Who is Jesus?

Jesus was a man who was born about 4 B.C. in a town named Bethlehem Ephrathah, in what is now Israel.  He worked as a carpenter in Nazareth until age 30, when he became a preacher. Three years later he was put to death by crucifixion by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. The Christian religion centers on Jesus.

JESUS CLAIMED TO LITERALLY BE THE SON OF GOD.

Obviously, that's a pretty bold statement! Many people say "I agree that Jesus was a great teacher, a great man, a great leader, a great example, etc., but I don't think he was God!"

JESUS WAS EITHER:

Thousands of people from around 30 A.D. claimed to have personally met Jesus. Dozens of manuscripts were written about him by people of the period, including Matthew, John Mark, Luke, John, Peter--Jesus' closest disciple, Jesus' brothers James and Jude, and early 'Church Fathers'. Jewish Talmudic writings of the period claim that he was the illegitimate son of a Roman soldier and practiced sorcery.  There is ample evidence that a man named Jesus actually lived in  first-century Jerusalem and was crucified--he was not a legend.

According to all that was written about him, Jesus claimed to be God incarnate.

If Jesus was not God incarnate and knew it, then he was a liar who misled billions of people away from God and into eternal damnation. Could anyone who would do that be considered a great man? A great leader?

If Jesus was not God incarnate but honestly thought he was, then he was a lunatic. Could anyone call such a whacko a great man? A great leader?

When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent someone to ask Jesus "Are you the Christ or should we expect another?" ("Christ" is not Jesus' surname.  It is a descriptive title,  meaning "the specially chosen one".  "Christ" and "Messiah" mean the same thing.)

Jesus did not tell him "Yes, I am the Christ."

Luke 7:19-22 [RSV] 19. And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?"  20. And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"  21. In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.  22. And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.

According to the reports of eyewitnesses who refused to change their story even under penalty of crucifixion, Jesus raised the dead, walked on water, told a raging storm to stop and it did, and healed lepers, the blind, the deaf, and the paralysed instantly.

The eyewitnesses, including former skeptics--his own brothers and the rabbi Paul--, say he was crucified and after three days he came back from the dead in a supernatural body.  After he came back from the dead--according to eyewitnesses--he could walk through walls and instantly appear and disappear.  Forty days later,--according to eyewitnesses--, he rose up into heaven and disappeared.

Jesus said that He is the only way for a person to avoid eternal punishment for sins:

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 3:16-18 [16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

SORRY -- I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHO JESUS IS.

YOU'LL HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT FOR YOURSELF.

IF YOU NEED SOME HELP, ...

ONE BILLION CHRISTIANS WILL BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU MORE.

YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE REST OF THEM

TO COME BACK FROM THE DEAD.

I'M SAVED !!!
ARE YOU ???