If there ever was a line that should not be crossed I think it is the one I just crossed. Proclaiming that I am Jesus invites everything from mocking and laughter to concern and planned intervention. Before I am made fun of and publicly ridiculed, before I am hurried off to the closest psych ward and sedated, I must warn you, not only am I Jesus but you are too!

I may be Jesus but I am not the Messiah.

There is a difference between claiming to be someone and actually believing you are them. I do not have the positon that Jesus had nor do I maintain that I am perfect like He was and is. I did not die for anyone’s sins nor would my death bring redemption to the world. I may be given the opportunity to perform miracles but my power in no way measures up to His power. I am not the Messiah but I am Jesus and so are you.

I may be Jesus but I am not God’s Only Son.

My adoption as a son of God gives me an inheritance that was not originally mine. I am a child of the Most High, a son of my heavenly father. He treats me as if I am His child and yet I am not. God has only one son, one true son who came into the world as a man and yet was fully God. I am not him, you are not him. I am not the Only Son of God but I am Jesus and so are you.

I may be Jesus but I am not worthy of such a name.

I should not even mention His name in the same sentence as me. There is nothing about who I am that can measure up to who He was and is. He faced all types of temptations and yet was without sin. I get up in the morning and often I don’t make it an hour without sinning. I face opposition and I desire their demise. He faced opposition and He sought only the best for them. I face insult and seek to insult those who have offended me. He faced insult and he turned the other cheek. I am not worthy of such a name but I am Jesus and so are you.

I may be Jesus but I have a long way to go to live this out.

My attempts to deny myself, to pick up my cross, to venture outside of my comfort zone all have been partial if not complete failures. My love for the people of this world is often hampered by my sinfulness and my dislike for their sinfulness. My need for worldly recognition and approval often interferes with my willingness to stand up for what is righteous and Godly. I fail and I fail and just when I think I have it all figured out I fail again. How can I be Jesus, how can you be Jesus, when we can’t come close to what He was and who He is? And yet I am Jesus and so are you.

I may be the only glimpse of Jesus people get.

In no way can I be Jesus. In no way can you be Jesus. And yet, in every way we must be transformed to be like Him so that we can be Jesus to a world without Him. Jesus being in nature God is powerful enough to reveal Himself without us but He did not do this. Instead, we are called to be like Jesus so much that we are to bear of his image. The only way we can do this is if we become like Him in our actions and attitude. In a world that does not know Jesus I am Jesus in action and attitude so that others will be introduced to the real Messiah… and so are you.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

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