Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

Bob Russell
Jun 9
5 min read

Updated: Jun 18

So we can be made perfect! And this is only made possible by the blood of Jesus.

Red graffiti text "ONLY JESUS" on a gray concrete wall. The words are underlined with red lines, creating a bold and impactful message.

“In fact, the Law requires that nearly everything be made “clean” with blood. Without the spilling of blood there is no forgiveness.” — Hebrews 9:22 NIV

“the Life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar. It is the blood that makes atonement for one’s Life.” — Leviticus 17:11- 14 NIV

Almighty God considers blood to be sacred. He in fact made consuming or drinking blood forbidden to Israel under the Law.[1] He also made the same command for Gentiles entering the faith as believers in Christ.[2] However, this command goes back before the Law itself.

When God saved Noah and his family from the flood, God allowed for the first time the consumption of the flesh of animals but forbade the drinking of their lifeblood.[3]

There are some who wonder why God made Jesus die on a cross and use His blood to sanctify Christian believers. Some even allude that Almighty God could have used many ways to save humankind that were less barbaric; that He just preferred blood! He did it for His own pleasure and entertainment — much like the gods of Olympus, He used humans for entertainment to amuse His boredom of eternity.

That image of God is extremely offensive and brings to mind an evil and mean entity rather than a loving God.

They question: If God is so Almighty, He could simply ignore or wave His hand, and all sins would be forgiven.

Our response to this question is to determine how true that statement is, or to refute such thinking.

Why is this important? Because our very salvation is based on the sacrifice of Jesus and the cleansing we receive by His blood! There was and is no other way!

The New Testament provides a visual of the impact of being washed in the blood of Jesus.[4] What benefits come from being washed in the blood of Jesus?

· Forgiveness of sins

· Being cleansed from all unrighteousness

· Clothes us as to not be naked before Almighty God

· Redeems us and makes it possible for us to stand before God

· Sanctifies us as “holy “and sets us apart as a royal people qualified to serve Almighty God

· Brings peace between us and God, and eliminates God’s wrath against our sins and trespasses

· Allows access to the Throne of Almighty God to call Him our Father

· Makes our fleshly bodies suitable for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

In consideration of all these mighty gifts, we should be extremely grateful to God, rather than taking offense of the cross.[5]

This discussion is a complex mystery, and one that those mature in Christ can better understand. We can go back to Genesis and the Garden of Eden and learn the result of sin entering the world. Before sin, Adam and Eve were both naked and unaware and unashamed, as they were pure of heart and clean.[6]

Immediately after eating the forbidden fruit, one of the first things they noticed was their nakedness. Sinning opened their eyes to being “Unclean and Exposed.” They immediately hid themselves, making coverings of fig leaves to hide their nakedness.

When they heard God walking in the Garden, they hid themselves, afraid to expose themselves before Him. Isaiah 47:3 tells us, “Your nakedness shall be uncovered and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.”

The implication of sin is being exposed naked before God. God will punish those who are naked before His great light that exposes everything, even the smallest blemish. Such nakedness made Adam, Eve, and their descendants unclean and exposed to spoil any possible close fellowship with God.[7]

We see symbolism of the coming of animal sacrifice and the spilling of blood to cover nakedness in God’s provision of animal skins to Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness in Genesis 3:21.

Now, these things are great mysteries and connect many aspects of the Scriptures. Why did God condemn the spirits of angelic beings to the bottomless pit, completely separated in darkness? Because they had become unclean, blemished, and naked before God and his holy light.

They could no longer stand before God as their spiritual natures were permanently tarnished. There was no redeeming blood for them as they were not created as creatures of flesh and blood. This is where we get the concept of Unclean Spirits or Demons. Once unclean, once holy spirits are forever unclean before God.

I share this to shed light on the real consequences of sin.

Sin completely separates us from God. People often wonder why God doesn’t show Himself in our natural world. There is a very good reason because if He did, we would immediately die in our sins. [8]

God cannot and will not be in the presence of sin — period! We can’t see God as He is unless we are clean and sinless.

Without the blood of the righteous being exchanged for the blemishes of sin in our fleshly bodies, there is no other means for salvation or restoring our relationship with God. His very nature forbids it. So yes, there are limits, even for Almighty God!

To question and debate His nature only adds to our burden of sin and rebellious behaviors. Without faith, there is no way to please God.[9]

We seldom appreciate why we were born in the flesh, but there is a wonderful benefit to having an earthly body. The most important aspect is unlike the spirit beings that sin, we can be separated from our unholy, decorated bodies in exchange for a clean, holy spiritual body!

We can be made perfect, and this was and is only possible by the blood and exchange accomplished by Jesus. He died in a weak physical body — without sin, and was raised a spiritual body, holy, and everlasting! [10]

Because Jesus provided the means and example, we too can rise in a clean and clothed spiritual body free from sin and able to stand before the righteous, Almighty light of God.

This is the hope of the Gospel message.