WHY JESUS?

 

As billions of Christians around the world (it’s estimated there are 2.38 billion) prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, this Easter, 2025, a lot of folks might be wondering why Jesus?

Why follow Jesus? 

Why believe that Jesus was resurrected? 

If you do believe in Jesus and his resurrection, why did it happen?

First off, nearly every translation of the Bible specifies that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) “…I am the way the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.”

The alternative to Heaven, of course, is Hell. In simplest terms, if you don’t believe and accept both Christ’s sacrifice for you, and his coming rule over all the Earth, then you’re going to Hell. Forever (Revelation 20).

A lot of folks don’t believe in the resurrection of Christ. Jews and Muslims can’t agree on much, but they agree that Jesus was a real person. Roman writings from the period document that Jesus went around the Holy Lands, preaching and teaching, just as the Bible documents. His existence is not in question.

The Bible is a collection of a number of different writings, written at different times. The New Testament was written by Jesus’ twelve apostles (Paul replacing the traitor Judas, as documented in the Book of Acts). 

After Christ's resurrection, twelve different people all continued to preach, under penalty of death, the Gospel (a fancy word for message) of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for mankind, and his resurrection and ascension to Heaven. All but one of the apostles were put to death for their devotion. The 12^th, the Apostle John, was imprisoned on the island of Patmos for many years for his preaching, then was freed, and is believed to have eventually died of natural causes—continuing to preach the Gospel his entire life.

It seems improbable that the Apostles were lying, knowing they would be executed for their testimony. 

Hundreds of years after the Apostles were all dead, their writings, as well as those making up what we call the Old Testament, were assembled into a single volume, the Codex Sinaiticus. Over the centuries, different translations of this first Bible were created, in many languages (the King James Bible of 1611 being the seventh language translation, English).

Throughout the centuries, the main theme of the New Testament, the death and resurrection of Christ, has remained an adamant testimony of those who witnessed it. Not many other documents have lasted as long. Being that Jews, Muslims, and even secular historians all admit Jesus was real, it’s not that much of a jump to concede that he was crucified and resurrected.

But why was Christ sacrificed?

Pre-Jesus, people of the Jewish religion atoned for their sins by making a blood sacrifice to God. They sacrificed animals, which, for their time period, was a significant payment. Today, people pay thousands of dollars or spend years in prison to make up for crimes. Instead of continuing this tradition (as John 3:16 tells us) God sent his only begotten son to die for us—Christ’s blood was shed to pay the price for all sins. His blood was worth that because Jesus was God’s son, and because Jesus never sinned. He was the ultimate sacrifice and the only man to have lived the righteous life God wishes we all would live.

But again, why did God sacrifice His son?

The Old Testament tells us the story of Abraham, who God directed to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. (See Genesis Chapter 22). Abraham took his son where directed, built an altar, and was ready to perform the action when God interceded. This complete obedience to God by Abraham, even at the cost of his only son, was enough to earn Abraham, and all his descendants, an eternal blessing from God.

When Abraham’s descendants, over the course of centuries, then proved themselves to be nowhere as obedient or righteous as Abraham, God sacrificed his only begotten son: Jesus. This sacrifice opened a door to salvation--not just for Jews, but for non-Jews (gentiles) as well.

Abraham did not put on clothes to look like his son, or try and take his son's place. He didn’t try and trick God. He did as he was told. God did no less. God sacrificed His son.

God appeared multiple times throughout the Old Testament in physical form: his footsteps could be heard walking in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8), God wrestled with Jacob, in human form (Genesis32); God appeared as a burning bush to Moses (Exodus 3:2); and God appeared as pillar of cloud and fire, leading the Jews as they fled Egypt (Exodus 13).

God did not appear a man named Jesus:

(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

(1 Timothy 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

This Easter, you will likely hear people proclaim that Jesus is God. That is not entirely accurate, nor is it entirely wrong. The Apostle John explained Jesus’ origins in very simple terms:

(John 1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(John 1:14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

God made part of himself (the Word) flesh—his only begotten son, Jesus.

Part of the confusion on Jesus-as-God is that the word “God” wasn’t even around when the Apostles originally wrote their testimonies (which they wrote in Greek). God is an English word, derived from a German word (Gott), centuries after Christ’s resurrection. Christ referred to who we call “God” as “Father” (Pater, in Greek). He multiple times insisted that the Father was greater than him. And, multiple times, God proclaimed Jesus his son (see Matthew 3:17 and 17:5). Jesus even told his Apostles to pray to “The Father”:

(Matthew 6:9) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

If we think of “God” as more title, and less “nickname”, and consider that Jesus is made from a part of the Father (the Word), then yes, Christ is “God”. More correctly, the bible tells us that Jesus is Lord—master of all:

(Matthew 28:18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Yes, Jesus, the son of the Living God, our Father in Heaven, is real. He died on the cross, paying the penalty for mankind’s disobedience. One day he will return (1 Thessalonians 4:16) to claim his kingdom on Earth. He will be in charge. If you accept that, and accept him, you will get to live for eternity. If you don’t, you will suffer for eternity.

Don’t wait for Easter, accept Jesus today.

(Romans 10:9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.