Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

How many times have you heard the statement, “Just be a good person, and you will go to heaven? Unfortunately, no one is good enough to earn their own salvation or arrive at heaven without God.

Why? Sin separates us from God. Imagine the Grand Canyon in your mind. It takes up half the state of Arizona. Imagine yourself on one side and heaven on the other. Despite how good someone thinks he is, mankind is stranded on one side with no bridge. This is what the Bible teaches. Scripture states that a person cannot get into heaven with any sin on his soul, for heaven is the place of perfection.

That’s why we need Jesus.

If you stole something small, you would have to pay it back with money. If you stole a car, you would have to pay it back with jail time. The Bible says that the consequences of sin is death… and hell. Most people stop reading there and, they miss the incredibly good news. The good news is that even though we are supposed to pay because of our sins, God loved us so much that He chose to come to earth and take the punishment for us by dying in our place.

Imagine that you are about to be hit by a big truck as you cross the street, and at the last second someone pushes you out of the way and takes the hit for you. This is what Jesus did for us on the cross, and if you have ever wondered why Jesus came to earth, that’s why. He took our punishment.

At five-years-old, I vividly remember walking by a house with vicious German Shepherds that tried to jump the fence. Shaking in my shoes, I asked my mother what would happen if the dogs got out. She told me that she would fight the dogs for me so I could run away. I said, “But mommy, you'll die.” She replied, “Bryan, I’m happy to die for you so you may have the chance to live.”

What sacrificial love! My mother was happy to be ripped to shreds by dogs so I could be saved. This is exactly the love that God has for us. Jesus wasn’t ripped apart by dogs, but by humans.  They say any good parent would die out of love for her child. God shows how great His love is for us by dying for us so we could be saved. Though He was innocent, Jesus took our punishment.  He was stripped of His clothes while the Romans ripped apart and shredded His body with their whips. Some of the wounds from the scourging bled fiercely. Every torn shred of skin and every drop of blood that fell to the ground was to forgive our sins.

Next, they beat a crown with two inch thorns into His skull, made Him carry a heavy cross, and then nailed him to the cross with eight inch nails. He hung there for three hours in painful agony for you and for me. Then, He died and all debts were paid. The bridge was built. Heaven was opened. God wants nothing more than to bring us to heaven. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done. It matters where you want to go and how you want to live in the future. Jesus paid a huge price for our salvation, and it’s yours—if you want it. 

Jesus built the bridge back from earth to heaven, and now heaven is open! God invites us and now we have to respond. He gives us the grace to live our faith the way He asks us to. He invites us to talk to him daily, go to Mass every Sunday, and foster a deep relationship with the One who loves us more than anything. Ask for his forgiveness often, and walk the path to heaven hand-in-hand with Him. Catholicism is more than just words. It’s action. It’s a relationship. 

If you have ever doubted God’s love for you, look at a crucifix! That was for you.

The more we love God and allow His love to transform us, the better lovers we will be... in and out of marriage!