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When people met Jesus, did they have any idea with whom they were dealing?
Jesus was literally an extraterrestrial.1 He was conceived, born, and raised on earth. But, paradoxically, he was not “from here.” Even more enigmatic, he was not “from anywhere”; he existed before everything else. In some inexplicable way, he was present somewhere before there was an anywhere. He had power that was so expansive that he could do anything, without limit, including seemingly irrational acts that defied every law of physics we know. He had capabilities that were so advanced that they would be perceived as magic.2 He made everything, without exception: galaxies, planets, clouds, birds, grass, fish and humans, but also invisible things like angels, consciousness, love, humility, and kindness. Then, he set all that aside for a few years, and moved into an apparently irrelevant neighborhood. There, he described reality in a way that was so oddly different from conventional perceptions that he often seemed incomprehensible to a largely blind and deaf populace. Today, we call him “Lord” but too many Christians have little sense of what that really means.
Take a moment day to let all that sink in. Then ask yourself a crucial question: Do I live and interact with Jesus as if I have any idea with whom I am dealing?
1. To be absolutely clear, this statement reflects such passages as Colossians 1:15-20, Philippians 2:6-8, and John 1:1-18, and in no way represents an endorsement of the ridiculous ideas presented by Erich von Daniken in Chariots of the Gods.
2. Arthur C. Clarke wrote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” There is no suggestion in my argument that Jesus used technology to accomplish miraculous works. He did not need technology to create the universe or to turn water into wine. “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” (Psalm 33:9)
He bends down 
Great idea, Rick, asking “Do I live and interact with Jesus as if I have any idea with whom I am dealing?” For me, the key is to immerse in the Gospel accounts. Thanks!
Thanks, Eric. The Ignatian Exercises reintroduced me to the gospels, which changed my life. Up to that time, like many evangelicals, I had focused on the epistles because that’s where all the “meat” of doctrine supposedly resides. But, like Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” Like a knucklehead, I was several months (!!!) into the Spiritual Exercises when I realized, “Wait. This is about Jesus!” So is all of life, it turns out.
I think your experience is not all that uncommon and has been true for me too. But the challenge still remains to be in the Gospels not as a 20th century middle class person, but as a first century, landless Palestinian tenant farmer, oppressed by both the Roman and Jewish elite. These made up 80% of Jesus’ audience. A good book for that is “Seed Falling on Good Soil: Rooting Our Lives in the Parables of Jesus” by Gordon W. King [Cascade, 2016]. Enjoy!