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[Bright Lights]

Why did Jesus have to die in order for our sins to be forgiven? Why didn't God simply forgive us instead of involving torture and death?

[jimwalton]

God is life (Jn. 1.4). He is the source of all life because life is one of his attributes. Anything that becomes separated from God is therefore separated from life (hence death). When humans chose to separate from God in rebellion (Gn. 3.1-7), they were no longer united with his life. God had warned them that death would be the consequence of rebellion (Gn. 2.17). That's why Paul says in Rom. 6.23 that the wages of sin is death. Death is the natural and unavoidable consequence of separating oneself from life. All humans sin (Rom. 3.23), and so all are subject to death.

The only way to break the power of death is not to wave a magic wand, but to enter death and prove that it is not strong enough to hold you. (The only way to show a prison is not escape-proof is to enter the jail and prove that you can break out.) Otherwise it's just bravado: "I could break outta there." "Nuh-uh." "Uh-huh." "No you couldn't." "Yes I could." Somebody finally has to put their money where their mouth is and show that death doesn't have the ultimate power. Therefore the way to break the power of death and sin is to die as anyone else would, and then break out, to show that death has no power over you (Heb. 2.14-15).