When I was an atheist a couple decades ago, I couldn’t wrap my mind around this question: “Why is it necessary for us to die because of our sins? And why was it required that God must send His only Son, Jesus, to die for us?” These are profound and essential questions that get to the very heart of the Christian faith. To answer these questions, we must draw on God’s Word as revealed in Holy Scripture. And as a Lutheran pastor, the teaching summarized in the Lutheran Confessions are also enlightening. Let’s take each part of the question in turn.
Why is it necessary for us to die because of our sins?
The necessity of death comes from the holiness and justice of God and the devastating consequences of sin. Scripture teaches clearly that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). That is, death is not merely a natural process but a divine sentence against sin. God created man to live—not to die. But death entered the world through sin:
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
Romans 5:12
In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve in His image (Genesis 1:27), holy and without sin. They were designed for life, fellowship with God, and dominion over creation. God warned them, “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Their disobedience brought spiritual death (separation from God), physical death (corruption of the body), and eternal death (God’s judgement). This curse has passed to all their descendants—sin is the common gene we all share.
So, why do we die? Because we are sinners—not merely by action, but by nature. We inherit sin by being born into it (Psalm 51:5), and so we also inherit death. Death, then, is not “the natural course of life,” but the serious consequence for our rebellion against God, which begun in our first Parents—Adam and Eve—and has been passed down to all of us. The Confessions describe this original sin as “a spiritual leprosy” (FC SD I, 6)—it is a terminal disease bound to kill us, 100% inheritable and 100% fatal.
Furthermore, because God is just, He cannot overlook sin. A holy God cannot abide evil (Habakkuk 1:13). Just as a righteous judge must punish crime, so must God punish sin.
Why was it required that God must send His only Son, Jesus, to die for us?
This second part of the question brings us to the heart of the Gospel, and as we move on it is critically important that you have this fundamental understanding of the Gospel: it doesn’t make sense. The parables Jesus tells are stories that describe to us what God’s kingdom is like, and we very quickly discover His kingdom is absolutely nothing like how ours works. For example, in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), the farmer throws his seeds everywhere, even in infertile places. This is stupid—no farmer of this world would do this. But that is precisely how God scatters His Word—He throws it recklessly everywhere. It doesn’t make any sense, for God’s world works nothing like ours. This means, then, that understanding the Gospel comes not by reason but by faith. This is a vital distinction as we move forward.
First, God’s justice requires satisfaction. God cannot simply “sweep sin under the rug.” His justice demands that sin be paid for, either by the sinner or by a substitute. As Hebrews 9:22 says, “Without shedding of blood there is no remission [of sins].” The sacrifices of the Old Testament pointed to this. But the blood of bulls and goats could never truly take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). They were shadows pointing to Christ, the true Lamb of God.
In His mercy, God provided a substitute—His own Son. As Isaiah prophesied, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (53:5). This is the Great Exchange: Jesus takes our sin; we receive His righteousness. He fulfills the Law we could not keep, and suffers the death we deserve.
Second, only Jesus could accomplish this. No ordinary human could do what was necessary. A sinful man cannot pay for his own sins, much less the sins of the world. Only God could provide a perfect, infinite atonement. But God cannot die. So, God became man.
As true God, Jesus was able to bear the weight of the world’s sin. As true man, He was able to take our place under the Law and die. This is why the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed, explained in the Small Catechism, says:
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.
Only the God-man, Jesus Christ, could accomplish our redemption. It was not optional. Jesus Himself said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). In Gethsemane, He prayed, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). If there had been any other way, the Father would have granted it. But there was no other way.
To facilitate your understanding of this, I would like to share a poem I wrote on Genesis 22:1-14, which covers the near-sacrifice of Isaac. I do this because poetry on Scripture can help us understand it more by inviting us to slow down and reflect deeply on God’s Word. Through imagery, rhythm, and emotion, poetry draws out the beauty, depth, and personal impact of Scripture. It can make familiar passages feel fresh, connect head knowledge to the heart, and help us see God’s truth through new lenses. Just as the Psalms use poetry to express faith, suffering, and praise, so a poem today can illuminate Scripture in ways that engage both the mind and heart. Here’s the poem:
No. 2566, The Lord Will Provide
God tested Abraham one day
and called to him with voice so clear.
He answered, “Here I am, O Lord.”
Then came the Word upon his ears:“Take now your son—your only son, —
whom you do Love—your Isaac dear,
and journey to Moriah’s land
to Offer him upon a tier.”So, early Abraham arose
and saddled his waiting donkey.
He split the Wood and took the boy
to seek the Mount God had decreed.On the Third Day he saw the place
and told his servants, “Stay behind.
The lad and I will go and Worship,
then come down the Mount’s incline.”Soon Isaac said, “My father, look, —
we have the knife, the Wood, the flame,
but where’s the Lamb for sacrifice?”
He said, “God will Provide its frame.”They climbed the Mount, and there he bound
his son upon the Altar nigh.
He took the knife he brought with him
and raised his arm high in the sky.But then the Angel of the Lord
called out from Heav’n, “Abraham, cease!
Now I know you Fear the Lord, —
you have not held your son from Me.”Then lifting up his eyes, he saw
a Ram caught by its twisted horn.
He took and Offered it instead, —
a Substitute that grace had borne.So Abraham named that high place
“The Lord Will Provide” for His deed.
And to this day, the saying stands:
“On the Mount, God gives what we need.”For the Father would not allow
man to do what He would Provide:
the Off’ring of His only Son
to be slain on a Mountain high.As Isaac carried his own Wood
to the Mount and Altar decreed,
so Jesus would carry His Cross
to the Altar on Mount Calvary.On this Mount the Lord did Provide
the Lamb for a great sacrifice,
Atonement made for every sin, —
every kind of Guilt, shame, and vice.And as dear Isaac was alive
on the Third Day—a resurrection,
so Jesus Rose on the third day
for yours and mine justification.
For extra pondering on the profundity of what God did for us, I recommend you listen to this moving episode from The Lutheran Hour by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler.
And lastly, God’s love compelled the sacrifice. Why did God do this? Not because we deserved it, but because of His great love. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For God so love the world that He gave His only-begotten Son…” (John 3:16).
This is grace—unearned favor. This is the Gospel. The death of Jesus was not just a legal necessity but an act of boundless, unfathomable love.
Conclusion
We die because we are sinners, and sin brings death. God, in His justice, must punish sin. But God, because He is our merciful Judge, did not leave us under the curse; He sent His only Son to bear that punishment in our place. Christ’s death was not just one possibility out of many; it was the only way for sinners to be reconciled to God. On the cross, Jesus bore our sin, satisfied God’s justice, and opened the way to life eternal. Luther sums this up beautifully in the Large Catechism:
Let this, then, be the sum of this article [the Second Article of the Creed]: the little word Lord means simply the same as redeemer. It means the One who has brought us from Satan to God, from death to life, from sin to righteousness, and who preserves us in the same. But all the points that follow in this article serve no other purpose than to explain and express this redemption. They explain how and by whom it was accomplished. They explain how much it cost Him and what He spent and risked so that He might win us and bring us under His dominion. It explains that He became man [John 1:14], was conceived and born without sin [Hebrews 4:15], from the Holy Spirit and from the virgin Mary [Luke 1:35], so that He might overcome sin.
Further, it explains that He suffered, died, and was buried so that He might make satisfaction for me and pay what I owe [1 Corinthians 15:3-4], not with silver or gold, but with His own precious blood [1 Peter 1:18-19]. And He did all this in order to become my Lord. He did none of these things for Himself, nor did He have any need for redemption. After that He rose again from the dead, swallowed up and devoured death [1 Corinthians 15:54], and finally ascended into Heaven and assumed the government at the Father’s right hand [1 Peter 3:22]. He did these things so that the devil and all powers must be subject to Him and lie at His feet [Hebrews 10:12-13] until finally, at the Last Day, He will completely divide and separate us from the wicked world, the devil, death, sin, and such [Matthew 25:31-46; 13:24-30, 47-50].
LC II, 31
The necessity of death reveals the seriousness of sin. The necessity of the cross reveals the greatness of God’s love.
The Lutheran Column 