And of course that’s WHY he got crucified. He interfered with the most profitable business of the times: religious extortion. He did it in a way that was tremendously popular. The combination of popular policy and action that undermines the rich for the benefit of regular people is always the greatest fear of the rich. They’re always willing to kill to protect their position.
This. But also a degree of expedience played a role too. Rome had twisted Judea (and, eventually, Galilee) to such a degree that the temple leadership was willing to let Rome crucify a guy like Jesus because it kept Rome from taking more. People like Pilate were looking for excuses to bring the hammer down on the citizens of Judea. Passover was often a flashpoint for insurrection (a bunch of oppressed people huddled together, all brought together by the unifying story of that time their God raised up a dude to lead them against their first oppressor–the festival was primed for any number of would-be “messiahs” to rise up and eventually try something against Rome, which led to intense crack-downs and, at times, mass crucifixions). So Rome backed the cultural and religious authorities into a corner, turning them into the sort of people who’d gladly hold sham trials to get rid of a guy who might bring more trouble down on their heads.
And of course that’s WHY he got crucified. He interfered with the most profitable business of the times: religious extortion. He did it in a way that was tremendously popular. The combination of popular policy and action that undermines the rich for the benefit of regular people is always the greatest fear of the rich. They’re always willing to kill to protect their position.
It’s a universal lesson.
This. But also a degree of expedience played a role too. Rome had twisted Judea (and, eventually, Galilee) to such a degree that the temple leadership was willing to let Rome crucify a guy like Jesus because it kept Rome from taking more. People like Pilate were looking for excuses to bring the hammer down on the citizens of Judea. Passover was often a flashpoint for insurrection (a bunch of oppressed people huddled together, all brought together by the unifying story of that time their God raised up a dude to lead them against their first oppressor–the festival was primed for any number of would-be “messiahs” to rise up and eventually try something against Rome, which led to intense crack-downs and, at times, mass crucifixions). So Rome backed the cultural and religious authorities into a corner, turning them into the sort of people who’d gladly hold sham trials to get rid of a guy who might bring more trouble down on their heads.
A story as old as time