Jesus taught he was the Messiah

Jesus taught that he was the Messiah.  Jesus' teachings not only serve to teach us how to follow him, but he also taught us why it mattered.  It mattered because he was the Son of Man, the Messiah, the one sent to reveal God to us.  He was the one predicted - God's plan of reconciliation.  He was God.  AND he knew what was coming... a trial, a death sentence, torture, rejection, and death.  He still went through with it.  Because he knows this isn't the end of the story.  Three days later he would be raised from the dead.  And in his resurrection - our reconciliation - our relationship with God is made possible.

Matthew 20:17-19 17 While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, 18 "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19 then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised."

Do we ignore who Jesus claimed to be?  Do we prefer to think of him as just a wise man and group him with all the other wise men?  But how can someone be wise if they are deluded into thinking they are someone they are not?  How can someone be wise if they dare to delude others into worshiping them?  Especially if they are teaching that they are the Son of Man (God incarnate)?  What does it matter if a crazy man gives us advice on living or on dying?  It only makes sense to follow Jesus if one believes he was who he said he was! 

I believe Jesus was who he said he was - not because I witnessed the story unfold first hand, but because I witness the Spirit of Jesus alive in my life every day.  And I witness the Spirit alive in others who are struggling to follow Jesus.  We are not perfect, we do not follow him gracefully, we do not understand all there is to know, we screw up in the worst of ways, we fail terribly, but the Spirit of God is present overcoming, transforming, making purpose out of chaos.   Jesus was the Son of Man and his teachings are truth.