Teddio - Thank you for taking the time and trouble to read thus far and comment.
If I had irrefutable proof, as you say, that jesus was just a man, then my hope would be based on nothing. The consequences of that would be devastating for me.
But, if Jesus was simply just another man, then how come we can still know him today?
Yes, we read the bible, but that in itself does not bring us to the knowledge of Christ. By knowing about Him, and then praying to Him, the n by His grace He will reveal Himself in our lives. Only when in true humility do we approach Him, will He fellowship with us.
To go to Him as a mere tourist, curious about the afterlife, is a waste of time.
Waldo wants me to pick up snakes, but I have stepped out in faith in other ways. I have prayed and prayed, and the outcomes have often, at first, seemed disappoining, leaving me thinking that God was saying, "No," but given time, I have realised, that I have been tested, and come through, my needs met, and those physical and earthly needs that have not been met, well, I have been given the grace to endure, sometimes, that grace manifesting itself simply by kind words from fellow ABers. God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.