Before He was crucified, Jesus was falsely accused and mocked by the soldiers. He was also tried and cruelly treated by (1) the chief priests and elders; (2) the Tetrarch Herod; and (3) Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. It was Pontius Pilate who condemned Him to die on the Cross as a common criminal. “And taking the twelve, he said …

Christ’s mission on earth, given to Him by His Father, was to save us from the horrors of Hell, and to bring us to the joys of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. He did this through His suffering and dying on the Cross. We can also say that the Son of God became man to save us from …

We speak of the necessity of the Passion and Death of Jesus in the sense that it was God’s will that man’s redemption be achieved in this particular manner. The Passion of our Lord was not something which absolutely had to be. Our redemption could have been obtained in a variety of other ways had God so desired it.

Yes, Jesus stated that it was necessary for Him to suffer in order to bring us eternal life. Thus, He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). After His Resurrection, Jesus said, “Was it not necessary …