Who do you say Jesus is Week 51, 2012

Who do you say Jesus is He was a great teacher, a unifying figure among many religions yet a point of significant division in the perception of different religious adherents. Let us not focus on other people’s perceptions now. I actually want to know who he is to you. Then Jesus asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Mat 16:15(CEV). What do you believe about him personally? I think he was the most morally upright man in all history. What a shame he died because of our sins. How do you mean he died because of our sins? Oh the leaders of the Jews were jealous of him and trumped up charges against him. He was too meek a man to allow violence to be used to rescue him from their hands and sadly Pilate was too weak in morals and scruples to uphold his cause; so he was unjustly put to death. Scripture tells me he died for our sins it’s not the same as dying because of our sins. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures 1Cor 15:3(ISV). If you believe he died because of our sins and not for our sins you are not a Christian. What’s the difference? The things you said before are all correct but you haven’t tied up the reason all of this happened. You said he was the most morally upright man; even his enemies could not find any sin in him Jn 8:46. He was more than the most morally upright man. He is God incarnate. And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God Lk 1:34-35(ESV) Someone suggested he was a man the spirit of the messiah came upon at baptism. No, he always knew who he is. From everlasting God is a spirit. Human beings have flesh as well as a spirit. The eternal God put on flesh and was born and named Jesus. So he is fully human also. In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. The Word became a human being and lived here with us.Jn1:1, 14(CEV) Since he was God how could he have died? Ah, his death was that of a substitute. He did not deserve to die, but died in our place. He died for our sins to be cleansed, removed, lose its grip on our souls and will. He died to pay the consequence of our sins that we may be set free Rev1:5. Do you believe this? By the way; Jesus is still alive today.