Who Is Jesus?

Michael Fierro
Jun 15
3 min read

Updated: Jun 21

The question of Jesus Christ is not just theological—it’s personal, historical, and ultimately life-altering. Few figures in history provoke the kind of response He does. His name comforts the suffering, enrages critics, and divides opinion. But the real question is not just what He said or did, but who He is.

The Question That Changes Everything

It’s easy to admire Jesus as a teacher. Even many outside the Christian tradition do. Gandhi called Him the greatest moral teacher in history. Others have praised His compassion, His wisdom, or His example of self-sacrifice. But Christianity makes a far more audacious claim: that Jesus is not only a wise man but God Himself in the flesh.

This is not a minor detail—it is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. If Jesus is truly God, then His words are not just suggestions. They are truth. His life is not just an example to admire. It is a revelation of divine love and purpose. And His death on the cross is not merely a tragedy. It is the turning point of history.

A Claim Unlike Any Other

No other major religion makes this kind of claim about its founder.

Buddhists do not teach that the Buddha is God.
Muslims revere Muhammad as a prophet, but strictly deny his divinity.
Even the most revered saints and sages are never confused with God Himself.

But from the very beginning, Christianity proclaimed that Jesus is not just a man who pointed to God. He is God come to us.

This claim is so radical, so shocking, that even Jesus' own followers struggled to understand it. Throughout the Gospels, we see a pattern: people are astonished, confused, and even offended by Him. His enemies accused Him of blasphemy. His friends often failed to grasp His identity. And yet, Jesus never softens the claim.

Why This Matters

Jesus is not just a figure of history or a moral example. If He truly is God in the flesh, then the story of His life is not just important—it’s foundational. It means that the Creator has entered creation. That God is not distant, but present. That we are not alone or adrift, but called into relationship with the One who made us.

When we understand who Jesus is, we begin to understand who we are: creatures made in love, redeemed by love, and called to respond with love. Everything in Christianity—from the Bible to the sacraments to the meaning of our own lives—begins with the answer to this question: Who is Jesus?

But Isn’t That Absurd?

It might seem ridiculous to believe that a human being—limited in time, space, and strength—could also be the eternal, infinite, all-powerful God. No wonder people reacted with confusion and outrage when Jesus said things like, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).

But that absurdity may actually be part of the evidence. No one would invent this. The idea that God would take on flesh, suffer, and die would have been scandalous to Jews and foolish to Greeks. It went against the religious instincts of the ancient world. And yet, from the beginning, this is exactly what Christians believed.

Why?

Because they had encountered someone who spoke and acted with divine authority. Someone who forgave sins, commanded nature, claimed divine titles, and rose from the dead.

Who Do You Say That I Am?

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt 16:15). It’s the same question every one of us must answer.

We cannot escape it. If Jesus is not Lord, then He must be something else. A liar? A lunatic? A myth? A misunderstood guru? We’ll explore these possibilities in the next part of this series.

But for now, consider this:

If Jesus is who He says He is, then the Incarnation is not just a story. It is a miracle that invites a response. A call to faith, to surrender, and to love. A God who comes not to rule by force, but to rescue in humility.

So we begin this series not just with a doctrine, but with a person. A man who is also God. A question that becomes an invitation.

Who do you say that He is?