Catechism – Week 14 – Jesus’ Death

Why Did Jesus Need to Suffer and Die Upon the Cross?

Romans 6:23a – [The] wages of sin is death. (NIV)

What is a wage?
A wage is the payment for something. Possible example: When you do your chores, you earn your allowance. Your allowance is your wage for the chores. Other example: When mom or dad goes to work, they earn a wage for their work. I get paid an agreed upon amount for the amount of work I am required to do.

What have we earned when we have sinned?
The payment which we deserve is death.

If death is what we deserve, what hope do we have?

Colossians 2:13b-14 – God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (ESV)

Since death is what we owe, Jesus has died our death.

Illustration: Take an old bill. Imagine you were unable to pay this bill. Someone realizes that you cannot pay the bill and tells you they will pay it. The person has paid the debt that you owed and it cost them the whole amount. By dying on the cross, Jesus paid our debt for us.

Scripture Memory Verse:

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. (NIV)

Why did Jesus need to suffer and die upon the cross?
Jesus needed to suffer and die to release us from the death we earned through sin.

Adults and older students are encouraged to receive a fuller explanation from Dr. Tim Tennent (President of Asbury Theological Seminary) by clicking this link.