Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

Hey, Carpool Crew. Happy Friday. I hope you have an incredible weekend ahead. I'm Pastor Justin. All week, we've been in Freedom Week talking about the freedom that only Jesus gives. Today is a big one. Today we're asking, why did Jesus have to die in the first place? Maybe we've all wondered it, and it was actually one of the questions we answered on Questions from the Backseat a few weeks ago. Now, let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: Jesus paid the price so you could go free. Listen to this from Romans 5:8. Paul is writing, and he says, "But God proves his own love for us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." So a sinner is just a regular way of saying someone who messes up and breaks God's good rules. Now, that's every single one of us. Pastor Justin is a sinner. I make mistakes. Now, think of it like this. Every wrong thing any of us does is like running up a little bill, and the Bible says that the price for all of it is way bigger than we could ever pay ourselves. Not with a hundred years, not with a hundred thousand years, not ever. We can't pay it back by being extra good for the rest of our lives. We can't pay it back by learning a bunch of Bible verses or singing songs really loud. The bill is just too big. So Jesus stepped in. He lived a perfect life and never ran up a single wrong. Then He went to the cross and paid the whole bill Himself. He paid for stuff He never even did. He paid for our sins. See, if Jesus were sitting next to you right now, I think He'd say, "I didn't do that because anyone made me. I did it because I wanted you with me." The price is already paid, friends. You don't owe it anymore. So it's a summer afternoon, and you and your friend are tossing a ball in the front yard. One bad throw, and the ball goes straight through the neighbor's window. Glass is everywhere, and your stomach drops because you know you don't have the money to fix that. Then your big brother walks over, pulls out his own cash, and pays the neighbor for the thing you broke. Now, you didn't earn that. He just did it because he loves you. That's a small picture of what Jesus did for you. So this week, here are a couple things you could try. First, say thank you to Jesus out loud in just one sentence. "Jesus, thank you for paying what I couldn't." Second, when you mess up this week and you get that sick feeling, don't hide. Tell God that you're sorry, and remember that Jesus paid the bill for your sins and how thankful you are for it. And third, and this is a big one, ask yourself, "Am I trying to be good so God will like me? Or do I believe Jesus already paid for my sins, that I'm forgiven?" See, you can't earn a gift that is already yours. Hey, let's go back to that one thing I wanted you to remember for the ride. Jesus paid the price so you could go free. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, before you head into the weekend, here's what's coming up. This Saturday is the Fourth of July, and we're talking about the truest freedom there is, the one Jesus paid for. Then Sunday, we're asking why we even read the Bible in the first place. Those weekend episodes are for subscribers, and I hope you subscribe on Apple Podcast or Spotify. There's links in the show notes. Now, before you go, let's answer this question together. If Jesus already paid for everything you've done wrong, how does that change the way you walk around today? Carpool Crew, I hope you have a great week, and I'll see you tomorrow or on Monday on Carpooling with Jesus.