***The Crucifixion would have happened with or without lies, deceit, false trials etc. Did they not happen on a fairly regular basis anyway (I mean lies, deceit, false trials)?
WHAT??? :) Tell me how Jesus could have been legitimately tried and convicted of [name your crime] and then warranted the ultimate death penalty. How could that have POSSIBLY happened? ***
http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1115584 says that:
“So, why would Pontius Pilate, who presided at the trial of Jesus, find him not guilty of a crime meriting death, yet hand him over to the Jews for crucifixion? Pilate realized that, to restore and maintain the political and religious stability of Judea, Jesus had to be executed. But, if a Roman prefect sentenced Jesus to death, Jesus would become a martyr, increasing the feelings of injustice and fueling the flames of revolution. Pilate needed Jesus to be crucified by his own people. In this manner, Jesus would still serve as an example of the consequences of questioning Roman authority without direct Roman involvement in his death — in fact it would be Pilate, the Roman prefect, who had recommended that Jesus be freed. Thus, Pilate demonstrated his shrewdness as well as his cruelty. A rabble-rouser was put to death and Roman hands were clean of the incident.”
The background leading up to this is interesting, as well.
***Jesus prayed for the cup to be taken away while still a free man, before any of this started. God’s WILL clearly was for all of it to proceed as it did. It HAD to, for this was the MOST innocent man who ever lived! :)***
Agreed.
I don't think the Bible says it went down that way. For one thing Pilate DID find Jesus guilty of "something":
Luke 23:22 : 22 For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."
For another thing, it wasn't the Jews who carried out the crucifixion, as that quote says they did, it WAS in fact the Romans. The Romans did the flogging, Romans tortured Him with the thorns, and Romans hammered the nails and lifted Him up. They were professionals at this. The Jews never crucified anybody. So, while Pilate did not personally think Jesus warranted the death penalty, he agreed to find Him "guilty" and execute the death penalty for political reasons.
Finally, He never would have been brought before Pilate in the first place if Jesus was not found guilty by the council headed by Caiaphas. My point was only that Jesus couldn't have legitimately been found guilty of anything, since He WASN'T guilty of anything. :)