sins to those who make commitments to follow Him.

Would you consider making a commitment to follow Jesus Christ? It is a choice. You might be a church leader or a Christian, but if you do not have a personal relationship with God, then this is the time to say yes to Jesus and no to sinful lifestyles.

God knows the heart for every individual because God sees the heart. If that is your decision today, then pray to God through to his son:

“O God, have mercy on me a sinner. Please forgive me and cleanse me from all of my sins and all unrighteousness. I believe that Jesus died for me on that cross and you raised him from the dead. I believe that Jesus is my savior and my lord. Help me, lord, to follow you today and forever, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Nauru Weah lives in Palmer