"Why?" - the Conclusion

On the cross Jesus went beyond even the worst human suffering and experienced cosmic rejection and pain that exceeds ours as infinitely as his knowledge and power exceeds ours. In his death, God suffers in love, identifying with the abandoned and godforsaken.

Why then, did Jesus have to die? Even Jesus asked that question. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he asked if there was any other way. There wasn’t.  There isn’t. 

The conduct of Adam and Eve had far reaching consequences, the conduct of the Israelites had significant consequences, our rejections of God’s reaching out to us in love has personal consequences.  Nonetheless, Jesus disregarded revenge and forgives all of us - absorbing all of the pain and the consequences. Furthermore, he goes beyond forgiveness and confronts us with his love and his consequential sacrifice manifested through his death the cross.

This concludes the reflection on why Jesus had to die.  Next time I will present the persuasive evidence for his resurrection, making use once again of the concept of Critical Rationality from science.  When you take into account the facts, consider all possible explanations for those facts, the most rational, reasonable conclusion is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.