Today Is Good Friday - A Day For Reflection. He Didn't Have to Do It But He Did.
(anglicancompass.com)
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He did have to do it. Isaiah 55 tells us that the Father had to crush the son. Blood had to be spilled in order to cover sin. It was the only way. Its always been about the souls of Gods greatest creation, mankind. For it pleased him! Thank you Jesus. No telling how wicked I would be had I not met you.
The question as to whether Jesus "had to die" is one that has occupied theologians over the entire history of Christianity. What is clearly Christian teaching is that Jesus atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins to the Father... but whether that atonement had to occur in the way that it did has been a matter of theological debate.
What seems to me a reasonable explanation to me is this: God decided to send Jesus to live among us, to be fully human so that he could teach us and show us the ways of the Lord. Once he became human, death was inevitable; and because his teaching challenged both the religious and secular authorities of his day, a violent death was likely.
So we are, in fact, redeemed by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, but are we compelled to believe that God deliberately willed the suffering of his Son? Jesus asked at Emmaus (Lk 24:26): “Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
Was it necessary? Yes, but perhaps not because God willed it to happen exactly in that way.
We can not understand God. He is timeless. His will is His way. It's simple yet hard to understand. God sent Jesus to die for our sins to be forgiven. No questions, no wiggle room, no easy out. Did Jesus ask God to spare Him the suffering, to spare Him the separation and of dying and going to Hell? Yes. Jesus knew what was ahead for Him and He was sweating blood. He was made human.
God willed the suffering of His Son. It had to be for evil to be overcome.
In the way it happened was according to Old Testament Law regarding the Passover. A lamb without defect. Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 predict this. The gospel accounts and rest of the New Testament collectively explain how and why the crucifixion of Christ was the only way He could die. The manner of His death was predicted.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Psalm-22-16-lion-pierced.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/Passover-Lamb.html
1 Peter 1:19-21 - - - - 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God
When the Roman soldiers were ordered to crush the femurs of the crucified people (to expedite death—also to not allow people to remain on the cross into the Sabbath hours—a violation of law), only the two criminals had their legs smashed with the mallet. Christ did not have His femurs crushed because He was already dead.
When the soldiers approached Jesus, they determined that he was already dead, and one used his spear to pierce Jesus’ side to confirm it (see John 19:34). This fulfilled another Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah: his bones would remain unbroken (example, Psalm 34:19–20).
God decided to send Jesus in the beginning or else we wouldn’t see the fortelling of this messiah in the Old Testament. All the way back starting in Genesis 1. The only way for us to live, something had to die. The only atonement for sin is death. Fig leaves were not good enough in Gods eyes so he slaughtered ( a lamb most likely) an animal to make them skins for clothes. It was the only way to cover their sin. The shedding of blood. Christ had to take the sins of the world. What you must understand is that Christ wasn’t just the son of God, he was God in human flesh. He created himself. Once you understand the trinity and the spiritual aspect (realm) aka( are born again of spirit) then all of this makes sense. Christ had to suffer. Or else what is the point from genesis to revelation? It was 100% necessary. It had to happen. There was no other way for us to be reconciled to God other than him taking human form and taking the punishment for our sin. It is what explains how god can be both a righteous judge and forgiving at the same time. There is none righteous. If Christ didn’t do then all of humanity would burn in hell. Gods greatest creation would be doomed because not one single person has ever pleased God except himself in the form of the Son. The only perfect spotless blimishless lamb ever to walk the earth.