Why Did Yahushua the Messiah Have to Die?

Why did Yahushua the messiah have to die for our sins in order for us to attain salvation and eternal life?

Many believe they know the answer and point to various passages in Scriptures to demonstrate their understanding of Yahweh’s truth.

For instance, a common answer given is that Yahushua, by shedding his blood as the perfect sacrifice, forgives and redeems us from our sins. The messiah now gives us grace or free gift of salvation and eternal life.

The frequently referenced passage of Scriptures is from the book of John, which states:

For the deity so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

So it would seem that it is merely sufficient to have faith to be saved.

At this point, we still do not have an answer to why the messiah had to die for our personal sins. Several questions are now prompted:

• Why is it not possible for one to confess and repent of their sins to the father?
• Would he not know what is in our hearts and forgive us?
• Would he not want us to be saved?
• Why would it be required that someone else be responsible for the error of our ways?
• Even though one can be forgiven, does not everyone pay for their sins by experiencing death?

Scriptures are clear regarding the consequences for a person who sins regardless of any forgiveness per the following verse:

The person that sins shall die. (Ezek. 18:20)

The book of Romans makes it very clear:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; AND SO DEATH PASSED UPON ALL MEN, FOR THAT ALL HAVE SINNED. (Rom. 5:12)

It is revealed that by one man, Adam, is the requirement that all mankind must experience death at least once.

Therefore, logic would dictate that everyone must pay the price for their sins by shedding their own blood, thereby obtaining forgiveness along with salvation and eternal life.

But, if one were to consult Scriptures, one would discover that this logic is severely flawed. How then, can we find the answer?

We will begin to find the answer by addressing the topic of Adam in the Garden of Eden.

After Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden, Yahweh instructed him not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and that if he did, he would die.

In other words, if Adam waited for the Tree of Life to bear fruit and only partook of this tree, he would not die.

Therefore the agreement or covenant that Yahweh made with Adam was an eternal one because if Adam obeyed, he would never die. This eternal agreement we will call the Adamic Covenant.

Scriptural logic also dictates that if Yahweh made the eternal Adamic Covenant he would expect that it be kept eternally. Of course, we know that Adam, and his wife, Eve, broke the Covenant by sinning.

Now another situation has arisen. It would seem, on the surface, that Yahweh possibly made some mistake. He made an eternal covenant with Adam with the expectation that he would be able to keep it eternally.

In reality, this was no mistake at all. There will be those of mankind who will, in fact, keep the eternal Adamic Covenant.

All that father Yahweh would have to do is provide the avenue for Adam and the rest of mankind to reenter the Adamic Covenant.

This prompts the question, Where can we find the avenue or mechanism that will enable mankind to reenter the Adamic Covenant?

The answer is found in the NT book of Hebrews, where it states:

For where there is a TESTAMENT (COVENANT-WILL) it is necessary for the DEATH OF THE TESTATOR to come about. FOR A TESTAMENT (COVENANT-WILL) IS AFFIRMED UPON DEATH, since in NO WAY IS IT OF FORCE WHEN THE TESTATOR IS LIVING. (Heb. 9:16-17.

Scriptures explicitly state that there is a legal necessity for the one who made this Covenant-will, the testator, to die in order to pass on the contents.

It is without question that the testator being referenced is Yahushua the messiah.

It is also apparent that whatever the Covenant-will contains has to be extremely important!

Another question is now prompted, Where is this Covenant-will found in Scriptures, and what is in it?

The book of Genesis provides an answer:

Now lift up your (Abram’s) eyes and look from this place where you are, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward, because all of this land which you see, BELONGING TO YOU I WILL GIVE IT AND BELONGING TO YOUR SINGLE SEED, FOREVER. And I will make YOUR PLURAL SEED as the dust of the earth, so that if a male could number the dust of the earth, so shall YOUR PLURAL SEED be numbered. Rise up, walk through the land belonging to its length and belonging to its breadth, because belonging TO YOU I WILL GIVE IT. (Gen. 13:14-17)

Remember that the book of Hebrews refers to this obtaining of the land as something that is received by a Covenant-will, and in order to pass on this land, the testator of the Covenant-will must die. Hence the Eternal Inheritance.

Just who is Abraham’s single seed that will receive the allotted land as an Inheritance FOREVER?

The book of Galatians gives the answer:

But to Abraham were spoken the promises, and to his σπέρματι (spermati; single seed). He does not say, And to spermasin ( σπέρμασιν; seeds), as of many, but as of one, and to your σπέρματί (spermati; single seed), which is the messiah. (Gal. 3:16)

What an amazing passage from Scriptures! The single seed who will receive the land forever via an inheritance found in Genesis is Yahushua the messiah!

What is even more amazing is that when one consults the Greek Septuagint (LXX) of Genesis 13:15-16, it confirms that the land is given to the singular seed as stated in Galatians:

For all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your σπέρματί (SPERMATI; SINGLE SEED) forever. And I will make your σπέρμα (sperma; plural seed) as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall your σπέρμα (sperma; plural seed) also be numbered. (LXX Gen. 13:15-16)

What all this means is that it was the preexistent Yahushua who was Yahu Yahweh of the Old Testament who spoke to Abraham, giving the Eternal Inheritance to his single seed, which later was Yahushua himself.

We know that it had to be someone other than father Yahweh who spoke to Abraham because it is impossible that father Yahweh can interact directly with mankind. The book of John states:

And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. HIS VOICE YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD, HIS FORM YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN. (John 5:37)

Yahushua makes a plain statement to the Jews concerning his preexistence and appearance to Abraham. He said:

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Yahushua said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am (I existed). (John 8:56-58)

There is another twist to the arrangement of the Eternal Inheritance. The testator of this inheritance had to remain sinless unto death; otherwise, he would break the covenant as Adam did and would disqualify himself, the single seed of Abraham, from receiving anything.

The next question would be, How does mankind benefit from Yahushua dying and passing on the Eternal Inheritance to himself?

This is where it becomes intriguing.

If Yahu had to die as a human, what good are the eternal promises made to him by father Yahweh, for the dead own nothing?

To accommodate this process, father Yahweh had the preexistent Yahushua (Yahu Yahweh) make a Covenant-Will which left the eternal promises that he offered to him—which included the eternal ownership of the Promised Land and other eternal promises—to a future single seed of Abraham.

This single seed is defined as Yahushua the messiah. Father Yahweh then promised to raise this single seed of Abraham from the dead if he remained sinless, which deed, by means of his sacred ruach, he accomplished.

Once back alive, Yahu could now receive all of those eternal promises that he left to himself, with each promise destined to be fulfilled in its proper order.

Therefore, YAHU YAHWEH BECAME BOTH THE TESTATOR AND THE HEIR of all of the promises left to the single seed of Abraham in the Eternal Covenant-Will.

According to these important legal details, those declared justified will be adopted and made joint-heirs with the messiah. Regarding adoption, the book of Romans states:

For you have not received the ruach of bondage again to fear; but you have received the ruach of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Rom. 8:15)

Regarding joint-heirs:

THAT THE NATIONS SHOULD BE JOINT-HEIRS, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in messiah by the gospel. (Ephesians 3:6)

And if you be messiah’s, THEN ARE YOU ABRAHAM’S SEED, AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE. (Gal. 3:29)

We should note that Yahu Yahweh will honor his promises of the Eternal Inheritance to Abraham upon Abraham’s resurrection. This also holds true for all those who become the children of Abraham via adoption.

These adopted children will also be made joint-heirs with Yahushua the messiah in the Eternal Inheritance, which not only contains the promise of ownership of the Promised Land but also eternal life.

Hopefully, this post has enlightened the listener to understand better why Yahushua the messiah had to die in order for us to attain our eternal salvation.

For a complete discussion concerning the doctrinal issue of the Eternal Inheritance, please refer to our 2-part article The Inheritance and Salvation.