Jesus is alive, and he still has a real, flesh and blood body. He has had that body continuously – but for a break of less than three days – for over 2000 years. Because of that, he has not switched bodies, not reincarnated, not been reborn as some present day dude. Jesus is still driving the original model, with some upgrades, of course, such as immortality.
This is important to know, because of the proliferation of fake Jesuses in recent times, like A.J. Miller in Australia, Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop in Russia, Jose Miranda in America, Álvaro Theiss in Brazil, and other assorted crazies.
Acid test: Does this claimant have a scar in his side, where they stuck the spear? Or scars in his feet and hands (or wrists) where the Romans put spikes through him? Some small ones around the head, where they jammed a crown of thorns into him? Whip scars on his back? Does he look like he could be a Palestinian Jew?
No to any of these? Walk away. It ain’t Jesus.
Why is that guy claiming he’s Jesus? He may really believe it; he could be mentally ill or possessed. But the obvious reason is that it gets him attention, so that he can get what he wants out of his fellow human beings. He’s a bloodsucker. All cult leaders live and die for three things: power, sex, and money. Falsely claiming to be the most famous, influential, and important man who has ever lived is a way of grabbing at all of those. Of course, he’ll give you some things you want too: community, purpose, a basket full of answers. He’s got to have people; no people, no blood. But his needs come first.
The real Jesus sought neither power, nor sex, nor money. He set an example of true, loving, humble, service.
Jesus is way, way more interesting, to put it mildly, than any of the imposters. And when he really does come back (which will not be via reincarnation), the imposters will have a lot of ‘splaining to do. When he comes back, he will no longer be washing feet; that’s our job. You see, he’s been promoted.
(That’s the all-time best Jesus movie, by the way.)
