Why would someone (Jesus) die for me?

Why would someone – namely, Jesus Christ – die for us? 
Well, to best answer this question it helps to place it within a broader picture of God’s plan for our world. Therefore, let’s first recall why, some 2,000 years ago, Jesus came to our world.

Jesus died to save our world
For two basic reasons, God our loving Father sent his son Jesus to our world. First, to heal it and make all things right, good and just (John 3.16). Second, to save us from evil powers that have made us horribly wrong, bad, and basically— corrupt (Hebrews 2.14-15). 

In a key Bible text describing this mess, the Bible describes God like an archer, aiming an arrow towards its goal (Romans 3.23). So, God creates us to reach a goal He’s made us to reach. That goal is his good plan for our lives. 

This plan involved caring for our world; that it would fully reflect his glory, meaning his love and goodness (Genesis 1.26-28). Failure to reach this goal is what the Bible calls, sin. Thus the Bible says, “All have sinned, and fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3.23).

So for these two basic reasons, God sent his Son Jesus to save us and our world from all evil, and make everything right. That is why the Bible calls him the Christ; meaning, Messiah, God’s Spirit-empowered Deliverer. He came to our world, to save it and us from the powers of evil, sin, and our wrong-doings that have messed up our world. 

For these reasons, Jesus went about healing people, doing good, and discipling them in God’s love (Acts 10.38). But instead of embracing him and his Good News about God’s plan to make all things right, those people Jesus strove to reach, killed him by nailing him to a cross. They thus rejected him as God’s Messiah (Acts 3.14-15; 4.10). 

These are two basic reasons why Jesus came to our world. Namely, to heal our world, and save us from evil powers that have corrupted and made us sinful. Therefore, let us now look at— three reasons, he willingly died for us, on the cross.

Why Jesus died for us
God made us in his likeness. 
This makes us very valuable to him. Hence, Jesus died for us, because there is a supreme value we have to God. This value makes us worth dying for. The Bible calls this value, God’s likeness (Genesis. 1.26; Romans 8.29).

God loves us very much.
A major reason why God loves us so much, is because he made us in his likeness. This likeness – something in us that makes us like himself – causes God to love us so much, he’s willing to experience the pain of death to save us from everything that corrupts us (John 3.16). So when Jesus died on the cross, it was actually God himself that experienced the pain of death (2 Corinthians 5.19). Jesus’ death was therefore a great proof that God loves us (Romans 5.6-10).

Yet the important truth here, is that Jesus experienced death because as God’s Son filled with God’s love, he loves us very much. Hence, that he was willing to do whatever it takes to heal us and make us all God has created to be. Namely, a people showing forth God’s likeness; hence, his love, goodness, and joy. Moreover then, a people His Holy Spirit empowers, that we may work with God in his mission, to heal the world (Matthew 28.18-20; Mark 16.15; Luke 24.45-49).

That we fulfill his good loving will.
Because God make us in his likeness and therefore loves us very much, Jesus died for us. He did this, that we become remade into the good, right and just people our Father God always wanted us to be (Ephesians 2.1-10).

Jesus died for us, that we may become filled with the Holy Spirit—healing our bodies; making us into God’s new people; empowered to do his will. As earlier mentioned, he did this so may work with him, to make right the world; just as God always planned (Acts 3.19-25). In this way, we fulfill God’s goodwill and loving purpose for us. By doing so, we show forth his love and goodness. 

Therefore, Jesus willingly died for us, for was willing to do whatever it takes to see us become all God made us be (Hebrews 2.14-15).

Yet Jesus’ death is not the final story.
For God’s Spirit was more than able to raise him from the dead (Acts 2.24; 32-33). Raised from the dead, our Father God made him Lord over all creation. And gave him the power to give eternal life, and His Spirit, to us (Acts 2.32-33; Philippians 2.9-11). That is, if we let him save us, and be our Lord (Romans 10.9).

The final story is life everlasting in God’s new creation.
When Jesus become our Lord, he gives us God’s Holy Spirit; filling us with love, joy, peace, and hope in God (Romans 5.1-6). These are the first of many gifts God gives us, as we turn to him. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is constantly growing in us this hope. This hope is for a promise God gives us when we let Jesus become our Lord. Another word to describe this hope, is what the Bible calls, the Gospel (“Good News”). What is this good news? Namely, resurrection from the dead, in God’s new creation (John 3.16; 5.24; Titus 3.6-7).

So, as we grow in Christ, the Holy Spirit remakes us; empowering us as God’s new people. Through this life-changing power, the Holy Spirit enables us to share this Gospel with people worldwide, and show its goodness through everything we do (2 Corinthians 5.17-18). 

Becoming remade in God’s likeness – shone in the life of Jesus – we brightly “shine like stars in the world” (Philippians 2.15). Giving hope to the world, till the day all things are fully healed and made new in God’s coming new creation (Romans 8.18-25; Revelation 21.5).

In the meantime, one of the final words of Jesus for us today is this: “See, I am coming soon” for I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and last, the beginning and the end.” 

Thus we read in the Bible’s last chapter how both him and God’s Holy Spirit are calling us to this eternal life, that begins in our present life— when we let Christ be Lord.

For there the Bible concludes with this promise (Revelation 22.17):
“The Spirit and Bride say, ‘Come!’
Let all who thirst, come.
Let all who want this free water of life,
Come!"