The wimpy version of Jesus we often see on TV is so far from the real Jesus who walked on earth. Aside from the obvious bravery of knowingly proceeding to His crucifixion, there was the day-to-day courage Jesus showed in dealing with those who harmed others by their self-righteousness and love for their beliefs above people.

Jesus simply loved sinners too much to leave them in the hands of those He described in Mathew 23:13, 15: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are". In fact Jesus deliberately provoked controversy in our passage, so that the true nature of spiritual freedom might be clear.