In 31 A.D., Jesus Christ became our very personal sacrifice. He died, but why did He have to suffer before dying? When a priest would sacrifice an animal, it was done with minimal suffering of the animal. Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. So why did Jesus endure so brutal an experience for our salvation? Jesus suffered so that He would completely understand the suffering and temptation humans go through in life, making Him the perfect mediator. He understands the human experience through His experience.

W. Fred Crow

Pastor, United Church of God

Fred Crow is an elder with United Church of God; pastor of the Eureka and San Jose, California congregations. After 34 years, Fred retired from the aerospace industry in 2015. He and his wife Sue have two daughters and eight grandchildren. On the side, he wrote a newspaper column, taught scuba diving, was a published cartoonist; and he is a writer, photographer, and traveler.