The message of the crucifixion...

When Yeshua went through the most gruesome, horrible human trial that anyone can go through, he found peace, love and forgiveness in the middle of it. For me the lesson is this, if he could do that in the face of violent death, and as the story (or myth if you like) goes, even overcame physical death, then we can find love, peace and forgiveness in every little ego death and less severe human trials that we face every day. He was here to show us this through the most extreme example.

Simply put:

"The message of the crucifixion is perfectly clear: Teach only love, for that is what you are. If you interpret the crucifixion in any other way, you are using it as a weapon for assault rather than as the call for peace for which it was intended."

~ A Course in Miracles