by Dukasaur on Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:56 pm
One of the few points on which most Biblical scholars agree is that Jesus went to his execution knowingly and willingly. Whether you're religious and you believe he died to redeem our sin, or whether you take a secular view and believe that he was the leader of a protest movement who wanted to be martyred as a rallying point for the people, you agree that he went into it with his eyes open.
Even setting aside the thorny question of divine intervention, Jesus had numerous earthly and mortal ways to avoid his fate -- recant and submit, flee the city before his arrest, have his numerous followers rescue him by force, have his followers collect money to bribe his way out, make a deal with the Romans against to Jews or with the Jews against the Romans, or simply put up a real defense at his trial instead of what was essentially a Nolo contendere plea. He chose none of these, because (for a reason you can debate from here to tomorrow) he wanted to be a martyr.
I don't see any reasonable grounds on which to challenge a guilty verdict when the defendant wanted to be condemned.
“Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”
― Voltaire