Why do people say Christ died for me? I never asked him to die for me. I wouldn’t want anyone to die for me. How does this make sense?

Jesus’ death on the cross is the ultimate expression of God’s unconditional love for humanity but most especially for you and me.

Imagine a man is attempting to end his life by jumping into the water from a bridge. Whoever witnesses the act will prevent him from doing it and may even take the risk of jumping into the water to save his life. Here a stranger is willing to risk his life to rescue another stranger because he knows the value of life and acts on the basis of love, willing the greater good of the other. 

The one who intended to end his life never wanted anybody to save him. But on the other hand, anyone who witnesses such an attempt will do all they can to save that life. The rescuers are acting against the ‘will’ of the one who wants to end his life. Here we see that the consent of the person is immaterial. 

Every crime deserves punishment. Punishment is as an act of justice. Consider a man being unfaithful to his wife. Unfaithfulness also demands just punishment. Through Sin, we have divorced ourselves from God, the giver of life and have been unfaithful to Him. As a result, we have been enslaved to sin and were spiritually dead. Christ came to restore our lost life and our status as children of God. Big and small sins committed by us have been taken away by Jesus Christ through his passion, death and resurrection. He paid the price for our sins in order to save us from spiritual death and eternal damnation. He did what we could not do ourselves on our behalf. Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for us without our consent – because he loved us and willed our greater good. 

At the end of our lives, you and I will face God for judgement. And we face Him alone. And when you and I will be accepted in by God to spend eternity with Him it will be because Jesus died for you and me.