If Jesus entered this forum, would you recognise him?... How?

Lovethinking

This one really challenges your honesty, doesn't it.

Lucifer31

Hi guys! I'm Jesus. Really, I am. There's no way you can tell I'm not! How y'all doin'?

Latchy

Carrying the big heavy cross ,shouldn't be to hard to spot him .

toiletduck

If Jesus entered this forum, would you recognise him?... How?

All the Christian posters would thank his every post. Easy.

Fanny Cradock

Lets keep the trolling out of this forum. Lovethinking, I would imagine that the creator of the material universe would make his entrance know. There would be no ambiguity.

JacquesD'Ladd

My guess is all our computers would be knocked out for a full 60 seconds while we were all in the middle of posting and reading threads, then suddenly a big screen saver would appear from nowhere on all our computers saying Gospel 2, directed by Mel Gibson, at a cinema near you......


Sorry, more seriously, I didn't see this was in the Christianity forum and is therefore a serious question. My considered answer is that the question itself is a bit silly, with all due respect. We would know within, not through a computer forum.

Splendour

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Lets keep the trolling out of this forum. Lovethinking, I would imagine that the creator of the material universe would make his entrance know. There would be no ambiguity.

Well, from what we read in the bible, we will all recognise God when he comes again but when Jesus first appeared on earth there were many who sadly didn't recognise him as God...

Lovethinking

Perhaps a rephrasing of the question might stimulate the discussion I was hoping for:

If Jesus was posting in this forum, could you recognise him by his words, phrases, reasonings, feelings, principles etc....? How?
What would he be saying????

wolfsbane

Lovethinking wrote: »

Perhaps a rephrasing of the question might stimulate the discussion I was hoping for:

If Jesus was posting in this forum, could you recognise him by his words, phrases, reasonings, feelings, principles etc....? How?
What would he be saying????

Yes, that's better.

We would recognise Him by His words, that is His teaching. It would confirm what He has said already in the Bible, and would open our minds to a fuller understanding of that.

He does in fact actually do this - when a Christian speaks with the Holy Spirit's leading, that is bringing God's word to us. The individual speaking and hearing might not recognise it as such at the time, but the Word will sanctify him and build him up in the faith.

O'Coonassa

Splendour wrote: »

Well, from what we read in the bible, we will all recognise God when he comes again but when Jesus first appeared on earth there were many who sadly didn't recognise him as God...

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man"

Acts 2:22

philologos

Lucifer31 wrote: »

Hi guys! I'm Jesus. Really, I am. There's no way you can tell I'm not! How y'all doin'?

Yes, there really is a way. Read Matthew 24 for a start. We are told how Jesus will return and to reject all false messiahs until that point.

jimmycrackcorm

He'd sign up with the username jesus.

robindch

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

I would imagine that the creator of the material universe would make his entrance know. There would be no ambiguity.

Forgive me for bringing it up in a new thread, but last time that Jesus showed up (after he came back to life), his own family and friends failed to recognise him.

An assumption of no ambiguity this time around does seem ambitious.

Fanny Cradock

robindch wrote: »

Forgive me for bringing it up in a new thread, but last time that Jesus showed up (after he came back to life), his own family and friends failed to recognise him.

An assumption of no ambiguity this time around does seem ambitious.

Back to this! When Jesus wanted to be known, he made himself known.

I wonder why God would have bothered with the long involvement with humans if the culmination of his work (a cosmos put to rights) was going to pass people by because they hadn't switched the radio on in the car after work or didn't read the 5th page of the news paper. Really, if one suspends disbelief for a moment, you miss the whole point of Jesus' resurrection when suggest that its culmination will be nothing short of the biggest event to happen since creation of the universe and Jesus' resurrection.

JimiTime

robindch wrote: »

Forgive me for bringing it up in a new thread, but last time that Jesus showed up (after he came back to life), his own family and friends failed to recognise him.

An assumption of no ambiguity this time around does seem ambitious.

Firstly, this is not a thread about the second coming. If it were, the answer to the OP would be, 'It will be obvious to all. Believer and non-believer alike. As he will be coming as a glorious conquering king not as a humble carpenter from Nazareth.' However, I think the OPs question asks if he were to come as a poster to the forum, would he be recognised by his wisdoms?

Personally, I'd say he'd be rejected as an arrogant so and so. These days, those who speak with authority get the 'who do you think you are' treatment. Only those who genuinely seek answers, and are honest would 'maybe' recognise his wisdom. The reason I say maybe, is that it may take divine intevention to really know who he is, like it did in apostolic times. I think they recognised, 'Theres something about this guy', but it was only when God opened their hearts did they truly know who he was.

robindch

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

I wonder why God would have bothered with the long involvement with humans if the culmination of his work (a cosmos put to rights) was going to pass people by because they hadn't switched the radio on in the car after work or didn't read the 5th page of the news paper.

Well, if you're going to wonder that, then why not wonder why he had to send Jesus to put people right in the first place? And why he didn't make himself known globally when he did arrive? Doesn't make much sense that so many people never heard the right message either because they died before 33AD, or because communications in the Roman Empire weren't quite what we have these days.

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Really, if one suspends disbelief for a moment, you miss the whole point of Jesus' resurrection when suggest that its culmination will be nothing short of the biggest event to happen since creation of the universe and Jesus' resurrection.

If his forthcoming return will be noticed worldwide, then why wasn't his first death or resurrection noticed worldwide? The historical record, other than that written by people who benefited from reporting it, is completely blank when it comes to tales of executed jewish preachers coming back to life again with or without the Roman equivalent of the worldwide news at five.

Phototoxin

He'd be the one being burned at the stake for supposedly starting a revolution or for attempting to usurp religions.

Fanny Cradock

robindch wrote: »

Well, if you're going to wonder that, then why not wonder why he had to send Jesus to put people right in the first place? And why he didn't make himself known globally when he did arrive? Doesn't make much sense that so many people never heard the right message either because they died before 33AD, or because communications in the Roman Empire weren't quite what we have these days.If his forthcoming return will be noticed worldwide, then why wasn't his first death or resurrection noticed worldwide? The historical record, other than that written by people who benefited from reporting it, is completely blank when it comes to tales of executed jewish preachers coming back to life again with or without the Roman equivalent of the worldwide news at five.

Both of these are more to do with your objection about how God went about his business, rather than what Christians believe about Jesus coming back.

Lobelia Overhill

QR

I don't think Jesus would make any fuss about being here, or going on about who he was. he'd just post away happily and people would be profoundly moved by what he had to say.

Or not.

Much like people respond to the whole Christian thing in real life ..

BTW "hi there Jesus" if you are here!!!

robindch

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Both of these are more to do with your objection about how God went about his business, rather than what Christians believe about Jesus coming back.

Not at all.

I'm just simply pointing out that you're not applying to your point of view, the logic, reason and common sense you apply to mine.

pts

I think that if Jesus decided to post on this forum he would be shocked how far many people have moved from his core messages and instead descended into petty bickering.

I also think that, just like last time, it will be the most religious people who will disagree most with his message.

JimiTime

pts wrote: »

I also think that, just like last time, it will be the most religious people who will disagree most with his message.

I tend to agree. It was people caught up in the Jewish religious traditions back in the day, I think it would be the same with alot of the Christian religions today. IMO, if he had come back when the RCC had its power, he'd have been burned at the stake. King Henry would have had him beheaded etc etc. I'm sure theres a few:mad::rolleyes::(, when he see's what his name gets associated with.

JacquesD'Ladd

Lovethinking wrote: »

Perhaps a rephrasing of the question might stimulate the discussion I was hoping for:

If Jesus was posting in this forum, could you recognise him by his words, phrases, reasonings, feelings, principles etc....? How?
What would he be saying????

An interesting question, Lovethinking, as you put it.
I can only guess, of course. But here are some possible outcomes and questions that arise:
Some might say that the bustle and stress of daily life always drowns out the inner voice. Yet you have asked a question about something that interrupts us in the middle of everyday activity, and modern activity at that. This pulls up that age-old conflict within, ie. the voice of reason which contends with the rush of our temporal life. In fact, this conflict has always been present, despite the rush and ease of modernisation - but we are only more or less aware of it. No matter what advancements are made in human endeavour, still there is a need for something more. Outright fulfillment seems beyond our grasp. The soul deep down desires immortality, wisdom, love.
But how great would we recognise these values with such a communication?

Some further questions, on the same theme:

1. Would his words seem as though they were our own?

2. As if he told us everything about our lives like he did the Samaritan woman at the well?

what does it mean to say someone can tell you 'everything' about what you have ever done? does this entail thoughts as well as actions?

3. which of these would we feel: would our 'hearts really burn within us' like the men on the road to Emmaus, though we can't recognise him? Or would we instantly recognise and be converted, as Paul was - he himself interrupted by a blinding light?

does this mean our essential being would instantly recognise such a Word, though outwardly we are blind? Is this a reversal of our original condition?

4. does this happen to us quite a lot already? ie. The Word that has always been present and is our being?

5. where would faith in such words rest? would we be told to believe? on what grounds? or is the voice of reason already within us? would 'we know as we are known'?

No doubt, while pondering these questions, I am left to feel that however any such communication is parsed, an appeal to the inward being would be tantamount. As an earlier thread put it, this is done by way of others through the work of the Spirit already, but these are foretastes only ('seen in a dim mirror').

When we recognise such words directly as an appeal to our very self, our mortality and destiny, is when we recognise a full communication, a unity.

To sum up, I don't think that such conversation would be entirely one-sided, but would be a dialogue that seeks and asks of the person what most matters.
Such direct conversation with Jesus here and now would involve a cross-roads for the person, who one way or the other, would recognise urgent values within that are of more account than that with which we are presently concerned.

philologos

I had an interesting thought about this. I personally think that if Jesus ever used boards.ie he would be sitebanned by the time the day was out. He would be speaking too many harsh truths to the arrogant and the haughty and they would have enough of it. He'd probably spend a lot of time in Personal Issues to give sympathy to the down trodden but to impart the honest truth with no buttering up added to those who were truly deserving of it.

Lovethinking

JacquesD'Ladd wrote: »

To sum up, I don't think that such conversation would be entirely one-sided, but would be a dialogue that seeks and asks of the person what most matters.
Such direct conversation with Jesus here and now would involve a cross-roads for the person, who one way or the other, would recognise urgent values within that are of more account than that with which we are presently concerned.

I agree.
What traits within ourselves do you think would be required so that we would actually allow his words to cause us to stop and look at ourselves in the way you describe?
Would everyone recognise it to be him?

Lovethinking

Jakkass wrote: »

I had an interesting thought about this. I personally think that if Jesus ever used boards.ie he would be sitebanned by the time the day was out. He would be speaking too many harsh truths to the arrogant and the haughty and they would have enough of it. He'd probably spend a lot of time in Personal Issues to give sympathy to the down trodden but to impart the honest truth with no buttering up added to those who were truly deserving of it.

I think you are likely correct....
Then again, perhaps he would only have to formulate one thought provoking question which would draw us out... if our pride didn't get our way, that is.

A Primal Nut

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Lets keep the trolling out of this forum. Lovethinking, I would imagine that the creator of the material universe would make his entrance know. There would be no ambiguity.

But there is plenty of ambiguity. There was plenty of ambiguity among Jews when Jesus arrived on earth and plenty of ambiguity now about whether God exists. I'm sure even fundamentalists would admit that this ambiguity exists, even if they themselves feel certain.

Fanny Cradock

robindch wrote: »

Not at all.

I'm just simply pointing out that you're not applying to your point of view, the logic, reason and common sense you apply to mine.

But this thread isn't about those issues or about my opinion on them. It's not lack of critical thought on my part; I often wonder why God went about his business in certain way. However, I try not to place any demands upon God in regards to how he should go about his business when I'm the one speculating from a position of ignorance.

A Primal Nut wrote: »

But there is plenty of ambiguity. There was plenty of ambiguity among Jews when Jesus arrived on earth and plenty of ambiguity now about whether God exists. I'm sure even fundamentalists would admit that this ambiguity exists, even if they themselves feel certain.

I know you probably wanted my post to relate to what you wrote but it doesn't. I was talking about the future, not what people believed in the present or the past.

RHRN

Lucifer31 wrote: »

Hi guys! I'm Jesus. Really, I am. There's no way you can tell I'm not! How y'all doin'?

And why would'nt we doubt you, what with your username?

EDIT: If Jesus did in fact make an account here and began posting, I'm almost sure there would be an enormous call of troll. TBH it would be my first reaction, some guy posting with "IAmJesus" and telling us that he's the Son of God

Mickeroo

I wonder would he like World of Warcraft?