Why Did Jesus Die and Rise Again?

The centre of the Gospel

Paul summarised the Gospel he preached in a few sentences:

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Notice the phrase “of first importance”. The death and resurrection of Jesus are not one topic among many. They are the heart of the Christian message. SHK Mission summarises this Gospel in these words:

A believer is saved through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus carried our sins, died under judgment for us, rose from the dead as the firstfruits, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Our confidence is in Jesus Christ—who He is and what He accomplished for our salvation.

This study walks through each part of that summary from Scripture.

Why did Jesus have to die?

The Bible is honest about our condition. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and sin separates people from a holy God. Sin is not a small problem that God can simply overlook. It carries a penalty: “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

God did not leave us in that state. Seven hundred years before the cross, Isaiah described a suffering Servant who would bear the sins of others:

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

Jesus died because our sins needed to be dealt with, and He willingly took them upon Himself.

He carried our sins

Peter, who saw Jesus die, wrote:

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

On the cross Jesus was not a helpless victim of circumstances. He was the Lamb of God carrying the sin of the world (John 1:29). What we could never remove, He carried.

He died under judgment for us

The cross was a place of judgment. Jesus, who had no sin of His own, stood in our place and received the judgment our sins deserved.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

This is the love of God: the Judge Himself provided the substitute. Because Jesus bore the judgment, those who trust in Him are not condemned (Romans 8:1).

He rose from the dead as the firstfruits

If the story ended at the cross, we would have a martyr but not a Savior. The Gospel announces that on the third day God raised Jesus from the dead.

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)

“Firstfruits” is a harvest word. The first sheaf gathered was a promise that the rest of the harvest would follow. Jesus’ resurrection is God’s guarantee that everyone who belongs to Him will also be raised. His resurrection also declares that the payment for sin was accepted: He “was raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

He is seated at the right hand of the Father

After His resurrection Jesus ascended to heaven.

“After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3)

To be seated means the work is finished. There is nothing left to add to what Jesus has done. To be at the right hand of the Father means He reigns with all authority and intercedes for His people (Romans 8:34). The One who died for us now rules for us.

Our confidence is in Jesus Christ

Because of who Jesus is and what He accomplished, salvation does not rest on our performance, our feelings or our religious record. It rests on Him.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

A believer is saved through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That faith is not a vague optimism but personal trust in the crucified and risen Lord.

In summary

• Jesus died because our sins deserved judgment and He chose to carry them for us.
• On the cross He bore the judgment in our place.
• God raised Him from the dead as the firstfruits, guaranteeing our resurrection.
• He is now seated at the Father’s right hand, His work complete.
• We are saved through faith in Him, and our confidence rests in Him alone.

For reflection

• Do I rest my confidence before God on what Jesus has done, or on my own efforts?
• How does the resurrection change the way I think about death and the future?
• Who in my life needs to hear this good news clearly?

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This is a starter draft prepared for review by SHK Mission. Scripture quotations are from the ESV. Please read the passages for yourself and examine everything in the light of Scripture.