Jesus Christ is undoubtedly one the most fascinating and enigmatic figures in history. Despite his humble origins as the son of a carpenter from the Judean countryside, his short life of about 33 years, and his short public career, which was between one and three years, Jesus is the central focus of the world's largest religion and he has meant many things to many people since his death almost 2,000 years ago. Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions calls Jesus "arguably the most important figure in the history of western civilization." Christians have traditionally given to this question: he was a real human being, the Messiah, the Son of Man, the Son of God, and God.