The journey to the cross began with Jesus at a crossroads. Would he leverage his power for himself (as people in power often do), or would he leverage his power for us? For Jesus to have us, he had to give his life as a ransom for the life of his subjects. Jesus didn’t have to die despite God’s love; he had to die because of God’s love. That’s because life-changing love requires substitutionary sacrifice. It’s true if you have children. It’s true if you have a needy friend. And it was true that Jesus would save us from our sins. In this sermon, we will discover the absolute necessity of the cross.