The Meaning of Jesus' Death on the Cross

To appreciate the meaning of the death on the cross, you must first consider the meaning of the life Jesus lived. Jesus desired to live a mortal life in the flesh to gain a full and sympathetic understanding of the intense struggle mankind must endure; and to reveal the true, loving nature of our heavenly Father. He championed the cause of living the perfect will of God – and he became the pinnacle of what is humanly possible – what a person can achieve physically, intellectually, and spiritually in just one short lifetime. Jesus chose the full experience of a human life, and natural death is a part of that life experience. Though the course of natural events thrust a painful and humiliating death upon him, he met death with courage just as every other person must do when their hour comes. He did not use his human or divine power to escape the situation, not even his powers of persuasion, because others cannot expect a divine intervention in their final moments. The lessons Jesus taught, the matchless life he lived, and his living revelation of the true nature of God were his gifts to the world and for an entire universe. It is important to note that Jesus would have risen to new life on the third day following his death regardless of how he ended his mortal existence. Jesus’ resurrection was a startling and powerful demonstration of the truth he had long taught his followers about the promise of eternal life. The post-resurrection appearances gave Jesus the opportunity to further instruct and extend a personal farewell to each of them; providing them with new strength, courage, devotion, certainty, and resolve to carry on in service, to live by the Father’s will, and to establish the kingdom of heaven even in his absence.