Who was Jesus?

As Christmas approaches, I am reminded that the Gospel is a historical message. Jesus was a real person. The Gospel is a true story taken from real events. Jesus, the 2nd person of the trinity, the One by whom everything was created, entered His own creation by taking on human flesh in order to redeem a broken and sinful world. Sometimes I forget that this REALLY happened. His life, death and resurrection were actual events.

As reported by Jewish historian Josephus in his 'Antiquities of the Jews',

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and the many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."