To consider the answer to the question of why Jesus had to die, I think it would first be helpful to ask what problems needed to be solved. There was a war in heaven. What was the cause of this war? How could the war be won?

The one who caused the war in heaven, brought his sophistry to earth. By deception, he led our parents to rebel. How does the death of Christ fix these problems?

1. What are the problems that need to be solved?

FMAs have sinned and must die. It has been blamed on God for enforcing a law that not even He is willing to obey. To vindicate God’s law and character, and to pardon mankind, the death penalty must be executed.

2. There was a war in heaven. What was the cause of this war? How could the war be won?

Lucifer refused to repent. War broke out between Jesus and His angels and Lucifer and his angels. Jesus prevailed, and the evil angels were cast down to earth. To win the great controversy Jesus must disprove Satan’s accusations about His kingdom and character, and prove that obeying the law is the only way to experience true peace and happiness.

3. The one who caused the war in heaven, brought his sophistry to earth. By deception, he led our parents to rebel. How does the death of Christ fix these problems?

The death of Christ on the cross is only part of the solution. He also had to live a perfect life. After His resurrection, Jesus had to intercede between God and man in the heavenly sanctuary, first in the HP, and then in the MHP. He must also empower the 144,000 to perfectly reproduce His character. In the end, Jesus must punish and destroy the unsaved in the lake of fire, and restore paradise lost.

The death of Jesus on the cross solves several problems. The primary problem it addresses is the death penalty. God required that the death penalty be executed, and Jesus took that upon Himself on the cross. Now that the death penalty has been paid, God is free to pardon us, and to empower us to reproduce Jesus’ sinless character.

What Law was broken?

Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love

Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

God has never ceased fulfilling the Law. God is Love. It is in our hearts and minds that the law was broken; there is where the gulf is made. Sin has broken God’s Law of life, and established the law of sin and death. There is where Christ satisfies the claims of the broken law by bridging the gulf which sin has made.

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

MM, your idea of Justice is outside of God's Law, for it worketh ill to his neighbor; it only and ever works death.

God's idea of justice is Life Everlasting. Therefore God can save.

There are many who do not believe that God can forgive, despite all that Jesus has said and done.

Tom: Thank you, MM, for answering my questions.

Old Tom: 1. What are the problems that need to be solved?

MM: FMAs have sinned and must die. It has been blamed on God for enforcing a law that not even He is willing to obey. To vindicate God’s law and character, and to pardon mankind, the death penalty must be executed.

Tom: So the problem that needed to be fixed was with God's law. It needed to be vindicated because of sin. God was able to fix the problem with His law by executuing the death penatly.

Old Tom: 2. There was a war in heaven. What was the cause of this war? How could the war be won?

MM: Lucifer refused to repent. War broke out between Jesus and His angels and Lucifer and his angels. Jesus prevailed, and the evil angels were cast down to earth. To win the great controversy Jesus must disprove Satan’s accusations about His kingdom and character, and prove that obeying the law is the only way to experience true peace and happiness.

Tom: So the death of Christ has nothing to do with the problems which began in heaven? At least your answer does not suggest that Christ's death had anything to do with solving that problem.

Old Tom: 3. The one who caused the war in heaven, brought his sophistry to earth. By deception, he led our parents to rebel. How does the death of Christ fix these problems?

MM: The death of Christ on the cross is only part of the solution. He also had to live a perfect life. After His resurrection, Jesus had to intercede between God and man in the heavenly sanctuary, first in the HP, and then in the MHP. He must also empower the 144,000 to perfectly reproduce His character. In the end, Jesus must punish and destroy the unsaved in the lake of fire, and restore paradise lost.

The death of Jesus on the cross solves several problems. The primary problem it addresses is the death penalty. God required that the death penalty be executed, and Jesus took that upon Himself on the cross. Now that the death penalty has been paid, God is free to pardon us, and to empower us to reproduce Jesus’ sinless character.

Tom: You say that God required the death penalty be executed. Why? That is, why did God require this?

Let's say for the sake of argument that God did not require a death penalty to be paid. In this case, would it have been necessary for Christ do die? If He didn't require a death penalty, could we have been forgiven without Christ's death on the cross?

Finally, how is it that God could forgive Satan's sins without a death penalty being executed, but not ours? (God would have accepted Satan back into his former position, after he had sinned, on the condition of repentance. No blood was necessary)

John, I agree with you that Jesus empowers us to love God and man. I also happen to agree with Sister White that God demanded the death penalty be executed, and it was.

Tom: Let's say for the sake of argument that God did not require a death penalty to be paid. In this case, would it have been necessary for Christ do die? If He didn't require a death penalty, could we have been forgiven without Christ's death on the cross?

MM: Assuming such a thing for the sake of argument assumes such a thing was possible, which, of course, it was not.

Tom: It wsn't possible for God not to require a death penalty? Why not?

But please humor me, because I believe my question is important, getting to the heart of the matter. Let's assume it was possible for God not to require a death penalty. If He didn't require a death penalty to be paid (let's say, for example, that it is we who required the penalty to be paid, as if we were the one who needed it, rather than God) would it have been possible for us to have received God's forgiveness? Could we have been reconciled to God without Christ's death?

This begs the question as to how Christ's death reconciles us, the answer of which is found in Col. 1:19-21 as well as 1 Pet. 2:24, 25 and 1 Pet. 3:18.

MM: The death of Jesus accomplishes many things, most notably it satisfied God’s demand that the death penalty be executed. Why does God require the death penalty? Good question. What do you think?

Tom: I think we required it. We were the ones who sinned, not God. God doesn't need anything; He's perfect.