For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate

Why did Jesus die? Who caused his death? What was the main accusation against him?

The Jewish leadership sought false witnesses to accuse Jesus of destroying their religion and traditions.

When that failed, they told Pilate that Jesus opposed the Roman emperor. However, Pilate found no basis to convict Jesus of any crime against Rome.

So why did Jesus suffer crucifixion? The Creed provides the answer. Jesus suffered and died not for His own sake, but for us and our salvation.

Humanity was separated from God and deprived of His grace because of the first sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus willingly took upon Himself the task of making ‘satisfaction’ for our sins, restoring our relationship with God.

In Greek, the preposition ‘hyper’ (for) means ‘on behalf of,’ ‘for the benefit of,’ ‘for the sake of,’ or ‘because of.’ This captures the essence of the sacrifice of Christ: He suffered for our sake.

Three key aspects of Jesus' death are Redemption, Propitiation, and Reconciliation.

The Bible describes the blood of Jesus as the price paid for our freedom, a ransom. Through His redemptive sacrifice, Jesus purchased us with His own blood.

God sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, meaning Jesus absorbed the blow of God we deserved and turned away God’s wrath.

Finally, the death of Christ accomplished reconciliation between humanity and God. By reconciling us to the Father, Jesus brought us peace.

It was common in antiquity to use rulers’ names to denote time periods. By mentioning the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, the Creed locates Jesus’ passion and death in human history, so to make it clear that we are not dealing with some abstract event that may or may not have taken place.

Unlike ancient myths, often set in vague and distant 'olden times,' the Church has always emphasized the concrete historical setting of Jesus's life.

Jesus was sentenced to crucifixion, a form of execution reserved for slaves, rebels, pirates, and society’s most despised enemies and criminals.

As fully divine and fully human, Jesus experienced real pain and was subject to death.

Crucifixion was not only a brutal physical punishment but also a public humiliation, considered the most shameful and disgraceful way to die. Roman citizens were exempt from such a fate, highlighting its severity.

For the Jews, crucifixion echoed the curse described in Scripture: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” For the Romans, it represented the ultimate judgment rendered by the state’s authority.

Jesus entered human history in real time, as a real person, to suffer and die. Through His sacrifice, he redeemed me and reconciled me with God.

My use of 'I believe' rather than 'we believe' highlights my personal relationship with God. Likewise, though Jesus died for humanity, I treasure it as a personal sacrifice for me.