As with all things, there is a grain of truth. There was likely a Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary, and was a heretical Rabbi at roughly that time.
My problem with the story is the nature of the crucifixion. Rome rarely, if ever, used it as a sentence of death. The only notable time was with the Spartacus uprising. I think Jesus merely went into a death-like state. I mean, medical knowledge was not exactly the best. It is entirely possible to be assumed dead without actually being so without finely tuned equipment.
You are joshing, right? "rarely, if ever, used it as a sentence of death"? How do you mean, when you state this? It was infamously used. as a method of execution.