Who do you say Jesus was/is?

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Who was/is Jesus?

Some people say that He was a prophet, a wise man, a rabbi, or a teacher. Others think that He was a scammer, a fool or downright crazy. Some think that He is just someone who said some nice feel-good things, and that He has no relevance for our lives today.

There are those who think that Jesus never really existed, and the Bible is a collection of stories that were untrue, just developed by men who wanted to control the populace. These people think we are fools to believe the Bible, and that we are wasting our time and resources when we follow biblical teachings.

For those who doubt that Jesus actually lived on Earth, there is proof. There were several witnesses to His appearance on Earth, aside from those who came to believe in Him at the time. One of those was a Jewish historian named Flavius Josephus, and he wrote about Jesus from a secular point of view.

Here’s what Josephus had to say about Jesus:

3. (63) Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works-a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; (64) and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. (From the book “The Antiquities of the Jews,” Book 18, Chapter 3)

In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asks:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,?“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;?others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?”?he asked.?“Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied,?“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,?but by my Father in heaven.?And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,?and the gates of Hades?will not overcome it. I will give you the keys?of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone?that he was the Messiah.

The important thing is, who do YOU say Jesus is? That makes all the difference.

*** Today's flower is a yellow rose from Jesse Roberts . ***

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