Perennial Question of Did Jesus Have To Die

[Brownginger]

Heard a homily (Catholic) recently in which the priest said that God could have waved His hand and re-established comity between Himself and the human race. I recall from my Theology courses that Divine Justice required the action of a God-man (leaving out the reasons therefor). I don’t think that includes a “wave of the Divine hand.” Am I wrong?

Same homily: God is not Love, because “love” has so many definitions these days. Should I be gagging right now

 

[jeffrey_erwin]

Heard a homily (Catholic) recently in which the priest said that God could have waved His hand and re-established comity between Himself and the human race. I recall from my Theology courses that Divine Justice required the action of a God-man (leaving out the reasons therefor). I don’t think that includes a “wave of the Divine hand.” Am I wrong?

Our Creator established this material world as place where His created sentient beings could learn His Law. He chose a people and imposed a stricter version of His Law on them so that they might spread the knowledge of His law throughout humanity. However the religious leaders of that people manipulated the Creator’s Law to suit their own purposes.

I order to reform that perversion of Law and dramatize just how to follow the Law, our Creator allowed Himself to be born from a human as a human: the Son of Man.
The ultimate demonstration of how to properly follow the Law was made when our Creator, as a human being, declined to retaliate against His enemies and assailants, instead suffering an extremely painful and humiliating death.

This is the true power of the Cross. It leads us to accept our Creator’s will and to trust in Him for our future as well as to love our neighbors, including those who do us wrong,

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

No, Jesus did not have to die for us to be saved. He did so (and in such a painful and humiliating way) as a means to show us just how much he loves us.

 

[philipl]

Heard a homily (Catholic) recently in which the priest said that God could have waved His hand and re-established comity between Himself and the human race. I recall from my Theology courses that Divine Justice required the action of a God-man (leaving out the reasons therefor). I don’t think that includes a “wave of the Divine hand.” Am I wrong?

Same homily: God is not Love, because “love” has so many definitions these days. Should I be gagging right now

It really doesnt matter “if” he had to die, the point is that he did. Maybe in an alternate universe he didnt die.

 

[The_Apostolate]

No, Jesus did not have to die for us to be saved. He did so (and in such a painful and humiliating way) as a means to show us just how much he loves us.

.Your so right, if not we would n,t we able to return to his Father,s Kingdom.,so Jesus came too save us sinner,s .To pay for our sin,s…he willing suffer on the Cross. Amen

 

[mikekle]

I used to struggle with this question until a thread on here explained it in a way I could grasp and accept, like the above posters said, its NOT about the hows or whys, its because he DID it at all.

Before this, I always questioned why he didnt accomplish this thru some other means, I mean, he is God, he can do anything he likes, but I was asking the wrong question all along.

 

[catholic1seeks]

It most fitting that God became man with the intention to die because
(1) Shows his solidarity with his beloved creatures
(2) Shows how much he loves his creatures by willing to do the greatest act of love humanly possible: Laying down your life for your friends
(3) Humans, who live in a condition facing suffering and death, can now unite themselves with their God, who shows us that even horrendous suffering and pain can have purpose
(4) Shows the horror of sin: Not only that it leads us to kill and hurt the most innocent, but that the human condition, under sin, means death and suffering.