Jesus' death was for the sake of politics?  I can die peacefully, now, because I've heard everything.
While I think we can agree that anything Jesus did was of infinite merit (we could have been saved by his napping, had God so pleased), Go - Infinite, Immutable, and Ineffable knew from all eternity the necessity and manner of His death.  Blood sacrifice is tied to the remission of sin in the OT and Jesus, as the fulfillment of the law, had to suffer and die.
"As Jesus got further and further along in his ministry, he knew that there were those plotting his death, even among his chosen followers."
I hope you didn't mean this because, again, He knew from all eternity that he must die - that His Blood was the required sacrifice for the redemption of mankind.  Jesus or the Father could have stopped the whole bloody process at any point, but the cup did not pass, the cross was not lifted, the angels did not relieve Jesus of his passion.  For whatever reason, Jesus Blood was demanded.