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What Does Jesus's Death Mean To Christians?

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7 Answers

Oscar De La Huerte Profile
The death of Jesus is one of the most pivotal aspects of Christianity. His arrest, trial, and eventual execution by crucifixion is known as the 'Passion'.

Jesus's resurrection and subsequent ascension to Heaven complete the series of events that are fundamental to the Christian theology.

What does Jesus's death mean to Christians? The main doctrines that the event of Jesus's death symbolize include:
  • Atonement
  • Salvation
The tale of how Jesus was put on trial, humiliated, and mockingly crowned 'King of the Jews' by the soldiers who were responsible for his execution shows just how much he suffered. He was severely flogged, and then forced to carry his heavy cross to his own place of execution.

Many Christians believe that Jesus foresaw his death, and it is thought that he even accepted it as necessary. Indeed, the fact that Jesus refused to mount a defense during his trial suggests that his death was a personal sacrifice. Christian theology states that it is through this sacrificial act that humanity was able to achieve atonement for its sins, and achieve salvation.

The death of Jesus is also seen as a theme in countless forms of art, with the story of the crucifixion being laden with symbolic references. In short, the death of Christ is one of the most important events noted in the Bible and in Christian tradition.
joe mott Profile
joe mott answered
Jesus' death means something huge, not only for Christians but for mankind in general. The way God set it up for us was perfect. The Garden of Eden was Heaven on earth and God literally walked around with Adam and Eve. When they sinned they lost all of these things, not only for themselves but for mankind.

To make a very long story short, when Jesus died and rose again, he restored that relationship and gave us the right to go to God as our father whenever we wanted. He also conquered sin for us. The Bible says that we were slaves to sin. He pretty much freed us from that.
Evelyn Vaz Profile
Evelyn Vaz answered
Some of the reasons stated by certain sources are; "To save his people from their sins", "To give his flesh for the life of the world", "All who are in the graves shall come forth...", Jesus "gave himself a Ransom for all -- to be testified in due time", "For the joy set before him", Jesus endured the pain, etc.

The main meaning derived from most of the sources claim that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the evil world - as "ransom for our sins". In the Bible Mark states "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many".
Hope This Helps Profile
Hope This Helps answered

To first-century Christians, it was observed in a very real and 'recent' sense, not a hurried and presumptuous manner.

Originally, all Christians were Jews.  And to them, Jesus was the fulfillment of a direct promise to them, that a deliverer would
be sent by God, to mediate the relationship they had with God, their
"father".

 It is clear that their ancestors understood the need for a superior 'legal basis' to be established, which could temporarily offset their deficiencies and corrupt tendencies, so that they could freely approach God- who was clean, just and sacred to them.

This would require something more effective, than the mediation of corrupted, human intercessors, who were considered a short-term, temporary solution, that could not literally offset such corruption, nor open the door to the expectation of becoming "righteous", themselves, so that- long term- no offsetting feature would even be required; so that indefinite "life" and "righteousness" could actually be attained, based on merit- that is, 'loyalty to' and 'love for' God, would be sufficient to establish the basis for God's desire to grant indefinite "life", that could be extended, yet was unhindered by continued sinful action. And the value of Christ's life- sacrificed at his death- would forever blot out past sinful behaviors, that might prevent the goal of human "righteousness" from being achieved.

Jesus, then, was not the 'end', but the 'means' to life; for the Jewish Christian.  ...who understood these matters, well; having reviewed them from childhood.

It was necessary for the Gentile Christian  to be reeducated before being permitted to become a disciple of Christ, although no gentile was invited to enter the Christian Congregation for some 3 1/2 years, following Jesus' death.   Having a basic- yet serious- understanding of their new heritage and the events leading up to the death of Christ, also involved comprehending why the Christian had to remain distinguishable from the "nations", and why gentile religious philosophy, concept and festival, had to be set aside, before becoming Jesus' disciple.

First-century Christians were happy to do this, and the process did not change, until the 3rd and 4th-century, when European Christians- who were essentially entirely gentile in composition- began to disregard the process, and retain gentile religious views, and increasingly sew them into the fabric of Christian teaching; which altered  their view of Jesus and his ministry, radically.

First-century gentile Christians expressed great elation and delight, at what they learned about the "inheritance", the messianic promise and Daniel's "holy ones", who belonged to the "Lamb".

Having thoroughly abandoned their previous religious views- and agreed to not return to them, or begin blending them into the framework of their new Judaic Christian heritage- they viewed themselves as having received an adoption by the God of the Jews, and (finally understanding that a "mediator" was required for corrupted humans to approach, relationship and serve God) enjoyed the expectation that Jesus, having given his life to provide the divine legal basis for that arrangement, was worthy serve as the master of their discipleship.

This involved developing a deep, spiritual awareness that relied on God's "holy spirit", to help ones- who previously had  no background in such matters- fully understand, and comply with.

The nations of Israel and Judah had been "set apart" for "sacred service" to "Jehovah", which is an important point to realize, since the gentile
world had little or no understanding of this; but presumed to think that the "Messiah" came- and died- to save immortal human souls; a gentile concept.

How many born in and living in the 4th-century "western world", could even relate to any other concept, which had been one of the first things that a gentile Christian would've abandoned.  For like their Jewish brothers and sisters, these early-Christians embraced the
Judaic understanding that they were mortal, and that salvation was a precious assurance for the faithfully loyal, but was still a matter of future reception.

The early-Christian Congregation as a whole, understood the
relationship between Daniels "holy ones" (Dan.7:22), and the Messiah,
and the responsibility that went along with that relationship (Rev.1:6, 1 Peter 2:5, Rev.20:6, Rev.5:9,10).  The trauma of Christ's death was offset by the assurance that it provided to the "holy ones", that they would indeed become "equipped" (2 Timothy 3:17) to play an important role in the deliverance of the human family, from the effects of its departure, from Jehovah's direction.

These prophetic realities were far more serious in tone and dignity, than the self-oriented concepts that did not reflect Judaic Christianity; and that originated within the lands of ancient Babylon and its satellites. 

Jesus' death finally opened the door for the "holy ones' to "receive" the "kingdom", which would- in its proper time- deliver the entire earth; environment, animal and human- from the effects of disloyalty and disinterest, that obscured the assured expectation of indefinite "life", purpose and happiness.

"But the holy ones of the Supreme One will receive the kingdom, and they will possess the kingdom forever, yes, forever and ever."- Daniel 7:18


AnnNettie Paradise Profile

The answer lies in what that death is linked with. Jesus died as the foremost upholder of Jehovah’s sovereignty. He thus proved Satan to be a liar for charging that humans serve God only with selfish motives. (Job 2:1-5; Proverbs 27:11) By means of his death as a perfect human, Jesus also ‘gave his life as a ransom in exchange for many.’ (Matthew 20:28) When Adam sinned against God, he forfeited perfect human life and its prospects. But “God loved the world [of mankind] so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Indeed, “the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

The death of Jesus Christ is thus linked with the two greatest expressions of love—the great love that Jehovah showed for mankind in giving his Son and the self-sacrificing love that Jesus showed for humankind by willingly giving up his human life.


michael finnegan Profile
It means everything that matters. Nothing we can ever do for ourselves can atone for the imperfectness in our lives, and even the ordained sacrifices only maintained a temporary legalistic rite. But His perfect sacrifice, for us, accomplished what we never could, and the humbling realization that he would suffer all that He did, even if only one of us would accept and embrace it, for the chance to spend eternity with the Father who loves us, the Creator who died for us, and the Spirit who comforts us. Understand that the significance of His death, however, has no meaning whatsoever without the resurrection.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Jesus sacrificed himself for others' sins.

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