Why Did Jesus Have to Die? - Leader Guide: The Meaning of the Crucifixion

When words fall short, the cross still speaks. The Leader Guide contains discussion questions and session plans for a six-week study of Why Did Jesus Have to Die?. It includes opening and closing prayers, optional activities, and weekly session goals. It is designed to be used with the book, DVD, and Sermon and Worship Download. Despite the crucifixion’s central place in Christian faith, the New Testament offers few clear answers about how Jesus’ death saves, or why, exactly, he had to die. The New Testament writers use a host of metaphors—ransom, sacrifice, reconciliation, victory—but never explain exactly how it works or why it had to happen this way. What if that’s because we’ve been asking the wrong question? What if the cross isn’t a transaction to be explained, but a living Word from God meant to transform who we are and how we live?