Who is this man called Jesus? This very question has been asked in one way or another by people throughout history and in many locations around the world. No one questions the veracity of the historical fact that He was an amazing performer of miracles, a teacher of great wisdom or that He actually lived and died. Our Gregorian calendar, which was designed with more accuracy in 1582 than the previous calendar, even revolves around the time of His birth. But really – was He the Son of God or simply a human par excellence? Was He a created being or equal with God or God? Did He fulfill the prophecies that can be found in the Old Testament? Is He truly the one and only way to God? Why didn’t He set up a Kingdom as He said He would do and become The King? Is He simply “a god” – one of many or is He truly The God? How can I know that the story of His resurrection really happened? Is He really going to return again?
If the enemy, Satan, and his demonic world can cause confusion about the identity of Jesus, there is nothing more they need to do. Even before John wrote his Gospel, there were skeptics and antagonists who were disputing the reality of Jesus’ life – His death and resurrection, and then His ascension into heaven. When people focus on disagreements, they rarely get to the place of belief. So, John, unlike the other Gospel writers, began His biography by giving some very clear and direct statements about who Jesus really was and why He came to this earth. As John finished His presentation, He reminded the readers that his sole purpose was to present truth so that people would “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing they might have life in His name.”
What you believe about Jesus is the great distinctive of the Christian faith. It sets Christians apart from all other religions or systems of belief. Today, Jesus is still asking the same question that He asked of His disciples while He walked with them, “Who do YOU say that I am?”
