I believe that Jesus is 100% God and 100% human and that He died on the cross. Did God die on the cross?
That is an excellent question. The fact is “God can’t die, for He is IMMORTAL.” This truth is brought out clearly in 1st Timothy 6:13, 15-16: “I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things…. He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, WHO ALONE HAS IMMORTALITY, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power” (NKJV). The word “immortality” simply means “deathlessness” or “eternal life”; it carries with it the thought of “the inability to die.” God is the only one who is immortality INHERENTLY, which means it is His part of His NATURE. He is ETERNAL, with NO BEGINNING and NO END. So, the answer to your question is, NO, God did NOT DIE on the cross.
You are absolutely right in saying that “Jesus is 100% God and 100% human.” We see this truth in the following verses: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). This is the wonderful truth of “the INCARNATION of the Son of God.” God the Son became a Man! He never ceased being God, but He was also a Man with a human body, soul and spirit. He was “God manifest in the flesh” (see 1st Timothy 3:16).
Why did He become a Man? He became a Man so He could DIE ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS! Again, as God “He could not die,” but as Man “He could voluntarily lay down His life and die.” We do well to cite some scriptures that prove He became a true man in order to die for our sins. In Hebrews 2:9, 14-15 we read, “But we see Jesus, WHO WAS MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS, FOR THE SUFFERING OF DEATH… Inasmuch then as the children have PARTAKEN OF FLESH AND BLOOD, HE HIMSELF LIKEWISE SHARED IN THE SAME, THAT THROUGH DEATH He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” On the cross God the Father laid on Jesus the sins of all who would believe on Him and then Jesus bore God’s JUDGMENT for those sins. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all…. who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree…by whose stripes you were healed” (Isaiah 53:5-6). After bearing our sins and the judgment of God, He then willingly DIED. “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:30). To prove that Jesus had truly laid down His life and died we read (in verses 33-34), “But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was ALREADY DEAD, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” Though Jesus Himself was not “subject to death” (because He had never sinned nor could He sin…see 1st Peter 2:22 & 1st John 3:5); He could “lay down His life of His own free will” (see John 10:17-18). In other words, He COULD DIE, and HE DID DIE! We see His willingness to die expressed in His last words on the cross, “And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.”
In closing, it must be emphasized that if the Son of God had not become a true Man, He could never have died, for as we saw GOD IS IMMORTAL AND CANNOT DIE. But in “becoming flesh” (with a true human body), Jesus could and did DIE! His willingness to become a Man and to DIE IN OUR PLACE ON THE CROSS, will be our (every believer’s) theme of worship forever and ever! “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6). (454.5) (DO)