2. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

3. Your SIN is so dreadful that you deserve execution – but our just and loving Father killed His innocent Son instead of you Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

4. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? The death of Jesus is central to the Christian faith … Each gospel dedicates between a quarter and a third of its narrative to the last week of Jesus’ life The cross has become one of the most widely recognised symbols in the world

5. Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

9. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? WHY did Jesus have to die? That depends on who you ask!

10. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? From a Jewish point of view, Jesus claimed to be God – which was punishable by death

11. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? From the Roman authorities’ point of view, Jesus was a possible source of civil unrest, most easily dealt with by elimination

12. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? From a Christian point of view, the death of Jesus (and his resurrection) were part of God’s plan from the dawn of time. But what was the plan?

13. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? The early church’s understanding of why Jesus had to die came from reflection on what they had experienced, combined with remembering what Jesus had taught

14. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? ++ Knowledge of the death of Jesus Experience of the resurrection of Jesus Remembering the teaching of Jesus + Searching the (existing) scriptures New Testament explanation

15. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? ++ Knowledge of the death of Jesus Experience of the resurrection of Jesus Remembering the teaching of Jesus + Searching the (existing) scriptures New Testament explanation The power of sin and death defeated “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”

16. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? ++ Knowledge of the death of Jesus Experience of the resurrection of Jesus Remembering the teaching of Jesus + Searching the (existing) scriptures Victory! The power of sin and death defeated “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”

17. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? ++ Knowledge of the death of Jesus Experience of the resurrection of Jesus Remembering the teaching of Jesus + Searching the (existing) scriptures The final, perfect sacrifice A new agreement needs a sacrifice “This is my blood, given for you” “I will make a new covenant”

18. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? ++ Knowledge of the death of Jesus Experience of the resurrection of Jesus Remembering the teaching of Jesus + Searching the (existing) scriptures He died in our place “The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom ” The suffering servant

19. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? He died in our place Victory! The final, perfect sacrifice Pictures that make sense of the experience of being rescued through the death and resurrection of Jesus

20. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? He died in our place Victory! The final, perfect sacrifice The reality of being saved is more important than the detail of the pictures

21. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? In mediaeval times, the death of Jesus was seen as the necessary repaying of honour In the Reformation, the death of Jesus was seen as the necessary requirement of law In the 19 th century, the death of Jesus was seen as an encouragement to repentance More recently, the death of Jesus has been thought of in terms of reconciliation

22. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? God cannot simply forgive. Someone had to die for your sin. Jesus offered his life to satisfy God’s need to be absolutely just The Bible is full of God forgiving quite serious sin This picture separates a vengeful God from a loving son – this divides the Trinity While our sin is serious, this picture does not seem moral

23. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? In God, Jesus took upon himself the full weight of our wrong- doing and guilt. He takes the punishment we feel we deserve. The destructive force of sin is acknowledged Father and Son work in harmony Our hearts are moved to response God acts voluntarily and self-sacrificially to rescue broken and damaged people

24. Just Looking … Why Did Jesus Have to Die? … because our Father God wanted to heal our broken relationship, and chose to do it that way!