Answer. Because with respect to the justice and truth of God, satisfaction for our sins could be made no otherwise than by the death of the Son of God.
Exposition
Under this question we are to consider:
I. How Christ is said to have been dead:
II. Whether it was necessary that Christ should die:
III. For whom he has died.
I. How Christ Is Said to Have Been Dead
The exposition of this question is necessary on account of hereties who have corrupted the sense of this article. Marcion denied that Christ did truly die, and affirmed also that the whole dispensation of the word in the flesh, and all those things which Christ endured for us were imaginary, and that he had only the appearance of a man, but was not such in reality. Nestorius separated the natures in Christ, and would not admit that the Son of God was crucified, and died; but said that this was true only of the man Christ. “Do not exult and glory O thou Jew, (said he) thou hast not crucified God, but man.” The Ubiquitarians believe that the human nature of Christ, from the moment of the incarnation, was so endowed with all the properties of Deity, that the only difference between this and the Godhead of Christ, is that the former has by accident what the latter has by and of itself. Hence it is, that they imagine that Christ in his death, yea, when he was concealed in the womb of the virgin, was not only as to his Deity, but also as to his body, in heaven, and everywhere. And this is what they call the form of God, concerning which Paul speaks in Phil. 2:6.
- But in opposition to all these we believe what is affirmed in the Creed, that Christ was truly dead, and that there was a real separation between his soul and body, and that of a real local character, so that his soul and body were not only not together everywhere, but they were not at the same time in one place; the soul was not where the body was, and the body was not where the soul was. “And Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice yielded up the ghost.” “And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost.” “Father into thy hands I commend my spirit; and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” “And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.” (Matt. 27:50. Mark 15:37. Luke 23:46. John 19:30.)
Obj. But he gave up the ghost just as virtue, that is, his Divinity is said to have gone out of him. Ans. There is a difference here which we must observe; for the Divinity whilst united with the humanity did, nevertheless, operate beyond and without it, but the soul departed from the body. The reason of this difference is, that the Divinity is something uncreated, and therefore infinite, whilst the soul is created, and therefore finite.
- This is also to be added to what has been said, that although his soul was truly separated from his body, yet the Word did not desert the soul and body, but remained, notwithstanding personally united to each; so that, in this separation of soul and body, the two natures in Christ were not disjoined, or severed.
Obj. But if there was no such separation between the natures of Christ, why did he exclaim, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Ans. This cry was extorted from the suffering Son of God, not on account of any separation of the two natures, but on account of the delay of help and assistance: for the two natures in Christ ought not to be disjoined, because it is written. “God hath purchased the church with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28.) And it was necessary that he, who would die for our sins, should be the Son of God, that there might thus be a sufficient ransom. So it is also clearly manifest, that the union of the natures in Christ is no ubiquity: for his soul, being separated from his body, was not in the sepulchre with his body, and consequently not everywhere; because that which is everywhere can never be separated. And yet the union of the natures remained complete even in death, and in the grave.
II. Whether It Was Necessary that Christ Should Die for Us
It was necessary for Christ, in order that he might make satisfaction, not only to suffer, but also to die:
- On account of the justice of God. Sin is an evil of such magnitude, that, according to the order of justice, it merits, and demands, the destruction of the sinner; for the reason, that that which is an offence against the highest good, can only be expiated by the most severe punishment and extreme destruction of the sinner, which is by his death according as it is written, “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23.) Christ now assumed our place, and took upon himself the person of those who had sinned, and deserved death not only eternal, but also temporal; for we had merited that destruction which consists in a dissolution between the soul and the body, which being once effected, the body itself is also dissolved, as a house is said to be destroyed when the parts are separated from each other. It was necessary, therefore, that the Son of God should die in order that a sufficient ransom might thus be made, which could not have been effected by a mere creature.
Obj. But we have merited eternal death; therefore our souls ought not to be separated from our bodies, that they might suffer eternal condemnation. Ans. This is not a just conclusion, because nothing more can be properly inferred, than that it is necessary that our souls and bodies should be again united that they may suffer eternal death, which will also, at length, come to pass. Therefore it was necessary that Christ should die for us, and that his soul should be separated from his body.
- On account of the truth of God. For God had declared that he would punish sin with destruction, and the death of the transgressor: “In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:17.) It was necessary that this threatening of God should be fulfilled after sin was once committed.
Obj. But Adam did not immediately die. Ans. He did not, indeed, instantly suffer temporal death, yet he straightway became mortal, and by degrees died, whilst he already experienced the beginning of eternal death: “I heard,” said he, “thy voice, and was afraid, because I was naked.” (Gen. 3:10.) There was a fear, and sense of the wrath of God, a struggling with death, and a loss of all the good gifts which God conferred upon man. And yet the lenity, and compassion of the gospel was not wanting; for God had not expressly declared that he should certainly die wholly, and immediately. If this had been wanting he would have perished for ever. The Son of God offered, and brought in a mitigation, and raised man to a new life, that, notwithstanding he remained subject to temporal death, this was no longer injurious or fatal to him.
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On account of the promises made to the fathers, by the prophets, such as that contained in Is. 53:7: “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep is dumb before her shearers, so he opened not his mouth;” and also on account of the types and sacrifices, by which God signified that Christ should die such a death as would be a sufficient ransom for the sins of the world. This, now, was the work of no creature; but of the Son of God alone. Hence it became him to suffer such a painful death in our behalf.
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Lastly, Christ himself foretold that his death was necessary. “For if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you.” “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” “And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.” (John 16:7; 13:8; 12:32.) Three things, therefore, concur in this question: that it was necessary to make satisfaction to the justice and truth of God—that this satisfaction could only be made by death—and that by the death of the Son of God.
From what has now been said the following conclusions may be drawn: 1. That sin should especially be avoided by us, inasmuch as it could not be expiated except by the intervention of the death of the Son of God. 2. That we ought to be grateful to the Son of God for this great benefit which he has, out of his great goodness, conferred upon us. 3. That all our sins, however great, however many, and grievous they may be, are expiated by the death of Christ alone.