History does not argue the existence of Jesus. He was born in poverty and obscurity. He never owned anything except the clothes He wore.

Jesus had followers, but He never developed an establishment-type organization. The wise men from the East who came to visit Jesus as a child asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2).

He was a king, but He never raised an army, never went out to conquer, and never levied any taxes. Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, said of Himself, "I am gentle and humble in heart" (Matthew 11:29).

Isaiah the prophet spoke for God about the gentleness of Jesus: "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out" (Isaiah 42:3; cf. Matthew 12:20). Jesus portrayed the fruit of the Spirit, including gentleness (Galatians 5:22-23), throughout His life.

Jesus lived and moved quietly among the people, taught them about the living God of heaven, healed them of disease, and gave them hope in their circumstances. What is controversial about that?

His message was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2). Repent of what?

When Jesus came on the scene, the Jewish people had developed a religious system that elevated manmade orthodoxy over the true worship of God. The system required so many things that a person could get lost in the maze of restrictions and never see God.

Jesus cut through all of that and simplified the path of the true God-seeker. He made two statements that cut our hearts to the quick and make us extremely vulnerable.

The first, in Matthew 7:12, is: "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." He went on to say that this statement, commonly known as the golden rule, "sums up the Law and the Prophets." In other words, the heart of God is for us to treat others the same way we would want them to treat us.

The second statement, in Matthew 22:37-40, was made in response to a question posed by an expert in the law who asked, "Which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," and, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Why is Jesus controversial? He strips away the system we hide behind. He puts life on the most basic terms.

Jesus told us to love our neighbor. That statement begs the question, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus answered by telling the story of a lowly, outcast Samaritan who helped a man he didn't know, at his own expense, and without any possibility of being recognized or repaid (Luke 10:25-37).

Jesus is controversial because He goes against the way of the world and the way of human nature, which is "Me first," "Get all you can and can all you get," and the idea that "If you would just be like me, you wouldn't have so many problems."

Jesus told His followers, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me" (Matthew 5:11).

Follow the way of Jesus with self-sacrifice, taking up the cause of the poor and needy, and turning your back on the world system, and you will see how controversial you will be as you emulate the One who is most controversial.