Who is Jesus?

This is not a rational question; this is a spiritual question. Does the word mean anything to you? If not, that's too bad.

For many people of course it's only a cuss word, something you've heard of, but which means nothing to you, just a word to use instead of a more intelligent vocabulary.

For some people it's a fighting word. 'You don't know Jesus?'; you're cursed; 'You know Jesus?', sarcastically! The word and its associations have been instrumental in oceans of bloodshed.

For some (fortunate!!) people it's a source of life:

Who is Jesus? Saviour (from Dictionary.com: n 1: a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29) [syn: Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, the Nazarene, Jesus Christ, Christ, Savior, Saviour, Good Shepherd, Redeemer, Deliverer] 2: a person who rescues you from harm or danger [syn: savior, rescuer, deliverer])

Lord (this word has many meanings, two of particular interest here:
generically it was used in the New Testament to refer to an important man, to whom one wants to show deference as
Jesus is Lord; biblically it was also used as a synonym for God. The O.T. often used it to address God.)

Master (used for Jesus in a similar way by many in the N.T. as "Good master".)

Teacher (more of the same.)

Jesus is all of these things and much more, but what is he to you?

I was 'enlightened' when I learned that God loved me (direct communication from him to me!), but I wondered about this man, Jesus: who was he? where did he fit in? It came to me that Jesus was the one who told me (us) that God loves us.

Through the years I learned that many people worshipped Jesus and considered him God. I never quite could. Studying the scripture it did not appear to me that Jesus considered himself God; I noted that Paul often spoke of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without thinking much about it I pondered over this question for many years while I attempted to serve the God that Jesus had taught me to love.

Eventually there was some 'closure' (as they say): in John 15:15 I realized and incorporated into my spirit that "I have called you friends". That did it for me: henceforth I have called him Friend.

When that happened, I became closer to Jesus than I had ever been before. I found I could talk to him, but I've never prayed to him. He told us (me) to pray to the Father, and that I try to do.

My prayer to God (and for you) is that we may all perceive the best of Jesus, whatever he may be to us.