Who Is This Man?

“He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers….”  [Matthew 13:55] 

The day is etched in my memory forever!  After 2 years of anticipation, the big day had arrived—my first day as a special agent with the United States Secret Service!  I put on my best suit, my favorite tie, and my freshly polished shoes. I wanted to make a good first impression on those I was about to meet. Some of the agents in the office already knew me. I had been interviewed multiple times, completed a polygraph examination, had my fingerprints taken, and one agent had even been to my house.  For that matter, as a part of my background investigation, they found my “girlfriend” from the eight-grade and interviewed her. (I bet that was an interesting conversation!) The U.S. Secret Service knew more about me than I knew about myself!  At least that was how it felt.  As I entered the office for the very first time as a new agent, I was still required to produce multiple documents all over again to prove my identity. They wanted to make sure I was the person I said I was.  No imposters permitted!

Jesus! Many claimed to have seen him as He walked on this earth. Many claimed to have talked with him.  Still others claimed they saw him alive after He was crucified and placed in a tomb. So who was this man named Jesus?

Many still ask that question today some 2,000 years after He lived on this earth. If you are among those asking that question, you are not alone! 

This man, Jesus, grew up in the town of Nazareth.  The people in his hometown knew him or knew who he was.  He worked in his father’s carpentry shop and probably built a deck, dining room table, feeding trough, or some other piece of furniture for them.  Not only did the people know Jesus, but He knew them, too.  He didn’t have to produce any government documents to prove his identity. But suddenly, it all changed. It seemed like the locals contracted a severe case of amnesia concerning this man after he turned 30 years old.  When He started teaching in the synagogue and performing miracles, the locals scoffed at him.  They said, “He’s just the carpenter’s son…”.  They dismissed him as just another man from Nazareth.  

Jesus… just the carpenter’s son?  A prophet?  Teacher?  Historical figure? 

Or, is He the One who can make all the difference in your life?