WTKM  Devotions  “Why Did Jesus Have to Die?”
Monday March 29, 2010
Reason 1:  To Show Us God’s Immeasurable Love

This coming Friday many will attend Church Services to Observe “Good Friday .”  It is the day in which the death of Jesus Christ is remembered.  We place stones and monuments in cemeteries to remember our loved ones or to honor those who have served our country.  We remember the life of each of these people.  But on Good Friday we remember the “death” of Jesus.  This raises the question, “Why then did Jesus have to die?”

Hi.  I’m Pastor Jeff Schimp of Glacier Hills Bible Church here in Hartford, Wisconsin.  This week on WTKM radio I am addressing the question, “Why did Jesus have to die?”  Join me each day this week as I share with from the Word of God as we seek to answer this question.

The Bible tells us that one of the reasons Jesus had to die was to show God’s Immeasurable Love for us.  Listen to these words from the Bible:
“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man 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.”    Romans 5:7-8   NIV
Notice that God demonstrates His Own love for us in sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for us.  The Bible states that while it is possible that someone might give his life for a righteous man, God did something altogether different than this.  He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for you and me while we were still sinners.

One of the hardest things for us to admit is that we are sinners.  We prefer to talk about having issues or maybe our addictions.  But the Bible makes it clear that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”  Romans 3:23 .  We have all failed to keep God’s perfect law and as a result are kept from being able to enter God’s presence now or in eternity.  This is the universal human problem and it is huge.

The Good News (the Bible calls it the Gospel which means good news) is that God loved us so very much that He reached down into this world in the form of Jesus Christ to give His life upon that cross which we remember on Good Friday so that eternal life would be available for all who would receive it.  Listen to these words from the Bible:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   John 3:16   NIV

Why did Jesus have to die?  Jesus had to die because God loves us so very much, an immeasurable love, which required the death of His Son for our sins.  In other words, “God loves you and me so much that He would rather die than live without us.”

Before I end today I’d like to invite you to our Good Friday and Easter Services at Glacier Hills Bible Church.  You can check our Web Page  www.Glacierhillschurch.org for times and location.  You may also contact me for further help through the Contact Section on our Web Page.  

Have a blessed day and know that God loves you with an immeasurable love!