"Why Did He Have to Die Anyway"(John 14:15-23)

On this Easter Sunday Pastor Donald looks at why Jesus had to die in John 14:15-23.

When Jesus' ministry was at its height, many people saw Jesus as the messiah. While some saw him as a political leader and others as a spiritual leader, there is no question that he was a leader who was going to make great changes. Many put their trust and faith into him and the ranks of those who were following Jesus grew.  A little before this passage(John 14)  Jesus had raised Lazarus. Many leaders were worried that Jesus would oust them from power. If he had not died, millions would have put their faith in Jesus. Yet, Jesus had to die. 

Here are three reasons why Jesus had to die and in the way he did.

1. Jesus had to die so that people may live today and tomorrow for eternity (John 14:17-19). He traded his immortality for our mortality.  Who is dwelling with you? It is Jesus. Because he dwells in us, we can live for ever. By knowing Jesus, we have knowledge of the father.  

even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 

John 14:17 ESV 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. 

John 1:1‭-‬2 ESV 

2. Jesus had to die so that we may have eternal fellowship with God (John 14:20). Here we see also the Triune God. When Jesus was with the disciples, we was dwelling with them not in them. After Jesus died, he dwelled in them. He had to die so that He could dwell in us. The disciples did not have a very stable faith. It was not until Jesus died and was resurrected that their faith was stabilized. Jesus needed to die to become a life giving spirit.  

Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 

1 Corinthians 15:45 ESV 

3. Jesus had to die so that we may know God in the fullest (John 14:20-26). The resurrection did not forgive us of our sins. His sacrafice cleansed us of our sins. His resurrection allows us to have the spirit to allow us to live in the power of Christ. We may now know God in the fullest. It is only through the Holy Spirit which gives us the power to have fellowship with the father. Even in our weakness we can call on God.  

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 

Romans 8:9‭-‬11 ESV 

 

The Spirit of Christ teaches us how to carry out our daily lives. This is for all the generations. He teaches us all things that we need. When the need arises, the Spirit will reminds us everything that Christ has taught us. However, the Spirit will not do everything. We need to listen to the spirit, and we still need to be obedient. Praise God that Jesus death on the cross allows us to live today, tomorrow and all eternity in fellowship with God.