His message wasn't for the people living in his time...he was alive then. People knew what he was saying to them. He didn't need to die for their sins in the literal sense because they knew him as a man. The message was for any followers after his death for the disciples pass on. People of significance almost always take on a bigger presence in death, in the eyes of the living, after they have passed on... look at Elvis. People STILL think he is alive to this day.
Jesus also knew some humans are just shit, and want to inflict physical harm on them for any reason. What better way to do that than to follow the 1st Testament? Jesus wanted his followers to be able to be forgiven for their sins without having to be punished or having to confess them. He wanted his followers to love him, not fear him(are you understanding the differences between Christians and Catholics yet?).
Aren't they effectively the same thing?
Not really if you think 'big picture'. It takes time for a message of 1 person to spread around the world without a global communications network...like centuries. Jesus' followers would still be persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church for years and years after his death. He knew the Roman empire wouldn't last forever, but believed his message would. And it did.
The Bible is no different than a collection of quotes/biography of any significant person that has lived. Jesus'(2nd Testament) is just way bigger than most people's....but, its still a book. It's meant to spread a message, not be taken literally.
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