Why was Jesus executed? In answering this question in historical terms, we must first look at the events leading up to his arrest and ultimately, his execution. We know that Jesus performed that symbolic gesture of “cleansing” the temple, by overturning the money changers tables, and most believe that this act was symbolic of destruction, not purification. Paula Fredrickson, author of From Jesus to Christ writes: “Through this disruptive gesture, Jesus symbolically enacted the enpending apocalyptic destruction of the Temple…that God’s kingdom was at hand.” So basically, his gesture, as Fredrickson states: ̶