Why the Messiah had to die
Many Jews in the first century eagerly awaited the Messiah because they were oppressed by the occupying Roman forces. They cried out to God, asking him to send a leader who would defeat the Romans and make them a prosperous and independent nation. The people of Israel at the time of Jesus hoped that the Messiah would free them from the rule of the Roman Empire.
The Hebrew prophets had announced a descendant of King David who would fulfill this role: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign wisely, and shall do justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell securely. And this is the name by which he shall be called: The Lord is Our Righteousness.” (Jer 23,5-6).
As people heard about Jesus and witnessed his miracles, hope arose that he might be the promised deliverer. His divine authority was palpable: He was a teacher of righteousness, advocated for the poor, and proclaimed liberation for the oppressed. In the spring, as he made his solemn entry into Jerusalem, the people cheered him and threw palm fronds in his path, celebrating him as the prophesied son of David.
Just a few days later, this longed-for Messiah was condemned and killed. Rejected by his own people and nailed to a cross by the Romans, all seemed lost. The hopes of his followers were dashed. But on the third day, Jesus was raised from the dead. Hundreds of witnesses saw him alive, proving that he was truly the promised Messiah—the Anointed One, the Righteous One, the Holy One of Israel, the Son of God.
Yet one question remained: Why did the Messiah have to die? Did God really allow his messenger to be slandered, mocked, and innocently executed? What was the point of his coming if he ultimately died and no longer remained among humanity?
Justice cannot be attained through the law. No ceremony or adherence to the law can undo the fact that we have already broken the law and must bear the punishment for it. Isaiah, writing around 700 BC, described the suffering and death of Jesus with astonishing accuracy: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and of pain. As one from whom people hid their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Jesaja 53,3–5).
Even though the prophets foretold the Messiah's death, many at the time had a political liberator in mind and did not expect the Anointed One to suffer. Jesus' death on the cross was part of God's plan of salvation and gives Christians hope: Through his sacrifice, we are reconciled with God and made whole. God knew that the real enemies were not the Romans, but the death that comes from sin. Sin and death cannot be fought with swords, but only through the sacrifice of the Creator himself. Only Jesus' atoning death on the cross makes forgiveness and eternal life possible.
He brought blessing to the whole world, not just to one nation in the Eastern Roman Empire. Through him we receive righteousness and immortality. That is why the Messiah had to die. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” (Gal 2,21).
Jesus was a teacher of righteousness; he saved his people not only through his perfect teachings. He accomplished the salvation of all nations through his death and resurrection. Because we humans are incapable of keeping the law perfectly on our own, Jesus was condemned under Jewish and Roman law. He grants perfect righteousness and eternal life to all who believe in him.
The Roman legions are long gone. One day, our trials and sufferings will also end. Those who look beyond the immediate present realize that sin and death are our greatest enemies. We need the Messiah, who defeated these enemies and gives us a share in his victory, so that we can live now and forevermore in the closest fellowship and deepest love with Jesus and our Father.
by Joseph Tkach
More articles about Jesus the Messiah:
