What was the Purpose of Christ’s Death?

June 27, 2025 | By Tyrone Johnson  | The Biblical Framework |

The death of Jesus Christ wasn’t an isolated tragedy, nor was it a vague gesture of divine love toward the world at large. His death was intentional, covenantal, and deeply tied to the salvation story of the people of Israel. To rightly understand Christ’s death, we must begin where the story begins—not in the Gospels, but in the Exodus.

Christ as the Fulfillment of the Passover

At the heart of Israel’s redemption stands the Feast of Passover—the first feast, the first act of salvation, the first declaration that blood must be shed to bring deliverance. In Egypt, every Israelite household was instructed to kill a lamb without blemish, smear its blood on their doorposts, and await the judgment of God. When the death angel passed through Egypt, it struck down every firstborn son and animal except those protected by the blood of the lamb. That night marked the beginning of Israel's salvation journey out of Eyptian’s bondage.

Fast forward to the New Testament, and the apostolic writers make the connection crystal clear:

“For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” – 1 Corinthians 5:7

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29

Jesus didn’t just die—He died at Passover, fulfilling the very feast that began Israel’s liberation. His death was not arbitrary. It was a covenantal act, rooted in the promises God made to Abraham and fulfilled through Moses, now brought to completion in Christ.

Redemption from Sin

Just as the blood of the lamb in Egypt delivered Israel from physical slavery, the blood of Christ delivered Israel from a deeper slavery—bondage to sin under the Mosaic Covenant. The Law exposed their guilt (Romans 3:20), but it could not remove it. The sacrifices of bulls and goats were never enough (Hebrews 10:4). Israel needed a better lamb, a perfect substitute, one who could remove sin once and for all.

And so, Christ—born under the Law, within the covenant nation—took that curse upon Himself:

“God sent forth His Son… to redeem those under the Law.” – Galatians 4:4-5

His death satisfied the demands of the covenant. His blood served as a final sin offering for the transgressions Israel committed under the first covenant (Hebrews 9:15). Just as Moses sprinkled the blood of bulls to seal the covenant at Sinai (Exodus 24), Jesus offered His own blood to seal a new covenant, a better one, with better promises (Hebrews 8:6).

But the story doesn’t end with Israel. The promise made to Abraham was never about Israel only. God said, “In you, all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Paul confirms this in Galatians 3:8, writing, “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham.”

So while Christ came to redeem Israel from the curse of the Law, His death opened the door for the nations to receive the same blessing—salvation, not through the Law, but through faith in the risen Son of God.

Even at the Exodus, a mixed multitude (Exodus 12:38) left Egypt with Israel. Gentiles were always welcome to join the covenant people, so long as they were willing to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christ’s death simply fulfills and amplifies that same truth: Israel first, then the nations.

No Resurrection Without a Death

The purpose of His death cannot be separated from His resurrection. But let’s be clear—without death, there’s no deliverance. Jesus, like the lamb in Egypt, had to die. There had to be blood. There had to be judgment. Only then could there be new life, a resurrection, a new exodus from sin.

“With His blood, You purchased men for God…” – Revelation 5:9

That’s the language of Passover. That’s the meaning of covenant. Jesus died to redeem a people. He rose to lead them into a better Promised Land—not one defined by borders, but by Spirit and truth.

In Summary:

Jesus’ death fulfilled the typology of the Passover Lamb.

His blood brought redemption from sin, not for the world generically, but for Israel under the Law.

His sacrifice sealed a new covenant, fulfilling what Moses foreshadowed.

Through Israel, salvation was extended to the nations, not replacing Israel, but expanding the blessing promised to Abraham.

Christ died not to start a new religion, but to fulfill an old covenant and inaugurate a better one.