Why did the Messiah have to die?  The resurrection, attested by hundreds who saw him alive, proved that Jesus was the promised Messiah. But one thing still did not make sense — why did the Messiah have to die? Surely his death proved he was not righteous. Surely God would not allow his appointed leader to be falsely accused, slandered, ridiculed and finally killed by the Romans! Of what value is a leader who dies?

The hero who wouldn't  The people were looking for a king who would kick the Romans out of Judea. They were looking for a king who would give them food, safety, and prosperity — material things. But Jesus just wasn't that sort of king. The people had wanted to make him king before, and he had refused, because they had the wrong idea about what a king is. Even his own disciples had the wrong idea. Jesus was the Messiah, but not the sort of Messiah they were looking for. The people hailed him as a hero, but he wouldn't perform the way a hero was supposed to.

Why remember the crucifixion? Almost 2,000 years ago, a Jewish carpenter was condemned as a dangerous religious and political rebel. He was executed in one of the most painful and shameful punishments then available: flogging and crucifixion. This form of death was a scandal to both Jews and gentiles. Nevertheless, Jesus' followers made a point of remembering his death -- not just the fact that he died, but also that he died in such a shameful way. In their written stories about Jesus, they devoted lengthy sections to his horrible death. They set aside one day each year as the anniversary of his death. Why is Jesus' death so important to Christians— and so central to the Christian faith?

Born to die  The Greco-Roman world had many stories about gods being born, but they never had a god who was crucified! It was preposterous—like saying that people could be saved by trusting in some executed criminal. How could anybody be saved by a criminal? Yet that was just the point—the Son of God died shamefully on a cross like a criminal, and only then was he resurrected to glory! He was born so that he could die for us.

Christ our atonement  The governor found himself forced to consider the death penalty for an innocent man. Could such a decision return to haunt him and jeopardize his future?