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[–] ding0bait ago  (edited ago)

Jesus was not executed as a member of the riff-raff, as a slave who committed a crime against his owner, as a lowly criminal from the lower classes. He was executed for calling himself King of the Jews. Craig Evans agrees with that. Virtually everyone agrees with that. Jesus was killed on a political charge. By calling himself king – in Roman eyes (whether this is what he personally meant or not) – he was making a political claim, that he was going to replace the Roman governance of Judea with a kingdom in which he himself would be king. This could happen (in Roman eyes) only if there was a rebellion. Rebellions have to be suppressed – and if you’re Roman, they have to be suppressed violently, forcefully, mercilessly. If you think you are going to replace the Roman ruler, if you think you can start an insurrection against the state, if you think you can take our power away and exert your own power, well, we’ll SHOW you how much power you have.

source https://ehrmanblog.org/why-romans-crucified-people/

Bart Ehrman

So let's recap the last few days before Jesus was killed:

  • Jesus led an attack on the Temple during passover, failed and fled after Romans arrived.
  • Jesus flees and hides in Gethsemane, waiting for things to cool down.
  • Judas, a zealot, betrays Jesus.
  • Zealots kill at least one Roman solider during this time.
  • Jesus is handed over to the Romans.
  • Pilate gives Jesus a trial.
  • Jesus makes the claim he is king.
  • Executed as a political enemy of Rome.
  • Sign is hung over him, during the Passover, John 19:9 “Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS**.”

Clearly Jesus was executed for political reasons. Any citizen Rome, especially a "JEW" who rejected, or plotted against Rome, would die in this way. There could be no other way. Rome had to make a statement. They had to let the Jewish population understand there was only Rome.