Graham Fish, part of the leadership team at Kingsbridge Family Church, writes:

Since my last letter, December 30, people have asked: ‘What is all the fuss about this person Jesus Christ?’

When I read about the life of Jesus in the gospels, I am always struck by the way his followers did not recognise who he was right from the start. At best they called him a healer, then preacher or prophet. His enemies accused him of being a troublemaker, blasphemer or wrote him off as deranged.

Of course, the evil spirits knew who he was, which is weird, and then gradually his disciples began to put two and two together as they began to understand what being a ­follower of Jesus Christ was all about.

More importantly, around halfway through Mark’s gospel, he asks them the direct ­question: ‘Who do you say I am?’ The thing is, Christianity is not founded just on what Jesus taught, and it is really important to understand this, but on who Jesus is and on what Jesus came to do.

Of course, as Christians, we stand firmly on his teachings. No one ever spoke and taught like Jesus, but ultimately the value of what he said was dependent upon who he was and what he did. There is an abundance of historical ­evidence that authenticates his life and words, all of which are open to examination and study.

It is why at Kingsbridge Family Church on Sunday mornings we will join with Peter and the other disciples as they travel from town to town ­watching and listening as Jesus reveals his true identity. The question is still being asked today: ‘Who do you think he is?’