The Uncomfortable Gospel: Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

Main Idea: The gospel is not just about overcoming struggles in life, finding joy, improving society, forming a new political system, breaking generational curses, or finding our purpose—it’s about being saved from the wrath of God. Many today reshape the gospel to make it sound more appealing, and as a way to solve these issues, but a biblical worldview centers the wrath of God as humanity’s greatest issue. If the wrath of God is absent from the gospel, people will think sin itself or the devil is their biggest problem when the real issue is everyone outside of Christ is under the wrath of a holy and righteous God. And however we define the ultimate problem in whatever worldview we hold, will affect how we approach solutions.

Passages: Jude 3-4 and Galatians 1:6-10

The Gospel Begins with Understanding Who the God of the Gospel Is

Who is God: If we fail to understand who God is, we will fail to understand why His wrath exists

God is Holy: He MUST Punish sin…He CANNOT tolerate sin in His presence—He must deal with it justly (ex. This is why no one can see God face to face and live, He’s holy and we are not…we would instantly die in His presence)

Analogy: If we can’t even stare at the sun for over 100 seconds without permanent retinal damage, how is it that we expect that we’d be able to stand in God’s holy presence unaffected?

God is Just: He MUST Judge Sin…If God did not punish sin, He would not be just

Analogy: Imagine you’re standing in a courtroom before a judge and you’ve committed serious crimes with overwhelming evidence. The judge has no doubt about your guilt and neither does the jury. If that judge looks at you and says “because I’m a loving judge and you seem sorry for what you did, I’ll let you go free with no punishment.” That wouldn’t be justice, and we would call that judge corrupt and unjust. A just judge MUST uphold the law, and if not, he himself becomes unjust.

God is not a corrupt judge, He’s PERFECTLY just, and if a human court upholds human laws can demand human justice, how much more does the God of the universe uphold heavenly laws and demand heavenly justice for sin? He can’t let sin slide, His PERFECT justice requires a JUST penalty.

God is Righteous: He Cannot Ignore Evil (Psalm 7:11)…Righteousness demands that God is not neutral toward evil—His intense wrath is His righteous response to sin.

Analogy: Imagine a glass of pure water, so pure that even the slightest impurity would contaminate it. Now, let’s say someone puts a single drop of poison in the glass, would you still drink it? No! One drop of poison makes the whole glass deadly. The purity of the water DEMANDS that it remain untainted or else it becomes something else.

Because God is perfectly pure, holy, righteous, and morally perfect. Even one drop of sin cannot be overlooked by Him because He cannot be mixed with sin in any way—just like pure water cannot be mixed with poison without becoming poison.

Our sin doesn’t make God unrighteous, but this analogy shows that our sin is incompatible with God’s very nature, and if God were to accept us in our unrighteousness, He would no longer be purely righteous

Analogy #2: Using our sun analogy from understanding God as holy

If paper was brought near a fire, the fire itself won’t change, but the paper would be burned up. The fire isn’t aggressive toward the paper, its just so powerful and intense that anything flammable cannot exist in its presence

God’s righteousness is like the fire and our sin the paper, the two are incompatible in proximity with one another and paper cannot endure the presence of fire without a covering

If a person stands before God’s blazing righteousness alone, without a covering, their sin will be consumed just like fire consumes paper.

God is Good: He MUST Defend His Glory and Uphold Justice (Exodus 34:6-7)…God’s goodness means He does not ignore evil—He deals with it fully.

God is Love - True Love Requires Justice…God’s love does NOT cancel His wrath; rather, it shows the SERIOUSNESS of sin and the depth of His love in removing everything that hinders true love

Analogy of Love and Goodness: Imagine a king who rules with perfect love and goodness, ensuring justice and peace throughout his kingdom. One day, a group of rebels rises up”not just against his laws, but against him personally, seeking to overthrow his rule and corrupt everything he stands for. Because the king is both truly good and truly loving, he cannot ignore this rebellion; if he did, he would be allowing evil to flourish and denying his very nature. His wrath is not separate from his love” it is the righteous response of a good ruler against those who oppose his goodness. If he tolerated rebellion, he would not be good, and if he failed to act, he would not be loving, because rebellion destroys what is right and just. God’s wrath is the expression of His perfect love and goodness against sin, because sin is not just harmful” it is a direct offense against His holy nature. A God who did not respond with wrath toward sin would not be truly good or truly loving, but one who allows evil to stand unchecked.

Why the Wrath of God is Essential to the Gospel?

The gospel means “good news”, but for the news to be good, we first need to understand: 1. Who God is? 2. Why we need good news? (Aka we need the bad news first to understand the good news)

Romans 1:18 - 1. it is an objective part of reality that God’s wrath is against sin 2. The wrath of God shows us the seriousness of sin! It’s not just small mistakes we make, but an offense we commit against God 3. There is no other fitting response, this is what’s NECESSARY because of God’s holiness, righteousness, and justice (He wouldn’t display any of these attributes if He was passive about sin). 4. This present reality of wrath makes humanity desperate for good news

Romans 2:4-11 - 1. Revelation of God’s attributes is meant to lead us to repent of sin 2. God’s wrath isn’t only present, but it’s cumulative (our works of evil will be stacked up on judgment day) 3. God’s wrath isn’t uncontrolled anger, but He keeps careful account of evil works due to His perfect justice (And His wrath isn’t poured out with bias v. 11) 4. Indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish on EVERY unrepentant soul is the DEFAULT position of sinful man against a holy God 5. If wrath is ignored, people may wrongly assume they can approach God confidently without repentance

Not only is the wrath of God essential to the gospel, but the type of active and eternal wrath (i.e., separation from Him on earth and eternal separation and torment in hell)that God pours out is NECESSARY and APPROPRIATE justice for the nature of the crimes committed

So you may see some truth in what I’m saying with God’s attributes and the reality of God’s wrath, but you may ask an Age-old question…Why Does “Temporary” Sin Deserve Eternal Punishment?

The Weight of a Crime Depends on Who It’s Against

Punching someone in the face has different consequences based on who was hit: Friend = lost relationship, Police Officer = arrest and felony, President or King = Execution or Life in Prison

The action is the same, but the punishment increased based on the authority and status of the one offended

Sin Is a Crime Against an Infinitely Holy, Pure, Innocent, and Eternal God

If true naturally, image someone committing a crime against the eternal , infinite, and holy God

Because God is infinite in holiness, even a single sin against Him JUSTLY carries infinite consequence. A crime against the King of the universe REQUIRES the highest possible justice—eternal punishment.

The Nature of Sin and the Nature of Punishment

Sin is not just a momentary mistake—it’s rebellion against the One who created us.

Those who die in sin may never stop rebelling against God, meaning the punishment is ongoing

People aren’t merely sentenced to eternal punishment, they continue rejecting God for eternity

Their sinful nature doesn’t change after death, and justice DEMANDS that their eternal rebellion be met with eternal consequences

Ex. In Revelation and with King Pharaoh, people are under clear miraculous judgment and are told to repent (in Revelation even angels are preaching the gospel to the earth from the skies) and people still curse God rather than receive His mercy

We’ll talk about the eternal solution to this problem when we discuss why Jesus had to die in a little bit…

God would still be holy and worthy of praise even if He never chose to show mercy on anyone…this is the type of revelation understanding the wrath of God will bring you

4. The Eternal Remedy: Christ Took Our Infinite Punishment

If the punishment for sin is eternal, then only someone who is eternal could pay for it. THIS is why NO human effort can erase our sin—but Jesus, the infinite Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, bore the full weight of God’s wrath on the cross

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

When we trust in Christ, His infinite righteousness covers our infinite guilt, freeing us from eternal punishment

Why Did Jesus Have to Die? Because Both Sin AND the Sinner Are Under the Wrath of God

John 3:14-21 - 1. God desired to display His love to all of humanity 2. We already stand condemned and are in need of saving 3. People love their sin more than the true nature and consequences revealed about their sin

Romans 5:9 - His death was the ONLY way to appease the wrath of God and put us in right relationship with Him again (e.g., like being in right standing on a credit account)

1 Timothy 2:4 - God DESIRES ALL people to be saved and come to understand the truth, and it can only be accomplished through Christ

Colossians 3:5-7 - there was no other way for us to gain the power to put to death the things that invite the wrath of God to condemn us to hell

Ephesians 2:1-3 - there was no other way to make us alive and give us a new nature!

Isaiah 53:5-10 - Jesus bore the wrath of God so that sinners wouldn’t have to

John 14:6 - The truth is that there was no other way to satisfy the wrath of God (Jesus was the only one who qualified as being fully God and fully man), and there is NO other way to reconciled relationship with God or eternal Life except through the only qualified one…Jesus!

Analogy: Reuse the Courtroom analogy to explain substitutionary atonement

Key Point: Jesus died because divine justice DEMANDED a payment for sin. Without God’s Wrath at the forefront, Jesus’ death is stripped of its necessity.

Practical Application: How False Religions and Unbiblical Gospels Distort This Truth

Passages: 1 Corinthians 15:1-19, Ephesians 2:1-3

False Religions:

Islam - Gospel of Works and Uncertainty

Distortion: God’s wrath is real, but salvation is based on human effort and obedience to the Five Pillars (1. Profession of faith 2. Prayer 3. Almsgiving 4. Fasting 5. Pilgrimage)

Error: Islam teaches that Allah is merciful, but his mercy is arbitrary. There is no guarantee of salvation—only a hope that good deeds outweigh bad ones on the Day of Judgment

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If Allah is truly just, how can good deeds erase past sins?” Show how the justice of God demands a full payment for sin, not just more good works.

Judaism - Gospel of Law Without Atonement

Distortion: God’s wrath is real, but keeping the Torah and doing good works can lead to righteousness in place of sacrificial atonement.

Error: Denying Christ’s divinity and sacrifice. Without temple sacrifices, there is no atonement for sin—modern Judaism they replace the blood sacrifice with prayer, repentance, and obedience to the Law.

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If in the Torah temple sacrifices were required for sin, what now replaces them?” Lead them to Jesus as the final Passover Lamb.

Key Verse: Isaiah 53

Buddhism - Gospel of Self-Improvement and Escape

Distortion: there is no personal God or wrath—suffering and sin are illusions caused by attachment. The goal is to detach from desires and achieve enlightenment (nirvana)

Error: Sin is not seen as rebellion against a holy God but as ignorance. Buddhism denies divine justice and teaches self-purification through meditation and right living.

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If suffering is an illusion, why does your heart long for justice?” Show that suffering is real because sin is real, and only Jesus offers a final victory over both.

Key Verse: Revelation 21:4 In Christ, suffering is not escaped—it is defeated forever

Hinduism - Gospel of Karma and Reincarnation

Distortion: Sin is a moral debt that must be paid through reincarnation and karma, not a violation of God’s law requiring divine justice.

Error: there is no concept of one final judgment—instead, people undergo endless rebirths to work off bad karma. Salvation is escaping the cycle of rebirth through self-discipline.

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If karma is real, how can you ever escape the cycle? How much good is ‘enough’?” Show that grace and mercy is better than karma—Jesus took our punishment once for all (this satisfies their desire for justice)

Key Verse: Hebrews 9:27 - it’s appointed for man to die ONCE, then comes the judgment. Romans 3:23-25 Christ’s blood, not karma, satisfies God’s justice

Mormonism - Gospel of Another Jesus and Human Exaltation

Distortion: Jesus’ atonement helps people become worthy to achieve exaltation as gods, but final salvation requires works and obedience to LDS teachings

Error: Mormonism teaches that Jesus is a created being, not the eternal God, and that His death was only part of salvation. Humans must earn their way to godhood.

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If we must become worthy, why did Jesus say, ‘It is finished’?” Show that salvation is a gift, not a process of exaltation.

Key verse: Galatians 1:6-9 - a different gospel is no gospel at all. John 3:36 - Whoever does not believe in the true Jesus remains under God’s wrath

Jehovah’s Witnesses - Gospel of a Lesser Christ and Conditional Salvation

Distortion: Jesus is not God but a created angel (Michael). His death only made salvation possible, but obedience to the Watchtower organization is required to be saved.

Error: God’s wrath is minimized—Jehovah’s Witnesses reject hell and teach that only the 144,000 elite go to heaven, while others must prove their worth to live on a paradise earth.

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “Why does Jesus receive worship in Scripture if He is not God?” Show that Jesus is not an angel—He is the eternal Son of God

Key Verse: Colossians 2:9 - Jesus is fully God, not an angel

New Age - The Gospel of Self-Divinity and Manifestation

Distortion: sin and wrath are illusions—people are inherently divine, and salvation is achieved through enlightenment, self-discovery, and spiritual practices like energy healing, manifestation, and connecting with the “universe”. Essentially advocates for self-worship.

Error: New Age spirituality denies the reality of sin and judgment, replacing God with an impersonal “energy” or “higher consciousness”. It teaches that we create our own reality, rather than being accountable to a holy God.

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If we are all divine why is the world filled with suffering and evil?” Show that sin is real and that self-improvement cannot erase guilt before a holy God—only Christ can.

God the Mother Cult (i.e., World Mission Society Church of God) - Gospel of Extra Revelation

Distortion: Jesus’ death was insufficient; salvation requires belief in “God the Mother” and practicing specific rituals (Passover meal, etc.)

Error: They add to the gospel by teaching that a Korean woman (Zahng Gil-jay) is “God the Mother”, which contradicts biblical monotheism

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “Did Jesus or the Bible ever say another deity would come after Him?” Show that Jesus is the only way, and adding to His gospel is a serious error.

Atheism - Gospel of No God, No Wrath, No Need for Salvation

Distortion: there is no God, no sin, and no afterlife—therefore, there is no wrath to be saved from. Morality is subjective, and human progress is the ultimate goal.

Error: If there is no God, there is no objective standard for justice or right and wrong. Atheism leaves no answer for sin, suffering, or ultimate meaning.

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If there is no ultimate justice, why do we all long for it?” Show that denying God does not erase sin or judgment, and that the gospel is able to answer all of life’s biggest philosophical questions most adequately.

Agnosticism - The Gospel of Uncertainty and Avoidance

Distortion: we can’t know if God exists, so there’s no point in worrying about sin, wrath, or salvation. The best we can do is be good people and live for today.

Error: Agnosticism refuses to deal with truth, which itself is a rejection of God. Ignoring judgment doesn’t remove its reality.

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If your life depended on an answer, would you really stay undecided?” Show that avoiding the truth is a decision in itself and that God calls us to SEEK Him.

What’s the True Gospel? 1 Corinthians 15:1-19

Key Point: Each of these distortions from the true gospel caters to worldly desires, human nature, and centers humanity as the main character in the story, and not God! It makes the gospel more about personal or societal well-being than divine justice and redemption.

False Gospels in the “Church”:

The Gospel of Self-Improvement

Distortion: sin is reduced to bad habits to overcome rather than rebellion against God

Error: Jesus came to make you a better person, not to save you from wrath

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If we can fix ourselves, why did Jesus have to die?” Show that sin is not just brokenness-it’s rebellion that requires atonement.

The Prosperity Gospel

Distortion: God’s primary concern is your earthy success

Error: Jesus died to give you financial and physical blessings, not to save you from judgment

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If Jesus came to make us rich, why were the apostles poor and persecuted?” Show that the true gospel calls us to suffer for Christ, not chase worldly comfort.

The Moralistic Gospel (Good Behavior)

Distortion: sin is failing to be a good person (or keeping religious laws), and salvation is about being morally upright (or religiously upright)

Error: You can escape God’s judgment by being a good person

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “How good is good enough? Can you erase past sins?” Or Ask, “If salvation is by works, how do you know when you’ve done enough?”Show that even one sin makes us guilty before God, and only Christ’s righteousness can save us.

The Social Gospel (Justice Without Judgment)

Distortion: the gospel is about fixing societal problems, not reconciling sinners to God

Error: Jesus came primarily to end oppression and injustice, not to satisfy God’s wrath

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If we solve injustice, does that make us right with God?” Show that true justice STARTS with reconciliation to God, which transforms our hearts to pursue righteousness.

The Gospel of Emotional Well-Being

Distortion: Sin is what makes you feel bad, and salvation is about healing emotional pain

Error: Jesus’ death is about relieving stress, anxiety, and depression—not bearing God’s wrath

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “What happens if your struggles don’t go away? Is Jesus still good?” Show that salvation is about being made right with God, not just feeling better.

Romans 5:9 - we are saved from wrath, not just personal struggles

The Universalist Gospel (Gospel Without Judgment)

Distortion: everyone will be saved in the end because God is loving (they think God can’t be loving and judge people)

Error: there is no wrath to be saved from, so Jesus’ death is unnecessary

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If everyone is saved, why did Jesus speak about hell so often?” Show that God’s love does not override His justice—sin must be judged.

John 3:14-21 - whoever doesn’t believe is already condemned

The Progressive Gospel (Gospel of Redefining Truth)

Distortion: The Bible’s teachings on sin, judgment, and wrath are outdated and need to be reinterpreted

Error: God isn’t wrathful, and Jesus’ death was a symbol of love, not a payment for sin (or calling God a cosmic child abuser)

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If God changes with culture, how can we trust His promises?” Show that God’s nature and His Word do not change, and true love calls us to repentance.

Isaiah 53:10 - God was pleased (determined will to accomplish a greater purpose…the salvation of sinners) to crush Jesus for our sin or Hebrews 13:8 - “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever.”

The Political Gospel

Distortion: salvation comes through aligning with the right political movement or laws

Error: Jesus died to support our political cause, not to save us from God’s wrath

Bridging the Gap: Ask, “If Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, should our hope be in worldly leaders and systems?” Show that true salvation is in Christ, not in political systems.

John 18:36 “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.””