Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?

Jesus looks up

21 Things Accomplished
by the Cross of Christ

  1. Substitution– Justice was accomplished when Christ paid the death penalty we owe for our sin (Rom. 3:25, Col. 2:14, 1 Pet. 3:18, 2 Cor. 5:21).
  2. Propitiation– Turning away God’s Wrath. God poured out all of His anger against human sin and rebellion on Christ, so that He is no longer angry at any who are in Christ (Rom. 5:9, 1 Thes. 1:10, 5:9, 1 Jn. 4:10).
  3. Expiation– Christ took our sins upon him and died, thereby removing sin from all who are in Christ (1 Peter 2:24, Heb. 9:28).
  4. Redemption/Ransom- The Death Penalty is the price for sin. Christ paid the penalty that gave Satan power over us (Rom. 3:24-26, Heb. 9:15, 1 Cor. 1:30, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14).
  5. Rescue/Salvation- Another way of viewing redemption. We are saved from the power of sin and death, and from Satan and the destruction to which he and the world under him are destined (Hebrews 2:14-15).
  6. Reconciliation- Our sin made us God’s enemies, Christ’s cross makes it so we can be friends with God (Eph. 2:11-14, 16, Col. 1:20).
  7. Restoration of the Imago Dei- Christ’s death and resurrection result in the restoration of the image of God in a reborn human being (Rom. 8:29, 1 Cor. 15:49, 2 Cor. 3:18, Col. 3:10)
  8. Justification– We receive the righteous life Christ lived on earth when we put our faith in Him and His death for our sin. This is both positional (ie. judicial) and actual. God judges us right in spite of our weakness because He looks at Christ, who is our atonement, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit gives us rebirth and makes us like Christ continually in actual experience (Rom. 3:24-26, Rom. 8:2-16).
  9. Christ Became the Curse- Similar to propitiation, but focused on the curses that fall upon those who rebel against the Law. By becoming the cursed one, He frees us from every curse and makes the way for the righteousness that comes by the faith of Abraham (Gal. 3:13-14).
  10. New Covenant in His Blood- A covenant was established by the promise of the lives of those who enter into it. If broken, the oath taker’s life was forfeit. Christ shed his blood to guarantee the covenant for us. All we have to do is trust and receive (Jer. 31:31-34, Heb. 8 & 9, Luk. 22:20).
  11. Made the Old Covenant obsolete (Heb. 8:16, 10:9).
  12. Last Will and Testament- Christ wills to give the promises to those who believe in Him (Heb. 9:16-28).
  13. Imputed Death- Christ’s death is transferred to His followers with the result that they overcome sin in actuality, “I have been crucified with Christ…” (Gal. 2:20, Rom. 6, 1 Pet. 2:24)
  14. Victory over Death- Christ faced death faithfully and fearlessly and beat it, so He is the “firstfruits of those who are risen from the dead” with the result that His followers no longer have to fear death (1 Cor. 15:53-56, Heb. 2:15)
  15. Rendered Law of (Sin and) Death Powerless- “so that in His death all might die, and the law of death thereby be abolished because, having fulfilled in His body that for which it was appointed, it was thereafter voided of its power for men.” Athanasius (On the Incarnation, ch. 2), see 2 Corinthians 5:14
  16. Established the Pattern of Obedience- “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22), ironically by sacrificing himself on the cross in obedience to God, Christ replaced the sacrificial system and the covenant of the Law by establishing a New Covenant based upon his own obedience unto death (Phil. 2: , Heb. 10:5-10). When we put faith in Christ we are seen as obedient children even before we are fully obedient, but we live in obedience to the Spirit’s leading (Rom. 8:2-4).
  17. Sanctified Us- We are made holy and acceptable by the cross of Christ (Heb. 10:
  18. Proof of God’s love- Christ’s death on the cross proves God’s love for humankind (Jn. 3:16, 1 Jn. 4:10).
  19. Pattern of Suffering- Christ suffered in this world to identify with us and leave us an example of how to deal with suffering (1st Pet. 4).
  20. Release of the Captives- Christ freed the captives in Sheol; that is, those who died before He came to earth (1 Pet. 3:18-20, Eph. 4:7-10).
  21. Fulfilled prophecy concerning Messiah (Psa. 22, Isa. 53).