I mentioned my thoughts: here is this guy who breaks the Sabbath by gleaning corn and by walking too many steps who also claims to be the Son of God. Why wouldn't they be upset?
It always sets my mind in motion and I always end up at the same place: If Jesus came again and said that he was who he is, would I believe him? Especially if he didn't come in with a great entrance like daylight staying for an entire day or a pillar of light or something? What if he was breaking commandments that I carefully followed and told me that I was a "whited sepulcher"? How would I react?
What about the other Jews of the time? They were expecting a deliverer, and Jesus just told them to turn the other cheek and to render unto Caesar what was Caesar's.
The Jesus that came wasn't at all what they were expecting. How, then, did those who did recognize him for who he was, know that it was truly him?
I stand by the idea that our eyes and ears can deceive us. We have sometimes believed deceivers. We sometimes buy into the magic trick. Our senses *and* our logic can sometimes be fooled, but there is a part of us that can't be tricked; a part of us that can see things for what they truly are and truly will be. It is our spirit.
Inside of us is a piece of God. Our spirit was created by Him. It is sensitive to the things of The Spirit - AKA the Holy Ghost. It is only through the Holy Ghost that we can know the truth of all things.
The Holy Ghost may feel different to each person. Sometimes a still small voice; sometimes a "burning in the bosom" or in other words a good, peaceful feeling.
I remember when I was engaged to Steve. I had already been married and divorced before and deceived many times during the marriage, so I was afraid to get married again. There was one night in particular that I was driving to meet Steve and I got the most awful, fearful feeling about marrying him. I really just wanted to run! So I pulled my car over to the side of the road and I prayed about marrying him, asking the Lord to please let me know if this was really a good thing for me to do. A peaceful feeling replaced the one of fear and I knew everything would be alright.
Sixteen years later, I can honestly say that though neither Steve nor I are perfect and we haven't had a perfect marriage, I can't think of any other person more perfect for me that he is. And I'm glad for that peace that came when I was ready to back out of the engagement.
Anyway, back to the original point, I believe that the original followers of Christ must have had a similar peaceful feeling amid all of the mortal doubts that they must have had.
Similarly, I think that the only way that we can know for ourselves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the person that we should follow is through that same Spirit of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is the only way to know the truth of *all* things. It gives me a lot of peace to know that God hasn't left me alone to muddle through this life, but has given me a way to receive knowledge from Him for me.
I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend :)
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