GROW IN FAITH: YOUTH – Who Is Jesus Really?

More Than a Teacher

Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You are not an idea but a person.
Help me understand who You truly are.
Give me honesty to examine Your claims
and courage to respond to them.
Amen.

Part One

The Question Cannot Be Avoided

Many people in Britain today are willing to say:

“Jesus was a good man.”
“Jesus was a moral teacher.”
“Jesus was compassionate.”

Very few are willing to say:

“Jesus is Lord.”

But the question is not:

Was Jesus influential?

The question is:

Who did He claim to be?

The Church does not present Jesus as merely wise.

She teaches that He is:

True God
and
True Man.

If that claim is false, Christianity collapses.

If it is true, everything changes.

Pause and Reflect

Do I think of Jesus mainly as a historical figure?

Have I ever seriously examined what He claimed about Himself?

If He is who the Church says He is, what would that require of me?

Part Two

What Jesus Claimed

Jesus did not speak as a mere moral adviser.

He forgave sins.

In Jewish belief, only God forgives sins.

He accepted worship.

He spoke of God as “My Father”
in a unique and authoritative way.

He said:

“Before Abraham was, I am.”

That is a direct reference to the divine name revealed to Moses.

He did not say:

“I point to the truth.”

He said:

“I am the truth.”

He did not say:

“I show the way.”

He said:

“I am the way.”

These are not modest claims.

They are either true,
or they are false.

There is no middle option where He is merely “nice.”

Consider Carefully

If someone today claimed to forgive sins by their own authority,
would we consider them merely a good teacher?

If someone claimed equality with God,
would we call them simply inspirational?

Part Three

The Historical Question

Jesus is not a myth.

He lived in a specific time and place.

He was executed under Pontius Pilate.

These are historical facts acknowledged even by non-believing historians.

The real question is:

What explains the rise of the early Church?

Within a few decades:

His followers proclaimed Him Lord.

They worshipped Him.

They were willing to suffer and die for that claim.

Something happened.

The Church teaches that what happened
was the Resurrection.

If Christ rose bodily from the dead,
then His divine claims are confirmed.

If He did not,
then the apostles were either deceived or deceivers.

There is no serious historical case that they knowingly invented a lie
for which they were willing to suffer persecution and death.

The Resurrection is not sentiment.

It is the central historical claim of the Church.

Reflect

Have I ever examined the evidence for the Resurrection?

Have I dismissed it without investigation?

Would frightened disciples invent a risen Lord
and sustain that claim under persecution?

Part Four

The Challenge

If Jesus is who He claimed to be,
then He is not optional.

He is not one moral voice among many.

He is Lord.

That means:

His authority matters.
His teaching binds.
His Church speaks in His name.
His sacraments are not symbolic gestures.

If He is not who He claimed to be,
then the Church is mistaken at its foundation.

The question is not whether Jesus is admirable.

The question is whether He is divine.

Neutrality is not possible.

Quiet Reflection

Sit quietly for a moment.

Imagine Christ asking:

“Who do you say that I am?”

Answer honestly in your mind.

Remain in silence.

This Week

Choose one:

• Read one Gospel account of a miracle and ask what it implies.
• Read the Passion narrative and consider whether it reflects invention or eyewitness testimony.
• Research one argument for the Resurrection.
• Pray simply: “Lord Jesus, if You are who You claim to be, help me see.”

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
If You are truly the Son of God,
strengthen my faith.
If You rose from the dead,
give me courage to follow You.
Lead me into truth.
Amen.