Why was Jesus executed? In answering this question in historical terms, we must first look at the events leading up to his arrest and ultimately, his execution. We know that Jesus performed that symbolic gesture of “cleansing” the temple, by overturning the money changers tables, and most believe that this act was symbolic of destruction, not purification. Paula Fredrickson, author of From Jesus to Christ writes: “Through this disruptive gesture, Jesus symbolically enacted the enpending …showed first 75 words of 964 total…

…showed last 75 words of 964 total…s all a form control, and a desire for power. Seeing how intertwined politics and religion were, I have to believe that it was a political move. The crucifixion of Jesus satisfied both the Jews and the Romans, but ultimately, through their own action, they helped propel Jesus into an idol, and also helped propel Christianity into one of the fastest growing and now largest religions of the world, exactly what they sought to prevent.