Why Did They Really Kill Jesus?

Why did the scribes, Pharisees, chief priests, and other religious leaders have Jesus killed? Did they kill Jesus because he was blunt, rude, and unkind? Did they put Jesus to death because he was “trolling” them and they were offended by his harsh teaching? From time to time I will hear Christians suggest that Jesus was killed for being unkind. I suspect this argument is made in an effort to justify our own harsh rhetoric. So, let’s examine the Scriptures and ask, why did they really kill Jesus...