The Reason Christ died for us

[prettylady]

I am married to a wonderful non Catholic. I am a very devout Catholic and a (almost) daily communicant. I have difficulty in trying to explain the reason Jesus died on the cross for us to my husband. He will say I just don’t get it, WHY? I want to be able to tell him in layman’s terms the reason that Christ died for us. I know what I believe but I guess I’m just not doing a good job to help him understand the reason for Christ’s death on the cross.

I know He died to save us from our sins. Why? We weren’t alive when Christ died so when He died for “our” sins, it doesn’t make sense to him.

Can you please give me an answer that is simple to understand and to explain.
Thank you very much.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Anyone can just say “why, why” indefinitely like a child. But you can say that since God is outside of time, His death unlocked a door that was previously closed. This effect goes in all directions of time. So it wouldn’t matter if we weren’t there when it happened.

We don’t need to understand the “mechanics” of how the mystery works. It should be enough that the first witnesses of Christ saying he was God and then dying and rising from the dead that we should listen to his teaching. That’s a huge part of it. Was Jesus Christ God incarnate and did he conquer death and found a Church through which we are incorporated into a body extending into heaven? The historical and revelational evidence suggests yes. Although a person cannot be forced or coerced to believe this. They have to do so themselves.

 

[Eduardo06sp]

Why? Because Jesus loves us.

 

[John_Radice]

Dear sister - have you tried reading what is explained about this wonderful question in the Catechism? The paragraphs to go straight to are 599 - 618, but having read those you’ll probably want to back up a bit to the ones before, to get the fuller picture of why we needed to be saved. I think what you’ve said to your husband already - and I’m sure you’ve actually been a far more effective witness than you think - is not making sense to him because it isn’t somehow connecting to what he understands to be his needs. Pray for the spiritual gift of prophecy and the word of knowledge, to know his heart and what is the right thing to say. Study how Jesus variously spoke to people, usually very simply but in a way that turned a key and opened a door for them. In perfect communion with the Church founded on Peter, he will lend you his keys!

 

[fhansen]

I am married to a wonderful non Catholic. I am a very devout Catholic and a (almost) daily communicant. I have difficulty in trying to explain the reason Jesus died on the cross for us to my husband. He will say I just don’t get it, WHY? I want to be able to tell him in layman’s terms the reason that Christ died for us. I know what I believe but I guess I’m just not doing a good job to help him understand the reason for Christ’s death on the cross.

I know He died to save us from our sins. Why? We weren’t alive when Christ died so when He died for “our” sins, it doesn’t make sense to him.

Can you please give me an answer that is simple to understand and to explain.
Thank you very much.

The Church teaches that the time was ripe in human history for a new revelation when Jeus came. A new and brighter light entered mans world and that light basically showed that: God definitively exists, God is infinitely trustworthy, God is love, in spite of man’s doubt and mistrust- in spite of man’s sin. And He proves this by His coming and living amongst us, then dying an excruciatingly humiliating and painful death at the hands of His own creation to show that He forgives and loves beyond our comprehension even as the world would almost matter-of-factly torture and put to death perfect Beauty, Truth, Love, Innocence, convicting it of sin while forgiving it of sin at the same time, then resurrecting to confirm and prove His godhood, His power over life and death, and His promise of eternal life to us. 2000 years later that cross still stands on the horizon of human history as a beacon which shows the way to Him. He never forces us to turn to Him-He just offers enough light that we can see His goodness, see our way to Him, if we choose the light, as we’re able to.