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When I was young, I mocked Christians and Christianity; at least, I mocked televangelists, some of whom may have been true and perhaps some weren’t, I don’t know, but I mocked them.

I listened to songs like Frank Zappa’s Heavenly Bank Account, about shysters who used the word of God to their own financial benefit, and not to help people be saved from the pit of hell.

Later, I encountered Christ, in the throes of a deep spiritual battle and profound psychiatric issues. For thirty plus years since I was first diagnosed with mental illness, I took pills, went to psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists and mental health social centers, trying to ease my problems.

But God is faithful. He heard me cry out to Him when He called me, and he is restoring the years that the locusts ate; He is healing and helping me, and even my psychiatrist, who said I can stay on the one medication to help me sleep, says the pills are now unnecessary for psychiatric purposes.

So who is God to me? I read in John 1 the following, and as I believe the Bible implicitly (and I do study to validate it, though my faith is otherwise enough!), I know who Jesus is:

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and^[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John 1:1-18 NIV

So I know that Jesus is:

• God (the Son)
• The Creator of the Universe
• My Savior
• The Word
• The only One who lived a sinless life and died for my sins
• The only One who can and did save me

I figure not everyone has read John 1:1-18, and it is likely that not everyone will read it. I wish everyone would; but further, I pray everyone who reads it, has their eyes opened to its truth.

Jesus the Way to the Father

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know^[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:5-6

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis argued that one cannot call Jesus merely a “great moral teacher” while denying his divinity. Lewis claimed that given Jesus’s assertions, he was either a Liar (demon), a Lunatic (madman), or the Lord (Son of God)—leaving no room for a patronizing view of him as just a human teacher.

Mere Christianity

(courtesy of AI, but pulled straight from Lewis’ book; I’ve read it there myself)

I pray for you on your walk in life that you find out who Jesus really is; and then, knowing who He is, you give Him His due.

Not only is it the right thing to do, but in doing it, He will save your soul for eternity.

I hope He breaks the chain-links binding your heart, mind and soul, and draws you to Himself.