Scripture Passage: Mark 11

Why did Jesus have to die? If God is a loving God then why would He sacrifice His own Son? Couldn’t there be another way?

Three Reasons Jesus Had to Die on the Cross

1. Jesus Had to Die to Rescue Us.
In the Temple, Jesus saw how desperately wicked we are and that we could never get back to God on our own. We need to be rescued because we are all sinners and the wages of sin is death. No amount of self-righteousness could rescue us—only Jesus!

2. Jesus Had to Die Because He Was the Perfect Sacrifice.
Only a perfect sacrifice would be acceptable to a perfect God. Jesus was perfect and righteous, and no more sacrifices would ever need to be made in the Temple again.

3. Jesus Had to Die to Prove God’s Love.
Jesus did more than say He would lay His life down for us. He did it and in so doing He proved God’s love. God’s love for us sent Jesus to the cross so the veil would be torn and everyone would have access and could come in to God’s presence.

The rescue mission is complete, the perfect sacrifice has been made and God’s love has been put on display. This is why Jesus had to die—so there would no longer be any division between God and man.

Discussion Questions

• What did Jesus see that day in the Temple that helps explain why He had to die? (merchants, money changers, sacrifices, Temple Veil)

• Do you try to be good enough? Why is that never going to be enough? (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 7:24)

• What was the purpose of the veil? Why is it significant that the veil was torn?
Is there any part of you that says you don’t need rescuing? Confess and lay that at Jesus’ feet now.