Who is Jesus Christ? Some people say he was just a man, some people say he was/is God, some say he is just a legend built out of ancient Pagan myths, and others absurdly claim that Jesus never even lived. So who is right? Who was or who is Jesus Christ?
As a Christian, I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and the Savior of Mankind. But, let's explore the possibilities with an open mind.
Was Jesus Christ just a man, and nothing more? I think not. Someone who was just a man who went around saying the things that he did would be considered insane! Let's face reality here. We lock people up in mental institutions nowadays when they make the kind of claims about themselves that Jesus did. Yet, Jesus is the most Balanced Person who ever lived! He gave no indications of mental illness or instability at all! In fact, at the age of 12, he was so learned and so wise that he impressed the Jews in the Temple in Jerusalem! If Jesus was just a man, then by modern standards, we must judge him as insane, and of course take pity upon his followers as we would the followers of anyone who is clearly insane.
Is Jesus Christ just an amalgamation of ancient Pagan savior-gods? I think not! The Bible clearly indicates that Jesus Christ was a historical person who wandered the countryside working miracles and giving people hope for eternal life. The "Pagan Christ" theory was popular in 19th Century biblical scholarship, but everyone who knows anything knows that the theory is dead now. Only the most liberal of scholars gives the theory credence anymore, and that should tell us something. Those liberal scholars hate God, so of course they are going to grasp at even the thinnest of straws if it means having an excuse to continue to reject Jesus Christ. The theory is dead, and let's leave it at that. Superficial similarities between the Lord Jesus and ancient Pagan savior-gods does not necessarily mean anything at all. It's just a theory, and a bad one at that!
Did Jesus never actually live in history? Some very naive and uneducated people honestly buy into this theory, and they are spreading it via websites, books, and DVD documentaries such as "The God Who Wasn't There". What are we to think of such a theory and what are we to think of the people who espouse this theory? What can we do? The only thing we can do is to counter these "Jesus Myth" folks with facts from the Bible and pray for them. God knows their hearts, and he knows why they hate Him, and only He can heal their wounds!
So, who is Jesus? Clearly, the only rational and reasonable conclusion we can reach about Him, given the facts, is that He is exactly Who He claimed to be - GOD! Nothing else makes sense! As we have seen, the theories of God-hating atheists and secularists just don't make sense and they don't fit the Biblical facts!
Think about the possibilities that we have explored. jesus a gospel of love couldn't have been just a man, unless He was insane. He isn't just an amalgamation of ancient Pagan savior-gods. He certainly lived in history, so the "Jesus Myth" folks are obviously wrong. There just isn't any other rational possibility for Jesus except to call Him LORD! Glory to God!
