Many people have asked me this question with deep sincerity: “If God is love, why did Jesus have to die?” It’s a question that touches something profound in the human heart. When we look at the Cross, we see both the tragedy of sin and the triumph of divine love. The answer isn’t found in theories alone, but in the person of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself freely for us.
From the beginning, humanity has struggled with sin—our turning away from God. Scripture tells us that sin brings separation, not because God stops loving us, but because our hearts turn from His light. Yet God did not leave us in that darkness. As Saint John writes, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus’ death was not demanded by an angry God, but offered by a loving Savior.
When Jesus took up His Cross, He was embracing every wound of humanity. He entered the full reality of our suffering, our guilt, and our death, so that no pain would remain untouched by His mercy. In the Gospels, we see His compassion for sinners—He forgives the thief beside Him, prays for His executioners, and entrusts His spirit to the Father. On the Cross, love went all the way. The Church teaches that His sacrifice is the perfect act of obedience and love, undoing Adam’s disobedience and opening the way for our salvation.
For us, this means something deeply personal. Jesus did not die for humanity in the abstract—He died for you and for me. Every sin He bore was lifted by love stronger than death. The Cross reveals that God’s justice is not revenge, but mercy. When we accept His sacrifice, we are invited to live in that mercy—to turn from sin and begin again, renewed by grace.
When we look upon the Crucifix, we are not asked to feel guilt, but gratitude. The Cross is the bridge back to the Father’s heart. Through it, every sorrow can be redeemed, every wound healed. To believe that Jesus died for our sins is to believe that love has already won.
May the Cross remind us that no sin is greater than God’s mercy, and no darkness too deep for His light. In Christ crucified, love has spoken its final word—and that word is life.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
