"Why did he die?"
We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” (Luke 23:41 NLT)
The crucifixion narrative is so matter of fact. We have very little theological commentary in the gospels themselves on what exactly is going on here. There are many implications that come right from the text but the reading itself is very direct.
We know what Jesus' death really means from the rest of the New Testament as well as the whole of the Old. But this verse also gives us a huge thought about why he died.
"This man hasn't done anything wrong" is the statement from the revolutionary next to Jesus. Two other men are crucified on this day with Jesus but was their death as significant as his? Did there death do something for others? What about all the other people crucified in history? Was there death important like Jesus'?
Jesus is the only man in human history to die, not for something he did, but for something someone else did. Every crucifixion in history included a person dying guilty. Even innocent people that were crucified were not sinless. Only Jesus was. Only Jesus is.
The death of Jesus was one of substitution. He was dying in the place of someone else. He was not dying for his crimes but for the crimes of others. He did not suffer for his own sin but for the sin of others. The criminal hanging with him realized this. He acknowledged Jesus for who he is, that he is innocent & that he has a kingdom. And it's this faith that Jesus acknowledges. He tells the man he will be with him that day.
The death of Jesus was immensely important for this man & not just him. Jesus bore the sin of the world on him so that sinners just like this man could also be reconciled to God.
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