Who is Jesus?

"Who do men say that I am?" Jesus asked.  The disciples replied, "Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Then Jesus asked them, "BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?"

Through the centuries the question, "Who is Jesus?" has received some interesting responses.  Here are a few:

• “A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.” — Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political leader (1869-1948)

• “I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.” — H.G. Wells, British author (1866-1946)

• “I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrase-mongers, however artful... No man can read the gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. Theseus and other heroes of his type lack the authentic vitality of Jesus.” — Einstein – Scientist and Mathematician

• “After six years given to the impartial investigation of Christianity as to its truth or falsity, I have come to the deliberate conclusion that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of the Jews, the Savior of the world and my own personal Redeemer.” — General Lew Wallace, one-time atheist, military general and author of "Ben Hur" 

• “I commit my soul to the mercy of God, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I now most solemnly impress upon you the truth and beauty of the Christian religion as it came from Christ Himself, and the impossibility of going far wrong if you humbly but heartily respect it.” — Charles Dickens, British writer, 1812-1870

• “God will answer all our questions in one way and one way only. Namely, by showing us more of his Son.” — Watchman Nee – Chinese Bible Teacher

• “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” — C.S. Lewis – British author

Who do you say Jesus is?  Has his message shaped your life?  How has his mission changed your life?