Sam Roberts, an obituary writer for The New York Times, imagined how the obituary of Jesus would have read if he was writing the obit 2,000 years ago. Here are a few snippets:

Jesus of Nazareth, a Galilean carpenter turned itinerant minister whose appeals to piety and whose repute as a healer had galvanized a growing contingent of believers, died on Friday after being crucified that morning just outside Jerusalem, only days after his followers had welcomed him triumphantly to the city as "the anointed one" and "the Son of David." He was about 33.

For a man who had lived the first three decades of his life in virtual obscurity, he attracted a remarkable following in only a few years. His reputation reflected a persuasive coupling of message, personal magnetism, and avowed miracles. But it also resonated in the current moment of spiritual and economic discontent and popular resentment of authority and privilege, whether wielded by foreigners from Rome or by the Jewish priests in Jerusalem and their confederates.… After he was declared dead on Friday night, he was buried nearby in a cave. On Sunday, his disciples reported that the body was missing.

Possible Preaching Angle:

It's a creative attempt at summarizing Jesus' life, but it's also telling for what Roberts omitted—like Jesus' claim to be God in human flesh, or the resurrection, or the call to worship and follow him.