Why Jesus Came to Die

Before I begin to write about why Jesus came to die, I'd like to get some info from Mr/Ms. Anonymous.  I've been praying for you and I feel lead to give you something, so if you would write your address as a comment I'll send it to you.  Don't worry, I'm not going to go Unibomber on you or send a religious tract or a Bible, It's just that I am supposed to give you something.  I'm sure you'll like it, but I'll understand if you don't want to give out your address.  And if you get it and don't like it  you can send it back.

Okay, so John Piper wrote a book called "Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die".  With Easter approaching I think it's fitting to take a look at a few of these reasons.

1) Jesus came to die to absorb the wrath of God.

1 John 4:10 "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

2) Jesus came to die to please His Heavenly Father.

Isaiah 53:10 "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him; He has put Him to grief."

3) Jesus came to die to learn obedience and be perfected.

Hebrews 5:8 "Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered."

4) Jesus came to die to achieve His own resurrection from the dead.

Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will."

5) Jesus came to die to show the wealth of God's love and grace for sinners.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

Here are five of the fifty reasons Piper lists that Jesus came to die.  Meditate on them today.