Who is Jesus?

[The Baron]

“Who do you say that I am?”

This was the question posed to the apostles by Jesus’. Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah--theChrist.

I believe that Jesus is God, Himself. Now I realize that there are people who believe in Jesus but do not believe that He is God. Some believe Him to be the angel Michael. Others believe Him to simply be the“Son of God” and call him such without ever explaining what they understand the“Son of God” to be.

So who do you say that He is? Please explain.

 

[Canell]

He was an emanation of God.

God = Love = Christ

 

[ttwtt78640]

Try this:

Trinity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[The Baron]

He was an emanation of God.

God = Love = Christ

An "emanation"? Does this mean that Christ is something other than God?

 

[Canell]

An "emanation"? Does this mean that Christ is something other than God?

Christ is God, Jesus was a man (He had a physical body and so on). It was God within Jesus.
"Christ" is a title and means "The Anointed One".

 

[The Baron]

Is there anyone here who is a Jehhovah Witness and can explain why they believe Jesus is the angel Michael?

 

[Juiposa]

Jesus was a disillussioned megalomaniac who manipulated those who followed him into thinking he was "God." His life and actions, and the actions of his followers have resulted in the creation of the largest religion in the world. A religion I happen to disapprove of.

That is who Jesus is to me.

 

[Risky Thicket]

Jesus is the guy who does my yard work?

 

[Cyrylek]

For me (an ex-Catholic atheist, in case it matters):

First and foremost, Jesus is a symbol of our desperate yearning to bridge the human mundane and the divine and eternal.

The notion of "son of God" may be based on a simple misunderstanding ("Son of God" was a title of the annointed King of Jews - that's what "Messiah" is, no more, no less), and the idea that the omniscient Creator of Universes can somehow download Himself into a brain of a monkey is quite preposterous, isn't it?

But there's something beautiful and defiant - however illogical - in the idea that we can relate to things we cannot possibly understand. God cannot possibly understand the human condition; humans cannot possibly comprehend the mind of God. And then - God says: I take now a part of me, fully endowed with my essence - and let it live, suffer, and die - just like you do.

I don't see how this can be anything but very human poetry.

But this is great poetry.

 

[Stopandthink]

This here
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=2CEFu1_rozc&desktop_uri=/watch?v=2CEFu1_rozc

 

[gilbertc1908]

Jesus was a disillussioned megalomaniac who manipulated those who followed him into thinking he was "God." His life and actions, and the actions of his followers have resulted in the creation of the largest religion in the world. A religion I happen to disapprove of.

That is who Jesus is to me.

What is it about what you know about Jesus that leads you to the conclusion that he was a megalomaniac and a disillusioned one at that?

 

[gilbertc1908]

For me (an ex-Catholic atheist, in case it matters):

First and foremost, Jesus is a symbol of our desperate yearning to bridge the human mundane and the divine and eternal.

The notion of "son of God" may be based on a simple misunderstanding ("Son of God" was a title of the annointed King of Jews - that's what "Messiah" is, no more, no less), and the idea that the omniscient Creator of Universes can somehow download Himself into a brain of a monkey is quite preposterous, isn't it?

But there's something beautiful and defiant - however illogical - in the idea that we can relate to things we cannot possibly understand. God cannot possibly understand the human condition; humans cannot possibly comprehend the mind of God. And then - God says: I take now a part of me, fully endowed with my essence - and let it live, suffer, and die - just like you do.

I don't see how this can be anything but very human poetry.

But this is great poetry.

You don't really believe that the followers of Jesus, the majority of which were Jews, did not understand what "messiah" meant?

What they came to believe was that Jesus was not the messiah at all but someone/something completely different, so people who thought of themselves as Jews became something called Christians, precisely because Jesus was NOT the messiah.

 

[Goshin]

“Who do you say that I am?”

This was the question posed to the apostles by Jesus’. Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah--theChrist.

I believe that Jesus is God, Himself. Now I realize that there are people who believe in Jesus but do not believe that He is God. Some believe Him to be the angel Michael. Others believe Him to simply be the“Son of God” and call him such without ever explaining what they understand the“Son of God” to be.

So who do you say that He is? Please explain.

Another name for Jesus is Logos, The Word.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1


Jesus is that aspect or personage of God we call The Son, the Word made flesh, who took incarnate form as Jesus Christ to show us God in person, and to bridge the gap between Holy God and sinful Man. He is the Messiah and Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lamb of God who sacrificed himself for all the sin of the world, the only Name by which we must be saved.

I just call him "Lord".

 

[Cyrylek]

You don't really believe that the followers of Jesus, the majority of which were Jews, did not understand what "messiah" meant?

What they came to believe was that Jesus was not the messiah at all but someone/something completely different, so people who thought of themselves as Jews became something called Christians, precisely because Jesus was NOT the messiah.

Christians - from Greek "christos" - a translation of Hebrew "mashiah" - do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah?!

Sure they do, enormous majority of them.

And take great care to trace his proper (for a Jewish king) Davidic roots, as well as to interpret numerous Old Testament prophecies (esp. Isaiah's) as pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. When the Magi visit Herod (Matthew 2), they do not ask about a god incarnate - they ask about the newborn King of Jews. What do you think that INRI on the cross means, if not "Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum"?

Christians have decided that their Messiah is more than just the promised good king, but rather something like a mix of the Zoroastrian Saoshyant (a virgin-born supernatural Redeemer) and the Hundu Krishna (an avatar of God in human form). This didn't make much sense for most Jews, so the sect had split from Judaism and began independent existence.

But I think the question of the thread is "Who is Jesus" for you, personally.

 

[Cyrylek]

Another name for Jesus is Logos, The Word.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

Yes, this is another thing, as beautiful as it is hard to accept. Jesus is supposed to be not simply an avatar or reflection of God - but specifically an embodiement of the organizing principle of Creation. Heraclitus and Stoics used "logos" in a similar meaning ("everything comes to pass according to Logos"). One could think that God "downloads" some lesser aspects of Himself into the human form, but no - the very central, defining aspect.

 

[ChezC3]

“Who do you say that I am?”

This was the question posed to the apostles by Jesus’. Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah--theChrist.

I believe that Jesus is God, Himself. Now I realize that there are people who believe in Jesus but do not believe that He is God. Some believe Him to be the angel Michael. Others believe Him to simply be the“Son of God” and call him such without ever explaining what they understand the“Son of God” to be.

So who do you say that He is? Please explain.

What you think and what you believe is your reality.

Jesus never said he was God. Quite the contrary, he made the distinction between himself and God too many times to count.

If you think he is God and believe it, go with it.

I've faced this question too many times to count. My answer is that I don't believe him to be -- not in the traditional, Tertullian trinity created sense. That he is exclusive and unique in this respect. That's not to say Jesus isn't unique, just not in the exclusive sense that is commonly believed.

 

[gilbertc1908]

Christians - from Greek "christos" - a translation of Hebrew "mashiah" - do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah?!

Sure they do, enormous majority of them.

And take great care to trace his proper (for a Jewish king) Davidic roots, as well as to interpret numerous Old Testament prophecies (esp. Isaiah's) as pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. When the Magi visit Herod (Matthew 2), they do not ask about a god incarnate - they ask about the newborn King of Jews. What do you think that INRI on the cross means, if not "Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum"?

Christians have decided that their Messiah is more than just the promised good king, but rather something like a mix of the Zoroastrian Saoshyant (a virgin-born supernatural Redeemer) and the Hundu Krishna (an avatar of God in human form). This didn't make much sense for most Jews, so the sect had split from Judaism and began independent existence.

But I think the question of the thread is "Who is Jesus" for you, personally.

But Jesus of Nazareth could not be the messiah if as Christians believe, he was/is God incarnate since that single fact would not fulfill the basic requirements of the Jewish messiah as understood by Jewish prophesy.

So while Christians, and I am one, surely see him as Savior, The Word he was not and is not viewed as the the Messiah as defined in Jewish religion. It seems difficult to believe that a Jew of the time would have mistaken God incarnate, as the earliest Christians viewed Him, as equal to or the same as the Jewish Messiah.

So for me he was who he claimed to be.

 

[Cyrylek]

.So for me he was who he claimed to be.

Ahm...the problem here is that did not claim to be anyone in particular. Not according to the Gospels, anyway.

 

[grip]

But Jesus of Nazareth could not be the messiah if as Christians believe, he was/is God incarnate since that single fact would not fulfill the basic requirements of the Jewish messiah as understood by Jewish prophesy.

So while Christians, and I am one, surely see him as Savior, The Word he was not and is not viewed as the the Messiah as defined in Jewish religion. It seems difficult to believe that a Jew of the time would have mistaken God incarnate, as the earliest Christians viewed Him, as equal to or the same as the Jewish Messiah.

So for me he was who he claimed to be.

Oh you mean when he said,

John 8:58 Jesus says, "before Abraham was, I Am."

 

[RGacky3]

Gods son, an angelic person who materialized as a person, and became the massiah and died for the sins of mankind.

"before Abraham was, I Am."

It could have meant many things, such as he was profisied before Abraham, or that he existed in heaven with God, I can give tons and tons of clear and obvious anti-trinitarian scriptures, I've done this debate at least twice here.

infact one with the OP.

 

[gilbertc1908]

Ahm...the problem here is that did not claim to be anyone in particular. Not according to the Gospels, anyway.

Well that would be your personal opinion, certainly not definitive, my personal understanding of who Jesus would be and why I came to that conclusion over many years, may differ, it being personal and an opinion.

 

[Cyrylek]

Well that would be your personal opinion, certainly not definitive, my personal understanding of who Jesus would be and why I came to that conclusion over many years, may differ, it being personal and an opinion.

I have only personal opinions - I am not spokesman for any organization or an oracle of gods

The question is, I am correct or not, when I say that Jesus in the Gospels never does define his nature clearly. I think I am. Now, the strong suggestion of his divine nature is to be found in the Gospels - "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us", and all that. But that is what others (like John) say.

 

[gilbertc1908]

I have only personal opinions - I am not spokesman for any organization or an oracle of gods

The question is, I am correct or not, when I say that Jesus in the Gospels never does define his nature clearly. I think I am. Now, the strong suggestion of his divine nature is to be found in the Gospels - "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us", and all that. But that is what others (like John) say.

It seems of little or no importance 2000 years into Christianity to even offer the point. It is a subject that has been discussed, vetted, written about and debated.

Lets stipulate that Jesus never overtly said I am God, why would that fact have any significance, and do you think that is some mystery or secret of some kind?

 

[Cyrylek]

Lets stipulate that Jesus never overtly said I am God, why would that fact have any significance...?

I don't know. You said "So for me he was who he claimed to be". You explain how it is significant.

 

[The Baron]

Lets stipulate that Jesus never overtly said I am God, why would that fact have any significance, and do you think that is some mystery or secret of some kind?

You don't know that.