Why Jesus had to die physically

[jimmybob479]

I understand why Jesus had to die spiritually - in order to experience the spiritual separation we deserve and bring us forgiveness, but what about the physical death? What did that accomplish? Or is it simply impossible to die spiritually without dying physically?

[Jaltus]

I understand why Jesus had to die spiritually - in order to experience the spiritual separation we deserve and bring us forgiveness, but what about the physical death? What did that accomplish? Or is it simply impossible to die spiritually without dying physically?

Genesis 15:17-21 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates-- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

This is God making a covenant with Abraham. The covenant is set up so that the lesser person makes the promise to the greater, typically something like "you can destroy my home if my country does not give tribute to your country," as these covenants were between nations or city-states and not just people. Remember that Abraham more or less had an army at his back (see the story of chasing after Lot when he was captured in Genesis 14).

In this case, God and Abraham were making a covenant (the whole of Chapter 12 on) but instead of Abraham promising to be the lesser and taking the penalty, God did.

You see, when the oath is made, a sacrifice or group of sacrifices is made to the god who is to watch over the oath, and the lesser person walks between the cut halves of the sacrifice(s) and promises to likewise be split in half if he or his country does not abide by the terms. What God did was make the terms and then promise to die HIMSELF if the terms were not kept either by God or by Abraham (or Abraham's desendants since this was a promise in perpetuity). Once Israel broke the covenant with God, God had to die. The only way God could fulfill His promise to die was if He became flesh.

Viola, Jesus.

[National Intelligence Director Phoenix]

I understand why Jesus had to die spiritually - in order to experience the spiritual separation we deserve and bring us forgiveness, but what about the physical death? What did that accomplish? Or is it simply impossible to die spiritually without dying physically?


I'd first off say I don't know how Jesus could live as we did without living physically.

However, I think the answer is simple. Jesus died physically because he was a physical person as well and the physical is good. God is not anti-body after all.

Hope this helps!