Historically why did Jesus die and why are these historical factors theologically significant?

Answer 1

Strictly speaking, we can not write of Jesus dying in the historical sense, as we have no historical evidence of how or why he died. The only mention of why Jesus is said to have died is in the gospels.

In the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) the event that triggered the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus was the "cleansing of the Temple", when he overturned the tables of the moneychangers. In John's Gospel, the event that triggered the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus was the resurrection of Lazarus, with the Pharisees saying of him, "Perceive how ye prevail nothing? Behold the whole world is gone after him." The most important accusation against Jesus at his trial was of claiming to be the King of the Jews (Mark 15:2).

Looking at the gospel reasons for the trial and execution of Jesus, the cleansing of the Temple was theologically important, because the moneychangers were sanctioned by the priests and performed an important function in preparing for Temple sacrifices. However, the Roman-Jewish War ended the practice of Temple sacrifices, just at the very time that Mark's Gospel, the earliest gospel, was written. Arguably, the author of Mark knew that Temple sacrifices were to cease and therefore had Jesus make an important issue of the wrongness of the old practices.

The resurrection of Lazarus, occurring only in John's Gospel, was theologically important because it demonstrated to the early Christians the power of Jesus.

The claim to be King of the Jews was less important theologically, because Christianity only had limited success in converting the Jews. Most conversions during the early period of Christianity were of gentiles.