Why did Jesus Die? Alpha Course 03

The Most Important Message in All of History

Why did Jesus die? It is arguably the central question of the Christian faith, and yet it is one that many people — even those who have spent years in church — struggle to articulate clearly. Jerry Bridges called it "not only the most important message in all of history" but "the only essential message in all of history." That is a bold claim. But if it is even half true, it is worth understanding properly.

In this episode of Crowd Church, Matt Edmundson is joined by Anna Kettle, and the talk comes from Pete Farrington. This is part of the Alpha Course series, and Pete wastes no time getting to the heart of the matter.

Starting With a Famous Verse

Pete begins with John 3:16, probably the most well-known verse in the entire Bible: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

It is a verse that gets quoted so often it can lose its edge. But Pete wants to focus on a word that often gets overlooked — "perish." Why would anyone have to perish? What is the problem that makes the death of Jesus necessary in the first place?

The Problem of Sin

To answer that, Pete goes to the Old Testament, where the prophet Jeremiah speaks on behalf of God: "Be appalled, O heavens, at this. Be shocked. Be utterly desolate, declares the Lord. For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves — broken cisterns that can hold no water."

Sin, Pete explains, simply means missing the mark — falling short of God's standard. But it is a problem on two levels.

First, it is destructive. It shatters the "cisterns" of our lives so that peace, joy, love, and comfort seep out through the cracks. One glance at a history book — or today's headlines — confirms that there is virtually no end to the ways we can hurt ourselves and each other.

But that is only the surface. The deeper problem is that sin is a rejection of God himself. We have turned away from "the fountain of living waters" and tried to find satisfaction elsewhere. Pete describes it vividly: "It's as if we've turned away from a deep well of life-giving water and we're just kneeling in the dirt trying to scoop up some sewage water."

No Degrees of Good and Bad

Pete addresses the objection that most people would raise at this point: "Sure, I've made mistakes, but deep down I'm a good person."

The Bible, Pete argues, does not categorise people into different degrees of good and bad. According to God's standard, "you, Mother Teresa, Adolf Hitler, and I are all in the same boat." It is a jarring statement, but it is grounded in what Jesus himself taught.

In Matthew 5, Jesus says that anyone who looks at someone with lustful intent has already committed adultery in their heart. In Mark 12, he says to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. How many of us pass that standard consistently?

Paul writes in Romans: "There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks God. All have turned away."

Love and Justice Are Inseparable

Pete anticipates another objection: if God is love, why can he not just let it go? Cut us some slack?

His answer is that love and justice cannot be separated. "If we love Jews, we must hate the holocaust. If we love Jews, it follows that we must hate anti-semitism." It is precisely because God is good, beautiful, kind, and perfect that he cannot tolerate sin. A God who simply ignored evil would not be loving — he would be negligent.

And here is the uncomfortable truth: while we have all been victims of evil, we have all been perpetrators of it too. If real, ultimate justice were to be executed, "the finger would be turned back on us."

The Ferrari Illustration

Pete offers a memorable illustration to explain why sin against God carries such weight. If you scratch a rock in the street with a key, nothing happens. If you scratch an abandoned car, people might raise an eyebrow. Scratch a used car and you have committed a criminal offence. Scratch a brand-new Ferrari and the punishment escalates sharply — because the value of what was damaged is so much higher.

Now take it further. What about rebelling against the God who made the person who designed the Ferrari? The God who made the Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, and billions of galaxies? The God who gives you the breath you are breathing right now?

"We're all guilty of cosmic treason against an infinitely worthy God," Pete says. "And as a result, God's wrath is rightly, justly set against us."

So Why Did Jesus Die

This is the question Pete has been building towards. Someone had to pay the price. The justice of God demanded it. And the love of God provided it.

Jesus — who lived a perfect life, who never sinned, who never fell short of God's standard — took the punishment that was meant for us. He died physically and spiritually so that we would not have to face spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God.

John 3:16 suddenly reads very differently in this light. "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son." This was not a detached theological transaction. It was the most costly act of love in history.

What This Means for Us

The consequence of Jesus's death is that the relationship between humanity and God can be restored. The branch can be grafted back into the tree. The cisterns can be repaired. The fountain of living water is available again.

For Pete, this is not just a historical event to study. It is a present-tense invitation. The door is open. The price has been paid. The question is whether we will walk through it.

A Question That Demands a Response

Matt and Anna's conversation afterwards reflects on the weight of what Pete shared. It is not a comfortable talk. It does not flatter or reassure. But it does offer something remarkable — an explanation for why things are the way they are, and a way through.

The question Pete leaves us with is not an intellectual one. It is personal. If Jesus died so that you could find life — real, full, eternal life — what will you do with that?

It is, as Jerry Bridges said, the most important message in all of history. What you do with it is up to you.