Why Did Jesus Want to Die ?

In this Good Friday episode, Joel Settecase breaks down three reasons Jesus wanted to die, and cited 25 incredible prophecies that perfectly predicted exactly how Jesus would die. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute.

By Joel Settecase

Was the death of Jesus an accident, or was it all part of his plan?

First of all, we have to ask whether Jesus was the kind of man to whom things happened accidentally. Upon quick examination of the Gospels, we see that, no, he was not. He was a highly intentional, strategic genius.

There is no question that Jesus was highly intelligent. Even his enemies, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes who hated him, never accused him of being a dummy. How could they? Jesus constantly outwitted them in verbal confrontation, and he kept himself at least one step ahead of their murderous machinations throughout the three years of his ministry.

Now, the enemies of Christ were no intellectual slouches themselves, so for Jesus to constantly best them, well that really shows that we’re not talking about a man with any shortage in the wit and savvy departments. Then when you look at how he intuitively read people’s situations, and came with just the right words to provoke them in exactly the right way, you see that he was not only a philosophical and strategic genius, but he was also a master of reading the human heart (cf. Jn 2:25)

So in all his interactions and movements, Jesus knew exactly what he was doing. He also proved that he could evade capture and death when he wanted to do so (Lk 4:29-30).

Now, when you go further and examine the final period of time leading up to his death, you see that he actually predicted his own death, including the circumstances around it, to such a degree that one fact becomes abundantly clear to the reader: if Jesus wanted to avoid death, then he sure chose a peculiar way of doing so. You can look up[ the following verses to see where Jesus did that, or click on this link to read them all.

Verses Where Jesus Predicts His Death

Mt 16:21-28
Mk 8:31-33
Mk 9:30-32
Lk 9:22-27
Mt 20:17-19
Mt 26:1-2
Jn 12:23-24

So then, Jesus certainly knew what was coming to him, and he made no attempt to avoid it. Rather, he intentionally directed his ministry in such a way that would lead directly to the very death he was predicting.

There can be no mistake: Jesus fully intended to die. Now, why?

Jesus died to fulfill God’s word.

When Jesus referred to himself as the Messiah (e.g. in Jn 4:26), he was identifying himself as the one who would reign (Messiah means “anointed one,” signifying a king), but who would also rescue his people. As the following prophecies make clear, the way that would be accomplished would be for the Messiah to experience death in order to transcend death and conquer it.

The Scriptures of the Tanakh (Old Testament) contain myriad predictions of the death of the Messiah. This is important, because as Miner Raymond has written,

No being but God, and they to whom he has revealed it, can certainly foretell a future event. When any man, therefore, does pre-announce what is conditioned solely upon the foreknowledge fo God, and it comes to pass as foretold, it must be either an instance of accidental coincidence or a revelation from God.

Raymond continues,

If a series of prophecies relating to a long continued series of events, in which case accidental coincidence is impossible, be uttered and thereafter in proper time be accurately fulfilled, the prophecy with its fulfillment is conclusive proof that the prophet spoke and wrote as he was moved by the Holy Ghost.

It has been pointed out that the entire Levitical sacrificial system of ancient Israel pointed to the coming sacrificial death of the Priest-King Messiah. However, there are at least...

25 astonishing predictions about Jesus death made hundreds of years beforehand:

He would be betrayed by a friend who ate his bread.
1. Psalm 41:9 - “Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.”
2. Fulfilled in Mark 14:10, 32-42 - “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them… “Jesus said, ‘...one of you will betray me - one who is eating with me… the one who is dipping bread in the bowl with me.”
He would be valued at just 30 silver coins.
1. Zechariah 11:12-13 - “Then I said to them, ‘If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.’ So they weighed my wages, thirty pieces of silver’ ...the Lord said to me--this magnificent price I was valued by them.’”
2. Fulfilled in Matthew 26:15 - “‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’ So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver for him.”
The coins would be thrown into the temple and would go to a potter.
1. Zechariah 11:13 - “‘Throw it to the potter,’ the Lord said to me… so I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw it into the house of the LORD, to the potter.”
2. Fulfilled in Matthew 27:5, 7 - “So he threw the silver into the temple and departed… They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it….”
He remained silent while being treated unjustly
1. Isaiah 53:7 - “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.”
2. Fulfilled in Matthew 27:12 - “While he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he didn’t answer.”
He would be hated without cause.
1. Psalm 69:4 - “Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head….”
2. Fulfilled in Luke 23:4 - “Pilate then told the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no grounds for charging this man.’”
He would be surrounded and mocked by strong men.
1. Psalm 22:12 - “Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
2. Psalm 22:16 - “For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me
3. Fulfilled in Mark 15:16-19 - “The soldiers led him away… and called the whole company together. They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on him. And they began to salute him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him.”
He would have pierced hands and feet.
1. Psalm 22:16 - “They pierced my hands and my feet.
2. Fulfilled in Mark 15:24 - “Then they crucified him”
He would commit his spirit to God.
1. Psalm 31:5 - “Into your hand I entrust my spirit”
2. Fulfilled in Luke 23:46 - “And Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.’ Saying this, he breathed his last.’”
He would be scourged.
1. Isaiah 53:5 - “By his wounds [scourging] we are healed.”
2. Fulfilled in Matthew 27:26 - “Then he released Barabbas to them and, after having Jesus flogged, handed him over to be crucified.”
He would be placed among criminals.
1. Isaiah 53:12 - “...he was counted among the rebels….”
2. Fulfilled in Luke 23:33 - “When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.”
His bones would not be broken.
1. Psalm 34:20 - “He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.”
2. Exodus 12:46 - “You may not take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones.” (Referring to the Passover lamb).
3. Fulfilled in John 19:33-36 - “When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead...For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of his bones will be broken.”
He would go to his death willingly.
1. Isaiah 53:12 - “Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death….”
2. Fulfilled in John 10:18 - “This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again.”
He would be condemned to death with the wicked, but he would be with a rich man at his death instead, because he had taught and lived righteously.”
1. Isaiah 53:9 - “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully.”
2. Fulfilled in Matthew 27:57-60 - “When it was evening, a rich man… named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus… So Joseph took the body… and placed it in his new tomb….”
He would be gazed at by residents of Jerusalem who would pierce him.
1. Zechariah 12:10 - “...the residents of Jerusalem… will look at me whom they pierced.”
2. Fulfilled in John 19:20, 34 - “Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city…. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear….”
He would be mocked for not being saved.
1. Psalm 22:7-8 - “Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads: ‘He relies on the LORD; let him save him; let the LORD rescue him, since he takes pleasure in him.’”
2. Fulfilled in Mark 15:29-30 - “Those who passed by were yelling insults at him, shaking their heads, and saying, ‘Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross!’”
He would be mocked by those who accused him.
1. Psalm 109:25 - “I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers”
2. Fulfilled in Mark 15:31 - “In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes were mocking him among themselves….”
He would be offered gall.
1. Psalm 69:21 - “Instead, they gave me gall for my food...
2. Fulfilled in Mark 15:23 - “they gave him wine mixed with gall to drink.”
He would be offered vinegar.
1. Psalm 69:21 - “...and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
2. Fulfilled in Luke 23:36 - “They came offering him sour wine”
His garments were divided among those nearby.
1. Psalm 22:17-18 - “People look and stare at me. They divided my garments among themselves….”
2. Fulfilled in John 19:23-24 - “When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier.
Lots would be cast for his clothing.
1. Psalm 22:18 - “...and they cast lots for my clothing.”
2. Fulfilled in John 19:24- “They also took the tunic… they said to one another, ‘Let’s… cast lots for it, to see who gets it.’

The remaining four have to do with the theological significance of his death.

He would destroy the work of the devil, receiving a fatal wound in the process.
1. Genesis 3:15 says the offspring of the woman (meaning he would be human, but it is interesting that specifically the woman and not the man is mentioned, given that Jesus is recorded as having no human father, and only a human mother) who would wound the serpent’s head, while the serpent would wound his heel.
2. Fulfilled in 1 Jn 3:8b - The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.
His method of death would bring a curse on him.
1. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 - “for a hanged man is curse by God.”
2. Fulfilled in Galatians 3:13 - “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
He would give up his soul as an offering for sin.
1. Isaiah 53:10 - “Yet the LORD was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the LORD's pleasure will be accomplished.”
2. Mark 10:45 - “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
3. Romans 3:25
His death would be on behalf of his people.
1. Isaiah 53:5 - “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him….”
2. 2 Corinthians 5:21 - “He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
He would repay a debt he didn’t incur.
1. Psalm 69:4 - “Though I did not steal, I must repay.”
2. Colossians 2:14 - “He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.”

Jesus died to save God’s people.

The death Jesus died was one that atoned for the sins of all God’s people, everyone who would ever believe in Jesus in the past, present and future.

So the Apostle Paul, who became a Christian after the death of Christ, could nonetheless accurately say in Ga 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (emphasis added). And if Paul, the self-proclaimed “chief of sinners,” could say that, so can every follower of Jesus today.

So far, so good. But there’s one more reason Jesus wanted to die.

Jesus died to ascend to God’s throne.

In Hebrews 12:2, we learn that, “[f]or the joy that lay before him, [Jesus] endured the cross, despising its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The death of Jesus accomplished the plan that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit had set in motion before the world began. When Jesus, who was God in the flesh, but still very much fully man, completely obeyed God in that way, he became the first and only man in cosmic history to earn right standing before God.

As God, he had every right to his spot on the throne in terms of reigning.

As man, he had opened the way for man to enjoy that kind of close fellowship with God—and we know this, because he promised that his disciples would also get to sit on his throne with him: “To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Re 3:21). There is an incredible and unprecedented intimacy with God that is now available to mankind, that is, all of mankind who “overcomes” by faith in Christ (cf. 1 Jn 5:4b: “This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.”).

Conclusion

It isn’t that Jesus was looking forward to the experience of death. We know explicitly that this was not the case. In the Garden of Gethsemane before he died, he prayed that, if it were possible, the “cup” of his impending death would be taken from him. Rather, Jesus wanted to die because of what led up to his death (numerous prophecies) and what lay beyond the death (the salvation of his people and his own glorious exaltation).

The significance of his death is beyond question. His intention behind his death is also indisputable. His life was a gift given from God to his people. All that remains to answer is whether we, given the opportunity to do so, will lay down our lives and receive it.