Why did Jesus have to die? Part 1 by The Rev. Whitney Altopp
You’re going to find different answers to this question. Not only might the difference in answer be found between Methodists and Catholics and Congregationalists and Baptists and Episcopalians, but you’ll find slight differences even among Episcopalians. I’ll tell you the understanding that I’m currently working with.
I have a growing sense that Jesus “had to” die, not because God demands it, but because humans do. Across cultures and throughout time, humanity has sought to reconcile themselves to the Divine with a perfect offering. Whatever it is that is bigger than us, humans conclude, must want something more than what any of us average people have to offer. I don’t have enough space on this blog to go through various examples. You probably already know what I’m talking about through your general public education. In these past 2000 years, Christians have often described Jesus’ death in this way—God needed a perfect sacrifice to wash away our sins.
However, the prophets in the Hebrew scriptures (the Old or First Testament according to Christians, the Torah according to Jews) spoke time and again of wanting something other than a perfect sacrifice. Here is just one example found in scripture. It comes from Micah 6:6-8 (spoken by the prophet)
6 With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.
Aren’t there days that instead of acting justly or loving mercy or walking humbly, you’d rather just sacrifice something?
Part 2’s answer to this question will address humanity’s inclination to eradicate that which we don’t like.
