The Jesus scholar, N.T. Wright, puts it bluntly:
The death of Jesus of Nazareth as the
king of the Jews, the bearer of Israel’s destiny, the fulfillment of God’s
promises to his people of old, is either the most stupid, senseless waste and
misunderstanding the world has ever seen, or it is the fulcrum around which
world history turns.
(Simply Christian, p. 111)