Jesus was crucified for both earthly and heavenly reasons. Earthly, he was seen as a threat by the Jewish leaders who accused him of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God, and feared his growing influence might provoke Roman intervention. The Romans crucified him primarily because he was presented as claiming to be "King of the Jews," a political charge that challenged Roman authority. The method of crucifixion was used by the Romans to punish and make an example of those seen as political threats. Heavenly, Christian belief holds that God had a divine plan to save sinners, and Jesus' crucifixion was a part of this plan—a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world. Despite the evil in the act itself, it was allowed by God to accomplish the greatest good: salvation for humanity. Thus, Jesus was crucified both due to the political and religious tensions of the time and because of a divine purpose believed to bring forgiveness and reconciliation between God and humanity.
