If Jesus is so smart, how did he end up dying in such a painful, humiliating way, nailed to a cross. Did he mess up? Get caught out by his enemies…No. Truth is Jesus chose to go through it all. He told his friends many times exactly what was going to happen. In front of Pontius Pilate, the Roman who condemned him to die, he said “I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth.” Jesus allowed himself to be taken by his enemies and even prayed for them as they killed him. At the moment of his death Jesus said “It is finished” meaning ‘mission accomplished.” But why? Why would he choose that? Why did Jesus die?