Who was Jesus really?

Maybe, as you explore this question, you’d be expecting to find information about Jesus, historical proof for a person who lived around 2,000 years ago. That sort of evidence certainly exists, but what’s obvious as you listen to the three answers given on this page, is the focus on the experience that each contributor has of a relationship with Jesus. Sarah makes this clear: “Rather than who was Jesus?” she asks, “Who is Jesus to me?”

If you wanted to introduce me to someone you loved, I doubt you’d start off by telling me facts about them – for example, where and when they were born. I’m guessing you’d tell me what it was about them that was most precious to you – something about their character. This is the same for Jesus; in all three videos we hear people telling us about what it is that draws them to Jesus: his goodness, love, kindness and gentleness.

Much is also made of his wisdom, of him being someone that we can turn to when we don’t know what to do. It’s not just his teaching, however, but also the way he lived, which Sarah describes as “a model to me”. Sarah also talks of her struggles with an addiction and with anxiety, and as you listen to her, it’s clear that Jesus is there for her, helping her to overcome the challenges that she is unable to conquer in her own strength.

But there are other words that are used to portray him which point to the richness of his character. Robin calls Jesus “the bravest man that ever walked the earth” as well as pointing to his “utter fearlessness and … truthfulness”. You can hear the admiration in his voice as he recalls how Jesus was willing to speak truth to power, even if that meant the powerful people wanted to kill him! And – spoiler alert – that’s exactly what happened!

But he’s clearly more than a compassionate, wise and inspiring individual. For all our contributors, the death of Jesus, as well as his resurrection, are also essential to understanding who Jesus is, and are a proof of his claim that eternal life is to be found in him. This spiritual or theological dimension is outlined in a variety of ways. One speaker draws upon John 14:6 and calls Jesus “the way, the truth and the life”, and another is probably thinking about John 1:14 in referring to him as “God Incarnate” so that “in walking this earth we … know and get some insight into who God really is.”

A third description is painted through a beautiful picture based upon a story Jesus told (in Luke 15:11-32). It’s a parable of a loving father who welcomes home a long-lost child, who had asked for their inheritance, then moved away and wasted it all on wild living. The son has everything he ever thought he wanted, and yet he lacks what he most needed – a place to belong! Maybe, Samuel suggests, this “not belonging” is the root cause of the anxiety and hopelessness and all the other ways that each of us suffer in our lives. In Jesus we see that God is like a loving Father longing to welcome us into a life with him in our “real home”, now and for all eternity.

As you respond to what’s been said, and take your own place in this conversation, I wonder what might happen if you focus not just on questions about Jesus but also on your response to him. Perhaps read one of the gospels (or watch the Lumo videos on this website) and then imagine yourself in the crowd answering the question that Jesus himself asks in Matthew 16:15, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?”