Revolutionary even Today among the Whole Mankind
For a man to have life after death is not so important as the issue of whether he is faithful or evil in this world.
If the God tells men simply that their souls continue to live in the spirit world after their physical death in this world, they will not drastically change their ways of living. Rich and evil men would try to be rich in an after life by any means. Poor men should worry about a possibility that their poverty continues in an afterlife.
But, Christ Jesus not only gave assurance of existence of the afterlife but also made it clear that evil and bad men could not enter into Heaven but faithful and righteous men could, since there are Heaven and the hell in the spirit world called the afterlife. And He also presented the measure to judge whether men were evil or righteous: being rich was taken as being evil while being poor was regraded as being righteous.
Therefore, Christ Jesus virtually proclaimed that rich men could not enter into heaven to get eternal life but fell into the hell to be permanently destroyed by the God, while poor men would be allowed to enter into Heaven to be given blessings and eternal life. Put simply, materially happy men in this world cannot be accepted in Heaven, but materially unhappy men in this world can be welcomed in Heaven.
This teaching of Christ Jesus must have rejoiced poor people in Palestine and the Roman Empire 2000 years ago, so that the books about Christ Jesus activities are called the Good News (to poor men). As there were many poor people in the ancient Roman Empire like in any other places and at any time, His teachings prevailed and the new religion Christianity was established, since Judaism had not presented such assurance about blessings to poor men in Heaven.
However, the focus in Christ's teachings is not only in that there is an after life but in that only the poor can be accepted in Heaven to become happy. In other words, being faithful and righteous is more important than having an afterlife; being good is more important than life after death.
Indeed, if evil men know that there is an afterlife, they will continue their evil ways to be rich in this world, since they think that their being rich in this world will not hinder them from getting rich again in an afterlife. So, it can be understood that Christian churches have not emphasized Christ's assurance of existence of the afterlife.
But, as Christ Jesus told that being poor was the condition to enter into Heaven, rich men, including rich priests and even the Popes, neglected the truth of His teachings or tried to hide the true meaning of His teachings, while poor believers found salvation in His teachings. Anyway, Christ Jesus assured existence of the afterlife and, at the same time, made it clear that rich and happy men could not enter Heaven.
In this sense, Christ Jesus was really revolutionary even in the Jewish society 2000 years ago and is so even today among the whole mankind.
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Luke 7, King James Version
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
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Luke 7, King James Version
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.