1. Jesus was a Jew.
The lineage of Jesus was clear; he was a Jew, in a highly respected family line. His friends were Jews. His followers were Jews. He loved to read in the temple. Jesus was not anti-semitic.
Jesus had contact with some Gentiles: Roman soldiers (Matthew 8, Luke 7, Mark 15) and Samaritans (Luke 17, John 4), but his priority was to reach the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 10). Jesus had a heart for the underrepresented, the ones who prayed behind the branches and gave in ways that others couldn't see. He loved reason and true justice and compassion and fine discernment.
2. The Christians were Jews.
In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit fell upon the group of Jewish believers, and this rush of supernatural power hit the multi-national godly Jews visiting Jerusalem for the Pentecost celebration.
The early Christians didn't make a conscious effort to include the Goyim until after Peter had a vision that God declared them kosher. (Acts 10).
The world has as more types of Christians than types of coffee and tea combined. A person's personality and experiences shape the faith within. But if you get to the core of the message that God gave us, it is rooted in Judaism. There is no way around the Torah or the Prophets. Christians might ignore the festivals and the laws, but they can't avoid the fact that this is the same God, with one continuous message to his world.
The gist of Jesus' life was mapped out in the books of the prophets. The crucifixion was described in Isaiah 53. Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying, while we thought of him as someone being punished and struck with affliction by God; whereas he was being wounded for our rebellions, crushed because of our guilt.... Like a sheep dumb before its shearers, he never opened his mouth.
He claimed to be the Messiah?
Yes, that was a problem back then, too. You might not agree that Jesus was the one to fulfill the Messianic prophecies. The various passages can read as straight documentation of events, historical commentaries, religious symbolism, or prophetic words for the times. The prophecies were written so you could explore and decide for yourself.
If I had been raised Jewish instead of Christian, I would have been rudely skeptical of someone claiming to be the Messiah. This is a precious concept to the believer, not to be taken lightly. The title of Messiah should not be given to the one who is the most persuasive, repeats the prophecies the closest, makes the biggest impact, or shouts the loudest. The Messiah is the one that God sends.
Squeamish about sacrifice
The crucifixion to the Christian is a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice. The Old Testament records a history of gifts that people gave in gratefulness for God's protection and provision and care, beginning with Cain and Abel. Offerings helped provide for the community and temple representatives. An expectation to give up valuables, paid back with a sense of responsibility and humility, and respect for all levels in the community. The sacrifices put everyone on the same page.
Abraham was so eager to please God, that he was ready to offer his son Isaac in place of an animal. Judeo-Christian teachings use this story as an example of living so in tune with God that you would give up what is most precious to you. The story is disturbing, but the point is valuable.
Some say that the Isaac story was written and saved to foreshadow the sacrifice that God made for us.
Instead of months and years of giving animals, we could look to the sacrifice that did it once and for all. As Abraham was saved by faith, we are saved when we recognize that the sacrifice God made was intended to cover all our sins. God redeemed us from slavery, the bondage of what drives us to destruction and away from our God, our sins and selfish nature.
Simply, death is painful
There is no official Christian resentment that Jesus died. Christians experience the normal human pain that everyone feels over unexpected death. Most Christians tend to have a strong hope and focus on the afterlife, to the extent that they need to be reminded to make good use of their time on earth.
(Matthew 24, 25, Mark 13, Ephesians 5:16, Hebrews 10, II Corinthians 5.)
It could be more painful for most Christians to come to terms with the concept of sacrifice, than it is to come to terms with Jesus' brutal death. We all know that people die. It's an inevitable fact of life. Thousands die brutally every day, beyond our control, numbing our sensitivities. Jesus had an effective ministry, and we believe he still does.
What was the crucifixion to Jesus?
Jesus told his friends that he was going to die. He knew that he had to take on pain and suffering (John 13-17). He knew the prophecies, he knew what The Father was telling him. Everything recorded about Jesus showed a love for people that pushed beyond the boundaries of what was proper and convenient.
Jesus' death was improper. His disciples resisted his arrest. He didn't speak during his trial. He was fully convinced of his role in God's plan of redemption.
Relations
As Christians, we are a little humbled that God didn't choose us first. Christians might appear to be overly vocal about Jesus' sacrifice offering us salvation from so many things, but there is no disputing that we are not the firstborn of the family. Our religion is about anti-religiosity, our worth is based only in God calling us His children. We have acceptance only because we said yes.
There are many wonderful responses to this issue, especially Mel Gibson's interviews. We will come up with more links over time. Keep listening, keep reasoning.
Code of the Priest video
Perry Stone
Detailed evidence that the high priest and Sanhedrin recognized Jesus as sent from God. Even if you're not interested in this subject, a trip to this site is well worth it. Perry Stone speaks on TBN at 1:30 PM Wednesdays Eastern time. Find out amazing coincidences in scriptures, from his thorough research.
God, help me know You, above all the hype and controversy. Show me who You are, what You intended for my life.
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