Why Did Jesus Have To Die?
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
“Maybe God did NOT possess any character of evil – but he ALLOWED it to develop so we would see the difference and choose good. Good makes us feel comfortable, safe, happy and satisfied. Evil ultimately makes people feel and exist in very bad ways. I ponder God’s reasoning (if that is possible): “If they are less than Me, many will choose other things – since I gave them a free will. Bad things will serve to point out how much they truly need Me. It will be a lifelong journey for them to seek Me, find Me, understand Me. And they will do this through life’s hardships, joys, lessons, and experiences - through My heavenly and physical presence and Spirit. I will allow them to succeed, fail, be broken, healed, and learn. But their faith will strengthen as they face more adverse circumstances. I will draw them to Me through various ways.” However, God has a limit to the evil He will permit. His “permission” of evil is clear in the story of Job in the book of Job in the Bible. God did and does allow bad things to happen to good people. In the story, God told Satan to see Job, a great, faithful man. Satan chided God: ‘sure, he’s rich, great family, lands, animals – so of course he’s faithful to You.’ God challenged Satan to go after Job and see how strong his faith really was, but not to “lay a hand on his person.” (Job 2:8-12). The rest of the story is quite beautiful to read. It is a story of faith, loss of faith, regained faith, and ultimate reward. Again, my opinion on this is that if everything were perfect in our finite lives, we would not seek God. And why, again, should we seek God? Are we not connected for eternity? Not really. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were in a perfect state but only for a time. However, we are all going to die someday and we may go to different eternities. So back to the original question: Where does Jesus’ death fit into this scenario of our way to our peaceful, desirable, beautiful eternal connection to God, safe in a glorious Heaven for eternity? Man (humankind) was removed from God shortly after the beginning of creation due to disobedience and lack of faith. The journey back into God’s connection, therefore, begins at the first generation created, the first human death recorded by a man named Abel (the first person ever to shed blood and die), and God’s ultimate plan to return humanity to Himself unconditionally, but as a choice to receive, after the first two humans failed. But first, man had to learn – over the span of a few millennia of time - many tough lessons through CHOICES. Their stories are woven through the Bible accounts of many instances of faith, failure, learning, seeking, and redemption.”
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Why Did Jesus Have to Die explores why God chose this way – Jesus’ death, shedding of blood, and resurrection - to reunite with His human creations – with whom he intended to experience a personal, loving, guiding, communal relationship with Him on earth and a perfect eternity in Paradise. However, the first humans failed in their perfect relationship with God, through temptation by Satan. Their failure doomed humanity to separation from God for eternity. Hence, God’s plan to save all humanity was put in motion. How this plan was accomplished and foreshadowed through the ages, is an epic story including many ordinary humans. It began in the Garden of Eden, where God was pleased by a blood sacrifice - the firstborn of a flock - offered by the first human ever to shed blood. Further, two very different trees growing in the garden had significant influences on the reason God Himself would ultimately arrive on earth in the human person of Jesus Christ. He would provide a gift to humanity, and they could choose to accept the offer of the gift to unite with Him, to have a relationship with Him on earth, and to ensure that their living, spiritual souls after death would be spared from an eternity of separation and damnation. Ultimately, His own human blood would be offered by Himself as the definitive, redemptive act. This reunification was God’s original goal for humanity: an intimate, loving, reciprocal, communal, earthly relationship, and an eternity safe in His presence.
About the Author
Lori M. Corrente is a former psychology professor and law librarian. Her lifelong passion for the Bible, background in research and writing, and professional study of human nature led her to ponder what makes people question accepting Jesus’ death as being necessary for a relationship with God and eternal salvation.