Lisa Barry: With the Easter holiday less than a week away, Elisabeth Elliot thought it would be fitting to talk about the significance of Christ?s death. Have you thought lately about how much God must love you to send Jesus to the cross for your sake? Have you ever been plagued with the thought of "Why? Why did He have to die? If He is God, then why couldn?t He come up with an easier solution?" These are puzzling questions, but each one has an answer from the Bible. Today on Gateway to Joy, Elisabeth Elliot will make some of these reasons clear as we embark on this series entitled "Answers to Why Jesus Died." Let?s get started.

Elisabeth Elliot: "You are loved with an everlasting love." That?s what the Bible says. "And underneath are the everlasting arms." This is your friend Elisabeth Elliot, dealing today with the subject of why Jesus died. Why did Jesus die? Do you know the answer?

If you were to read the list of sins that are mentioned in one batch of radio mail, you would be absolutely amazed. Of course, none of us has any right to be amazed, because what about our own list of sins? Well, you can add your list.

Has anyone listening to me been nasty to someone so far today? Think about it. In the kitchen, perhaps when everything seemed to be chaos and everybody was trying to get ready to go school or work.

1 Thessalonians 5:10 gives us one of the many reasons why Jesus had to die. It says in there that "we might live in company with Jesus." Can you imagine the sacrifice that Jesus made on that cross, the old rugged cross of Calvary, in order that you and I, we sinners, might live in company with Him?

It staggers me. It blows my mind that Jesus, the Lord of the universe, the King of kings, the Everlasting One, should want the company of Elisabeth Elliot, the company of Linda Meyers, my producer, the company of Lisa Barry, that voice that you hear at the beginning and the end of each program, and all the rest of the people that are involved in Gateway to Joy. And of course, all the rest of the people in the whole world. He wants our company.

He is our Counselor, our Creator, our Comforter, our Defender, faithful Father, forgiving Friend, Guard, Guide, Giver, Helper, Joy, Judge, King of kings, Lord of lords. He wants our company. I, who have had so many innumerable advantages in my life, yet still I grieve my loving Savior by sinning. Yet He wants me. He loves me. He puts up with me, and with you.

I want to read to you from 1 Timothy 2:1-6. The Apostle Paul is writing this letter to his son in the faith, Timothy. He said, "I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

I want to repeat that verse. "God our Savior wants all men?all people?to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men, the testimony given in its proper time."

That?s why Jesus died. That?s one of the reasons?that He might be a ransom. What is a ransom? It is the price demanded for the redemption or release of a captured person. Have you pondered the fact that you and I have been in bondage until we know Jesus Christ? We have an adversary called the devil, and he absolutely loves to get us completely tied up and twisted up in every way in the opposite direction from the way God wants us to be. He is our adversary.

So Jesus had to die in order that He might have our company. I, who have had so many innumerable advantages in my life?and yet He loves me.

The devil is also called the accuser. He captures every one of us. He loves to see us sin. He loves to pull the wool over our eyes, and he whispers sweet nothings and hideous notions. His name is "Destroyer," always up to something wicked.

But we have a Savior. We have a Savior?One who loves us with an everlasting love and graciously waits for us to come to Him, to believe in Him.

I had a lovely letter from a woman who said that she had listened to the program. She said, "I heard this: Love your husband. Show him how to love. Do little things that make him happy, and do this because I have commanded you to love. I have commanded you to tell the world about Me."

This lady, of course, is putting words in Jesus? mouth, but they certainly are in harmony with what the Bible tells us. Jesus said to this woman, "If you cannot be a witness for Me to those in your own home, what business do you have going across the world? You have been called to do missionary work in your home, and your husband is your first assignment."

"After I heard that," she said, "for a split second I wanted to believe this couldn?t be the answer, but I knew it was. I knew I could not do this alone. I always wanted my husband to change. I figured God agreed with that. Just in case He didn?t, I would add a P.S. to my plea for help and give Him this suggestion. How silly! Of course, I never expected that God would change me and open my heart to love my husband in ways I never dreamed of. Now after dreaming of going to Africa and becoming the secretary of our mission outreach committee and finally getting a chance to go there, my mind and heart have changed. My husband seems to want to be with me more."

Now there?s just one example of why Jesus died. Here was a woman who had a wrong attitude toward her husband. I daresay there?s a husband listening to me who has had a wrong attitude toward his wife. She just didn?t live up to all his expectations. May I see the hands of those of you women who would say, "Well, I have lived up to all my husband?s expectations"? Of course not. None of us would make that claim.

But it?s wonderful to know that God can change us. He went to that cross to take our sins, to bear them on that old rugged cross.

I had another letter from a lady who said, "I used to think you were so wrong about everything. But as the Lord has helped me grow, I?ve learned to love your program. I?m glad I found your Web site."

Just in case any of you listening don?t know, there is a Web site. It?s not very difficult to remember: www.gatewaytojoy.org.

Are you going to listen to the Destroyer, who whispers those sweet nothings in your ears, the one who is always up to something wicked? Or are you going to fix your eyes on the Savior?

Do you know that little chorus, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace"?

As we think of that cross?that instrument of torture in Roman times, the one on which Jesus was nailed, stripped, fed sour wine and died?let?s think of that old rugged cross. One of my favorite hymns about that cross is "Jesus, keep me near the cross, there a precious fountain free to all; a healing stream flows from Calvary?s mountain. Near the cross, a trembling soul, love and mercy found me. There the Bright and Morning Star"?those are names of Jesus?"There the Bright and Morning Star shed its beams around me.

Near the cross, O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me. Help me walk from day to day with its shadow o?er me. Near the cross, I watch and wait, hoping, trusting, ever; till we reach the golden strand just beyond the river." Strand means beach.

"Near the cross, I?ll watch and wait, hoping, trusting, ever; till I reach the golden beach just beyond the river."

That hymn was written by that dear lady, Fanny Crosby, a lady who was blinded at the age of six weeks through a doctor?s mistake. But her life was filled with joy. Did you know that she wrote at least 8,000 hymns? If you can pick up any old hymnbook, you will probably find at least a dozen of Fanny Crosby?s hymns. They are so simple, so sweet, and so in harmony with what the Bible says.

We?re talking about why Jesus died. I hope you?ll think about it today. Was it necessary for Him to go to the cross for you? Yes, it was. If there had only been one sinner, He would have had to go to the cross. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Lord. Help us, Lord, to fix our eyes on that cross and what You did for us there.

Lisa Barry: If what you?ve heard today is new to you and you?d like to know more about how and why Christ died for you, then please write to us. We can send you information that will answer many of your questions and offer suggestions on where to go from here. If you like, you can even contact us through our Web site that Elisabeth mentioned. That address is gatewaytojoy.org. The series we?re going through this week is called ANSWERS TO WHY JESUS DIED and it?s available for purchase for $5.

Here?s our address: Gateway to Joy, Box 82500, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68501. Or call toll-free: 1-800-759-4JOY. Gateway to Joy is a listener-supported production of Back to the Bible.

Elisabeth will offer more answers to why Jesus died next time, so I hope you?ll join us then for another Gateway to Joy.