[Resettozero]

Actually, there is another option: he was a politician who really believed he could be the next King of Israel. That he could unite the Jews and rally them to free themselves of Roman rule.

Incorrect guess. When He saw the followers were going to make Him a ruler by force, he escaped from them and went a different direction. He was sent by the Father to accomplish what He finished, not to be a politician.

Or were you just joshin' us?

[A_perfect_lady]

Incorrect guess. When He saw the followers were going to make Him a ruler by force, he escaped from them and went a different direction. He was sent by the Father to accomplish what He finished, not to be a politician.

I suspect the opposite is true. He was killed, and his later followers decided that this "must have been" part of a larger plan, and they "must have" misinterpreted everything he said while he was alive. Well, Paul, mostly.