Why God Killed Jesus
When the Old Testament prophet Isaiah predicted the suffering of Jesus Christ he said, “But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief” (53:10). Why? Why would God the Father be pleased to kill His only begotten Son? The verse goes on to answer that question, “If He would render Himself as a guilt offering.” In short, God was pleased with His Son’s willingness to pay the price for the guilt of our sin.
- God was pleased to mercifully display His love for us.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The required payment for sin is death (Gen. 2:17). Jesus paid the price by dying on the cross and enduring God’s wrath against our sin. God did this in order to reconcile sinners back to himself, and gift the righteousness of Christ to those who come to Him by faith (2 Cor. 5:19-20).
- God was pleased to triumphantly raise His Son from the dead.
On the cross Jesus cried out in triumph, “It is finished.” The debt for sin was paid in full. Three days later, He rose from the dead to prove it. Jesus the Lord now lives and offers eternal life to those who will repent and trust Him as their sin-bearing Savior. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Rom 10:9-10).
Turn turn to Him today.
