August 22nd, 2011
Who Is Jesus?
Who is Jesus? Such a simple question; when typed into a Google search it returns more than four hundred million returns. When you start to read some of those returns, they range from openly evangelistic to open hostility against the entire notion of Jesus. Some claim that Jesus the man, the human being simply never existed and is nothing more than a myth made up for the purpose of a “religious figure”. Many web sites, books, churches, and individuals believe Jesus to be the Son of God that came in human form for the express purpose of saving the human race. Having grown up in “the church,” I’ve always found the words “being saved” rather interesting. As an adult with a lot of years of study, I have a pretty good idea of what most people mean. But I can’t help but wonder if the church’s language is one of the reasons for the fierce resistance to Jesus that we experience.
Put another way, we (the church) believe that Jesus came to save us, and a large part of that saving is from ourselves. Selfishness has a very high price tag. That said it really doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the resistance to the question, who is Jesus? To be honest, I find the ducking, dodging and open hostility kind of puzzling. If your answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” is “Nothing,” or “Not much,” then what’s the big deal? Why is there so much energy to prove he didn’t exist and so much “negative passion” against the whole notion? I could be wrong, but had I not grown up in the church, just the level of resistance alone would make me want to look into it (or him). I find it interesting that all the people that so passionately deny Jesus don’t seem to realize that their resistance is sort of “proof” that there is (or was) something to this question.
That “something” will always be the center of the century’s long debate on Jesus. But it is also that “something” that each of us has to reconcile in the question, “Who Is Jesus?” Don’t be fooled, even Jesus’ disciples didn’t get a pass on this on.
If you are interested in what comes from my brain (good luck), you can find it here. I think I have "enabled" the ability for people to respond or give an opinion. Please be nice and respectful to everyone that posts. I hope everyone contributes, and please be patient as I learn how this works.
