Some great people were widely recognized only after they were dead, and only a few people in their time saw their importance.

He threatened the Establishment enough for them to seek out his death.

If he existed, he was so unimportant that no credible evidence of his existence exists.

Well, using only the Bible, I can demonstrate that it’s totally feasible he was arrested for stealing a horse.

If someone stole my horse, I’d be annoyed.

I don’t believe in the divinity of Christ. But I do think he excited in so,e sort of capacity. I think he would have been a very popular moral philosopher and teacher during his time. Like all figures of limelight he would have had admirers and critiques.

If the technology existed back then he’d have been the king of selfies with sluts & reality tv, attention whore.

He was subversive and divisive and definitely a threat to both the establishment and public order. He had no powerful friends to intervene on his behalf, and made no effort to avoid what everyone knew was in store for him.

@stanleybmanly everyone knew what was in store for him? Where do you receive this information? Can you elaborate?

He was a rebel with a cause and that is highly threatening to the establishment as @zenvelo said.

I just want to, once again, say thanks to all the people here who just shit all over my faith.

In response to the OP, Jesus was born in the depths of poverty, and became an important, sought after, and popular theologian. Crowds followed him, religious leaders were intimidated by him, and those same leaders conspired to get rid of him.
The “king”, as you referred, I assume, to Caesar, had little to do with his crucifixion.

Jesus ministered to the poor, the infirm, women and children and his message of love, hope and eternal life in his Kingdom of God was a pwerful tonic to these poor people of that time. The Aristocrats and the High Priest deemed Jesus a “corrupter” of their “Law” (Talmud) which is a crime punishable by death. The rest is history.

For a really good read on this topic…The Life of Jesus by Ernest Renan is writings that are about as Biographical as it can get that chronicles the life of Jesus and how he came about to become the Messiah he ultimately became. Truly fascinating read.

I was raised Jewish – we were always taught that Jesus was a rabbi. Nothing particularly special about him at first; as he got older he became more radicalized and shot off his mouth. But in that respect he was like a lot of others – there was some room for rabble rousing in Ancient times.

So as I understand it, he was one of many regular people, a clergyman, in his community, but definitely not godlike. He didn’t take on those attributes until after he was killed, and even then it was the story tellers who made his story famous.

Jesus was a regular guy, in summary, but it was the ‘Christ’ part that made the legend.

Remember how cruel a people the Romans were? Jesus was a kind of counter balance to that.

@Aster Just out of curiosity, from what you’ve been taught of Jesus, why do you think He was killed? Of what crime was He guilty?

I’ve always heard he was killed for claiming to be the king. And hinting he was God’s son?

Well any idiot can make such a claim, though when you think about it, that reason makes about as much sense as “He died for our sins.” I take it that you were reared Catholic like myself, which is why we’re onto this during Lent. King of what or whom?

I like to think that Jesus was a nice Jewish boy who studied and observed, honored his late father’s memory (the Lord’s Prayer is a variation of the Judaic mourners’ Kaddish), went to the mikvah (that’s what Baptism is), celebrated Passover (the Last Supper), and lived by his principles.

^^I always say the same thing, “a nice Jewish boy.”

I think he was very spiritual, and accepting, and people were drawn to him, especially the poor and disenfranchised.

^^^ I have a mental picture of someone I’d really enjoy meeting. Many people would lecture me about how I will, indeed, meet Jesus someday, but I don’t hold those beliefs.

Clearly Jesus was at the center of a growing cult. And His execution certainly suggests that he was more than a mere annoyance to SOMEBODY. And that somebody had the power to arrange a gruesome and prolonged death reserved by Rome for the most heinous and detested of criminals. That episode with Pilate , the governor of Judea pretty much says it all.

See, when I read the Bible I don’t get “gentle Jesus meek and mild”. I see a kind of sarcastic dude with a temper, who struggled to be a basically good person despite his prejudices.

And the irony of his adoption by today’s right wing zealots is all but stupefying.

I mean think of it! A man who openly despised the work ethic. When folks complained that they needed to earn a living instead of following him around, what did Jesus have to say about it? “Observe the lillies of the field”. “They don’t do a damned thing but look pretty, but my dad takes care of em.” Jesus ran around with beggars drunks prostitutes and kids, repeatedly screaming to any who would listen that the rich would never see heaven, work is a waste of time, and bankers should be despised. And the secret to salvation? Give all your stuff to the poor and follow me around homeless and penniless.

And he became violently angry twice: once because he couldn’t get free food off a fig tree, and the other at investment bankers.

The investment bakers deserved it. They still do.