We continue in chapter 12 of Jesus and the Victory of God (pp. 540-611) on the reasons for Jesus’ crucifixion. Following Wright’s approach, we’ll examine this from three perspectives, Roman, Jewish, and Jesus himself, with the majority of commentary on the last one.
Rome crucifies Jesus because of his claim to be king. All the gospels record the titulus—the charge—hung above him on the cross, ‘King of the Jews.’ (Mt. 27:37; Mk. 15:26; Lk. 23:38; Jn. 19:19). “Jesus was executed as a rebel against Rome.” (p. 544) Although Pilate assents to the execution, he is aware that Jesus is not a true threat to Rome, as noted next.
As we move into the Jewish answer to the question, Wright notes that unusually, none of Jesus’ followers are arrested, much less crucified, with him. This suggests that the Jews (and Rome) did not consider Jesus’ movement to be that much of a threat—in short, not a ‘real’ king/kingdom (p. 547-8). After all, if you’re executing a rebel king with a following, wouldn’t you want to at least eliminate his ‘top lieutenants’ as well?
If there is a recognition that Jesus isn’t a huge threat, then why do the Jews demand his execution? Wright answers this with a combination of five reasons: he was viewed as a false prophet, “his Temple-action [was] a blow against the central symbol [of Israel],” he claimed to be Messiah, “they saw him as a dangerous political nuisance,” and finally, in the ‘trial’ itself, he “place[d] himself, blasphemously, alongside the god of Israel.” (pp. 551-2) However, as the story is considered, it is evident that Jesus Himself plays a part. As Wright notes, “[Jesus] could… have played all his cards differently.” (p. 552) This is the bulk of the chapter’s exploration, covering why Jesus Himself thought he must suffer and die.
The Christian tendency is to read theology back into history (‘Jesus died as an atoning sacrifice, thus he did expect to die, therefore it is historical’), but Wright’s project goes in the opposite direction. He is engaged in the historical Jesus debate and is looking at history which will then, especially in his book on Paul, lead us toward theology. In other words, given the historical context, does such an event, an expectation, a perspective, a person, fit the context? To put it differently, his approach is ‘from the ground up’ whereas a theological-first approach is ‘from heaven down.’ By the way, this is how the synoptic gospels approach the Jesus story as well (from the ‘earth’ up), whereas John’s gospel is more of a ‘from heaven down’ story (credit for this illustration goes to Dr. Darrell Bock).
So the question: in a second Temple context, is it historically reasonable to expect that a first-century Jewish man, who thinks he is the Messiah, to believe he must die, and if so, why? Wright goes over a number of gospel references and second Temple literature to make the case for why Jesus thought he must die.
As noted previously, Jesus believed Israel was fighting the wrong battles, seeking the kingdom through the way of the nations (militarily), when the true enemy was the satan, the accuser. Jesus, fighting the larger battle with evil, believes “[h]e would defeat evil by letting it do its worst to him.” (p. 565)
Israel was called to be a blessing for the whole world and it failed that calling. Jesus, as its Messiah, will fulfill that calling. He must, as Israel-in-person, take on what Israel did not. He must embody the sufferings of Israel. He will both fulfill the purposes of Torah for Israel, and bear the curses of the Torah for Israel’s disobedience. Of course, Israel’s continued failure through rebellion against Rome will only end in her destruction. Wright notes this (pp. 568-9) in his comments on the passage in Luke 23:27-31 where the women are weeping as he carries the cross. If Rome will crucify one who advocates for peace and against rebellion (‘when the wood is green,’ 23:31), Rome really will go after those who advocate for and openly rebel (‘when the wood is dry,’ 23:31). The Jewish rebellion, and subsequent destruction, in AD 67-70, are the sobering reality of that prediction.
What does Jesus as representative of Israel do? “Jesus… told the second-Temple story of the suffering and exile of the people of YHWH in a new form, and proceeded to act it out.” (p. 594) Yet, as he did so, his way was entirely different. “Fighting the battle of the kingdom with the enemy’s weapons meant that one had already lost it.” (p. 595) Rather, “He took upon himself the totally and comprehensibly Jewish vocation not only of critique from within; not only of opposition from within, but of suffering the consequences of critique and opposition from within.” (p. 595, emphasis original)
Like many of the prophets, Jesus would die. Jerusalem had a bit of a history with rejecting prophets (Lk. 13:34-35). Israel had consistently tried to go the way of the nations rather than being a blessing for the whole world. “Indeed, the zeal which characterized both the Maccabees and their successors in the first century, making them intensify Torah-observance and draw their boundaries… ever tighter, was precisely what Jesus had opposed.” (p. 596) Rather, Jesus’ entire ministry is pushing Torah beyond those narrow confines: He had reinterpreted its symbols—Sabbath for man, Temple for the nations—and in his praxis of table fellowship with sinners. “His symbolic actions had pointed towards a renewal of Israel which broke the boundaries, the wineskins, the taboos, and which incorporated a new set of symbols.” (p. 596) Of course! Because Jesus is not only advocating for a new way, he is embodying it! Thus, he will embody what will come as a result of Israel’s continued rebellion. “He also took upon himself the ‘wrath’ which was coming upon Israel because she had refused his way of peace.” (p. 596, emphasis original) Satan had twisted Israel for his purposes; Jesus will “do what the chosen people ought to do.” (p. 608) He will die.
And yet, his death would be YHWH’s victory.
Chapter 1: Jesus Then and Now
Chapter 2: Heavy Traffic on Wredebahn: The ‘New Quest’ Renewed
Chapter 3: Back to the Future: The ‘Third Quest’
Chapter 4: Prodigals and Paradigms
Chapter 5: The Praxis of a Prophet
Chapter 6: Stories of the Kingdom (1): Announcement
Chapter 7: Stories of the Kingdom (2)
Chapter 8: Stories of the Kingdom (3): Judgment and Vindication
Chapter 9: Symbol and Controversy
Chapter 10: The Questions of the Kingdom
Chapter 11: Jesus and Israel: The Meaning of Messiahship
Chapter 12: The Reasons for Jesus’ Crucifixion
Chapter 13: The Return of the King
Chapter 14: Results