How Do We Know God Is Good?
September 2, 2025
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
September 2, 2025
When we first hear that Jesus died for our sins, it can be easy to accept the words without really understanding what they mean.
Why did Jesus have to die, and suffer and be crucified?
These are important questions, and the Bible gives us an answer.
Jesus died because sin separates us from God, and humanity could not fix that separation by ourselves. God is perfectly holy and just, while we have all sinned. We cannot simply make our own sin disappear or become good enough to remove the guilt of what we have done.
But God did not leave us without hope.
He sent Jesus to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. Jesus lived without sin, willingly gave His life for us, took the punishment that sin deserved and rose again from the dead.
The cross was not an accident.
Jesus was not simply a good man who happened to be killed.
His death was part of God’s plan to rescue us from sin and bring us back into a relationship with Him.
Sin Separated Humanity From God
To understand why Jesus had to die, we first need to understand what sin does.
Sin is not simply making mistakes or failing to be a good person. Sin is rebellion against God and His ways.
From the beginning, humanity chose to disobey God, and sin brought death and separation into the world.
Romans 3:23 — Everyone Has Sinned
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
None of us can stand before God and honestly say that we have lived a completely perfect life.
We have all done things we know were wrong. We have all had thoughts, words, attitudes and actions that fall short of God’s standard.
That means this is not a problem affecting only certain people.
Every one of us needs God’s forgiveness.
Sin Leads to Death
The Bible explains that sin has a consequence.
Romans 6:23 — The Wages of Sin
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Death entered the world because of sin.
God is holy, and sin cannot simply be treated as though it does not matter.
This is important because sometimes we can think, “If God loves us, why doesn’t He just forget about our sins?”
The answer is that God is both loving and just.
A truly good God cannot simply declare that evil does not matter.
Imagine someone seriously hurting another person and a judge saying, “I love you, so I will pretend it never happened.”
We would not call that justice.
God’s forgiveness does not mean that sin is meaningless. The cross shows us how seriously God takes sin while also showing us just how much He loves us.
We Could Not Save Ourselves
God gave His people laws and commands, but the purpose was never to make people capable of earning salvation through their own goodness.
The law showed us God’s standard and revealed our sin.
Romans 3:20 — The Law Shows Us Our Sin
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
The problem was never that God had failed to give humanity enough rules.
The problem was that we could not live perfectly according to them.
We needed something greater than our own efforts.
We needed a Saviour.
God Made a Way for Sin to Be Forgiven
Throughout the Old Testament, God gave Israel a system of sacrifices.
Animals were sacrificed as part of the way God dealt with sin under the old covenant.
These sacrifices pointed forward to something greater that was still to come.
Hebrews 10:4 — Animal Sacrifices Could Not Finally Remove Sin
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
The sacrifices were not the final answer.
They pointed toward Jesus.
Jesus would become the perfect sacrifice that the earlier sacrifices were pointing toward.
Jesus Was the Perfect Sacrifice
Unlike us, Jesus was without sin.
He did not die because He had done something wrong.
He died for us.
1 Peter 2:22 — Jesus Was Without Sin
“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”
Jesus was completely innocent.
That is what makes His sacrifice so important.
He did not owe a debt for His own sin.
He willingly gave His life for sinners.
Jesus Died in Our Place
One of the clearest ways the Bible explains Jesus’ death is that He died for us.
He took our place.
Isaiah 53:5 — He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah was written hundreds of years before Jesus’ crucifixion, yet this passage describes the suffering of God’s servant in a way that Christians understand as pointing toward Christ.
Jesus suffered because of our sin.
He took the punishment that we deserved so that we could receive forgiveness and peace with God.
Jesus Took Our Sin Upon Himself
The New Testament explains this even more clearly.
2 Corinthians 5:21 — Christ Became Sin for Us
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Jesus knew no sin.
Yet He took our place so that we could be made right with God through Him.
This does not mean that Jesus became sinful in His character.
It means that He bore the consequences and judgment associated with our sin.
He stood in the place of sinners.
Jesus Died Because God Loves Us
It is important not to look at the cross as though God was unwilling to forgive us and Jesus had to convince Him to love humanity.
That is not what the Bible teaches.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united in God’s plan of salvation.
Jesus willingly gave Himself because He loves us.
John 3:16 — God So Loved the World
“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.”
The cross is not evidence that God does not love us.
It is one of the greatest demonstrations of His love.
God loved the world so much that He gave His Son so that people could be saved.
Jesus Willingly Gave His Life
Jesus was not dragged unwillingly to the cross.
He knew what was coming and chose to obey the Father.
John 10:17–18 — Jesus Gave His Life Willingly
“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
This is incredibly important.
Jesus’ death was not something that happened to Him against His will.
He chose to lay down His life.
He knew the suffering that was ahead, yet He still chose the cross because He knew what His death would accomplish.
Jesus Knew He Had Come to Die
Jesus spoke openly to His disciples about His coming death.
Mark 10:33–34 — Jesus Predicted His Death
“Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
Jesus knew what was going to happen.
His death was not a surprise.
He understood that He would be rejected, mocked, beaten, killed and then rise again.
The cross was part of His mission.
Jesus Was the Lamb of God
John the Baptist gave Jesus a very significant title.
John 1:29 — The Lamb of God
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The phrase “Lamb of God” connects Jesus with the sacrificial system of the Old Testament.
But Jesus was different from the animals that had previously been sacrificed.
He was the perfect sacrifice.
His sacrifice was sufficient to deal with sin in a way that the repeated animal sacrifices never could.
Jesus’ Blood Brings Forgiveness
The Bible repeatedly connects Jesus’ death with forgiveness.
Ephesians 1:7 — Redemption Through His Blood
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
Jesus’ death paid the price for our redemption.
Redemption means being bought back or set free through a price being paid.
We could not pay the price ourselves.
Jesus paid it for us.
Jesus’ Death Brings Us Back to God
Sin separated humanity from God, but Jesus’ death makes reconciliation possible.
Romans 5:8–10 — Reconciled to God Through Christ
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
This is one of the most beautiful parts of the gospel.
Jesus did not wait for us to become good enough before He loved us.
He died for us while we were still sinners.
God made a way for people who were separated from Him to be reconciled to Him.
Jesus’ Death Shows Us How Serious Sin Is
Sometimes we can become casual about sin.
We may tell ourselves that certain things are not really that bad, or that everyone does them.
The cross reminds us that sin is serious.
Jesus did not have to suffer and die because sin was harmless.
He died because our sin has real consequences.
1 Peter 3:18 — Christ Suffered for Sins
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
This verse explains the purpose beautifully.
“That he might bring us to God.”
That is what Jesus’ death accomplishes.
It makes a way for sinful people to be brought back to a holy God.
Jesus’ Death Shows Us How Much God Loves Us
At the same time, the cross does not only show us how serious sin is.
It shows us how great God’s love is.
Romans 5:6–8 — Christ Died for the Ungodly
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
God did not wait until we had cleaned ourselves up.
He loved us when we were still sinners.
That means you do not have to become perfect before you come to God.
You come to Him as you are, and He begins the work of changing you.
Why Couldn’t God Just Forgive Us Without Jesus Dying?
This is one of the most common questions people have.
If God is all-powerful, why couldn’t He simply say, “I forgive you,” and leave it there?
The Bible does not give us a simple sentence saying that God was physically unable to forgive unless Jesus died.
Instead, Scripture shows us that God chose the cross as the righteous and merciful way to deal with sin.
God does not ignore sin.
He deals with it.
Romans 3:25–26 — God Is Both Just and the Justifier
“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
The cross shows us both God’s justice and His mercy.
God remains just while providing forgiveness for those who trust in Jesus.
We should therefore be careful about saying that God had no possible choice whatsoever, as though there were some law greater than God forcing Him to send Jesus.
Rather, the Bible teaches that God Himself chose this way of saving us, and Jesus willingly agreed to give His life.
Jesus’ Death Was Part of God’s Plan
The crucifixion was not a failure of God’s plan.
The early Christians understood that Jesus’ death had happened according to God’s purpose.
Acts 2:23 — Jesus Was Delivered According to God’s Plan
“Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:”
Human beings were responsible for the wicked actions involved in Jesus’ death, yet God was working through those events to accomplish His purpose.
This is one of the mysteries of the cross.
People acted wickedly, but God brought salvation out of what they intended for evil.
Jesus’ Death Fulfilled Scripture
Jesus’ death was also the fulfilment of what God had revealed through Scripture.
Luke 24:44–46 — Everything Written About Christ
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:”
Jesus explained to His disciples that His suffering, death and resurrection were part of what Scripture had foretold.
The cross was not God’s backup plan.
It was part of His plan of salvation.
Jesus’ Death Defeated the Power of Death
Jesus did not stay dead.
His death was followed by His resurrection, and this is essential to understanding the full meaning of the cross.
Hebrews 2:14–15 — Jesus Defeated the Power of Death
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Jesus entered into our humanity and experienced death Himself.
Then He rose again.
Through His death and resurrection, He defeated the power of death and gives hope to those who belong to Him.
Jesus’ Death Gives Us a Way to Be Forgiven
The purpose of Jesus’ death is not simply something to think about.
It calls for a response.
Acts 10:43 — Everyone Who Believes Receives Forgiveness
“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
God offers forgiveness through Jesus.
We do not earn it by becoming good enough.
We receive it through faith in Christ.
That does not mean we continue deliberately living in sin without caring about what God says. When we truly come to Christ, He begins changing our hearts and our lives.
But our salvation is based on what Jesus has done, not on our ability to make ourselves perfect.
Jesus’ Death Gives Us Peace With God
The result of being reconciled to God is peace.
Romans 5:1 — Peace With God Through Faith
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
This is what Jesus came to accomplish.
We were separated from God by sin, but through Christ we can be brought back to Him.
The gospel is not simply about avoiding punishment.
It is about being restored to God.
Why Did Jesus Have to Die?
Jesus had to die because humanity had a problem that we could not solve ourselves.
We had sinned.
Sin brought death and separation from God.
God is holy and just, so sin could not simply be ignored. At the same time, God is loving and merciful, and He wanted to save us.
So God made a way.
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, willingly came to earth, lived among us, took our place, bore our sin, suffered and died on the cross.
Then He rose again.
1 Peter 2:24 — He Bore Our Sins
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Jesus did not die because He had failed.
He died because He was saving us.
The cross was not a sign that God had lost control.
It was the place where God’s justice and mercy met.
Jesus took what we deserved so that we could receive what we could never earn.
The Cross Was the Greatest Expression of God’s Love
When you look at the cross, you see the seriousness of sin.
But you also see the depth of God’s love.
Jesus knew what was coming.
He knew the pain.
Jesus knew the rejection.
He knew the suffering.
And He still chose to go.
John 15:13 — Greater Love
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Jesus did exactly that.
He laid down His life for us.
And He did not do it because we deserved it.
He did it because He loved us.
What Does Jesus’ Death Mean for Us Today?
Jesus’ death means that you do not have to carry the weight of your sin forever.
You do not have to try to earn God’s love by becoming perfect.
You do not have to believe that your past is too terrible for God to forgive.
You do not have to clean yourself up before you come to Him.
Jesus already did what you could never do for yourself.
Romans 10:9–10 — Believe in Jesus
“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.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The Christian message is not that you need to save yourself.
It is that Jesus came to save you.
His death paid the price for sin, and His resurrection shows that death did not defeat Him.
Jesus Died So That We Could Come Back to God
Perhaps the simplest way to understand the cross is this:
Jesus died so that sinners could be brought back to God.
We were separated from Him by sin.
Jesus made a way for that separation to be overcome.
1 Peter 3:18 — Christ Brings Us to God
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
That is the heart of the gospel.
Jesus, the just, died for the unjust.
He did not die because He needed saving.
He died because we needed saving.
And He did it willingly.
The cross shows us that God takes sin seriously, but it also shows us that God’s love is greater than our sin.
Jesus died.
He was buried.
And He rose again.
Because of Him, forgiveness is available, our relationship with God can be restored, and we can have the hope of eternal life.
Jesus did not die because God stopped loving us. He died because God loved us enough to make a way for us to come home.
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