“During his six-plus decades of ministry, Billy Graham fielded many, many faith-based questions. But one that stood out to him — and maybe one you’ve asked yourself — is this: Why did Jesus have to die?” (Excerpt from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website.)

This question stood out to Rev. Graham because it is the principal question of the Christian faith. Every aspect of Christianity hinges on the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. But why?

The answer begins and ends with Genesis 2:15-17,

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

By God’s decree, there is only one penalty for sin — death. Sin — every sin, regardless of how small or seemingly insignificant — is a capital offense. Anything that falls short of perfection, as measured against God’s supreme holiness, is sin, and all sin results in one penalty: death. Romans 6:23 says it plainly, “The wages of sin is death.”

All Adam did was eat a piece of fruit after God had commanded him not to eat it. That infraction, so small and inconsequential when compared to murder or _______ (you fill in the blank), was enough to condemn Adam and every one of his descendants — including me and you. You can read about it in Romans 5:12-21.

If this strikes you as an outrageous overreaction of God, then you have not taken into consideration the absolute supreme holiness of God. That which is absolutely pure must remain absolutely pure, or it is no longer absolutely pure. For purity to exist, it must remain separated from all impurity. There is no other way.

Because God is life, separation from God is death. For Adam, separation was immediate. Adam was cut off from eating the Tree of Life, banished from the Garden of Eden and his divine purpose, and reduced to working the very ground from which he had been taken—and to which he would return. See Genesis 3. Dead is the meaningless existence Solomon decried in Ecclesiastes 1:2: Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!

If you are unwilling to accept this principal truth about man in general, and yourself in particular, then Jesus did not come for you. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. See Luke 19:10.
Why did Jesus have to die?

1. His death, given freely, confirms God’s unconditional agape love for us. See John 10:11-18 and 15:13, and Romans 5:6-8, I John 4:10-16.

2. His death, given as a substitutionary atoning sacrifice, confirms our guilt and condemnation and satisfies God’s justice. Romans 3:9-20, I John 2:1-2 and 4:10, I Peter 3:18, Isaiah 53.

3. His death, once and for all, confirms a way for reconciliation between God and humans. John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Hebrews 10:1-14,

4. His death, horribly violent and filled with suffering, establishes Jesus as our High Priest and Mediator who is familiar with our suffering. Hebrews 4.

5. His death, real and final, makes His resurrection, to never die again, the full and final victory over sin, death, and the grave. Romans 6:9-10.

The Principal Error and Its Consequence Man is inherently vulnerable to self-worship. He always has been. The error of all forms of human organization is the assumption that if man is given the right setting or opportunities, he will make the right choices. This is the principal error of capitalism, socialism, communism, and fascism. It is the principal error of all social engineering, politics, and religion. Nothing can help man except the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. How can I make such a bold statement?

In the beginning, man was given his best opportunity. Even in perfect circumstances, Adam failed. He proved that left only to the defense of his willpower, man will give into his vulnerabilities and fail. The conclusion: It is always possible for man to do the wrong thing, and because of his vulnerabilities, he will, in time, do the wrong thing. You can take that to the bank.

This truth astonished the disciples, and they asked in Matthew 19:25, Who then can be saved? To which Jesus replied, With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. Hallelujah! The only hope for man: Receiving the freely given gift of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His Lordship. This is the only way to life — and it is why Jesus had to die.

Romans 5:6-8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person, someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

Hebrews 4:6-16 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today”. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”