The cross is seen as the supreme example of God's love for us, but many struggle to understand why Jesus had to die or if He had to die at all. There's no one right answer, but the Bible offers us glimpses or clues as to what Jesus's death really means for our lives. Traditionally, these “answers” are called atonement theories.

The answer to the question this week is, "to redeem us." If God can redeem death then God can redeem anything. Jesus died to redeem us, to ransom us from death to life. To demonstrate God’s deep love for us by exchanging God’s life for ours. And in doing so, God shows us that God can redeem anything we experience this side of death. That is what the cross symbolizes. And that is why the cross is something we celebrate.