Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE CLIMAX OF JESUS' MISSION §17.2
him (§15.3a). Most likely it was because Jesus was seen as a threat to the status
quo, a threat to the power brokers within Israel's social-religious-political system,
that they decided to move decisively against him. 118 In the event it would
seem that they were able to portray the decision to hand Jesus over to Pilate for
summary execution as a purely religious one (Jesus guilty of 'blasphemy' —
Mark 14.63-64 pars.). In the event too Pilate took not very much persuasion to
condemn Jesus as a political challenge to Roman power (§17. le). 119 But it is unlikely
that Pilate would have taken steps to remove Jesus without that persuasion.
Jesus was executed, in the final analysis, because he had become too much of a
thorn in the side of the religious-political establishment.
But how much of a thorn? Was it only when he went to Jerusalem that he
became so perceived? Or had there been smouldering resentment earlier which
burst into flame only on Jesus' (final) trip to Jerusalem? Here the boot is more on
the other foot, in that in the Gospels (even John), the chief priests hardly feature
before Jesus' entry into Jerusalem; 120 earlier the chief protagonists are consistently
described as scribes and Pharisees. At the same time there are hints that Jesus'
words and actions would probably have been seen as an irritation (or worse)
to priestly prerogatives.
b. Forgiveness — Bypassing the Cult?
We have already observed the relative prominence of the prospect of forgiveness
held out to repentance by both the Baptist and Jesus. 121 The point should not be
exaggerated, as though either of them offered a forgiveness nowhere else available
within Second Temple Judaism. 122 For Israel delighted in their God as a
118. Sanders, Jesus 287-90, 301-305; also Historical Figure 265-69, 272-73. Cf. particularly
E. Rivkin, What Crucified Jesus? (Nashville: Abingdon, 1984); Horsley, Jesus 323-26.
On the sensitivity with which criticism of the Temple would be received by the Jerusalem leadership
see further Theissen, 'Jesus' Temple Prophecy'. Becker urges caution: 'Relating Jesus'
temple action to his death may be a popular thing to do today, but that connection is nowhere
indicated by the sources' (Jesus 332; he is aware of Mark 11.18). But the link between the Temple
saying and the action against Jesus (Mark 14.58) is firm (see above, §15.3a), and some association
between Temple action and Temple saying can be safely assumed.
119. 'A man who spoke of a kingdom, spoke against the temple, and had a following
was one marked for execution' (Sanders, Jesus 295).
120. Apart from the Passion predictions (Mark 8.31 pars.; Mark 10.33/Matt. 20.18),
only John 7.32, 45 call for consideration; the other Johannine references all follow on John's
trigger event, the raising of Lazarus (John 11.47,49,51,57; 12.10).
121. See above, §§11.3b, 13.2a.
122. So Perrin, Rediscovering 97, 107; rebuked by Sanders, Jesus 200-204 (both cited in
my Partings 44-45).
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