John 3:16 - for God So Loved the WorldSýnishorn

Why did God give Jesus to die?

The greatest gift anyone can give is to offer their life to save another. In the USA, those who serve in the military, putting their lives in danger for others, are often recognized by saying, “Thank you for your service.”

How much more valuable then is the offering from God, who gave His only Son specifically to die for us so that we could be redeemed from a life of sin and receive the gift of eternal life? There is no greater gift.

John 3:16 expresses the giving of this gift in terms of God's love for us and the hope that we will accept His gift.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son… (John 3:16)

God gave His only Son to die. But why did Jesus have to die?

In a nutshell, Jesus died for our sins (see Hebrews 9:22). Sin stands between man and God. Jesus came to redeem man from sin so we could live with God.

But Jesus did not die so we could simply be forgiven our sins. Under the Mosaic law, forgiveness of sin was possible through the blood sacrifices and offerings made each year.

Jesus did not come to be an annual sin sacrifice. His blood is greater than the blood of animals because Jesus was perfect. He suffered the penalty for sinning (death) but had never committed a sin to warrant the death penalty. This is also why He was able to be resurrected; death could not hold Him since He had never sinned. (See: 2 Corinthians 5:21, Acts 2:24)

In His death, we receive more than simple forgiveness. Jesus came to take our sins away (See John 1:29, 1 John 3:5). God sets us free from sin completely, and more than that, He forgives AND forgets our sin by removing sin and casting it away from us. Consider these words:

“I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

And;

“Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19b)

Jesus died so that we could have life so that we would not need to fear death and could receive His comfort, and so that the promise of life would be available to all peoples, not just the Israelite nation.

Prayer Point:

Thank God as you pray, remembering the suffering and sacrifice that Jesus endured on our behalf. Without Him, there is no hope, but with Him, there is the hope of eternity.