Jesus Died

Death is a daily occurrence. According to the World Population Review, nearly 175,000 people die every day on planet Earth. That equates to over 7,200 deaths per hour, over 120 deaths per minute, and just over two deaths per second. (And these statistics don't even take into account the human lives lost to miscarriage and abortion.)

Why start this post with such morbid statistics? To show that death is a common part of the human experience.

According to Genesis 2:17, death is the result of the rebellion of Adam and Eve (as seen in Genesis 3). This is why God said through the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:12...

"[J]ust as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." (Romans 5:12, ESV)

Because of this sad truth, it was absolutely crucial for Jesus to truly die. If He was to pay for the sins of humanity, then in His humanness, He had to truly cease living. So He didn't faint upon the cross nor simply sleep in the tomb to recover from His wounds. Rather, He stopped breathing, His heart flatlined, and His brain waves came to an end.

This is why Paul, in our key passage for this One Thought from Philippians 2 series, says in verse 8...

"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8, ESV)

The cornerstone of the Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus. Yet, the only way Jesus could rise is if He truly died—which He did for you.

Throughout this One Thought series from Philippians 2:3–11, we've been hearing Paul talk about the theme of humility. Why should you be humble? Because Jesus did the unthinkable for you! He died the death you should have died for your sin so that you could have the life He always intended for you to live. May that theological truth humble you, awe you, and lead you to love like Jesus loved and live like Jesus lived.