These people that say things like "Jesus was a great teacher," or "Jesus was a man that reached higher consciousness ...but he isn't God and he didn't make an atonement on the cross.." Jesus said he is God and he was crucified to atone for the sins of humanity. If those things aren't true, how is he a good teacher? I don't get these people.
I agree, Jesus of Nazareth,
the author and finisher of our faith, is the Son of God, he existed with the Father in eternity, before this world was, as a personality reality. He is the creator of our world, he incarnate in the flesh, lived according to the will of his heavenly Father, he was not only a revelation of that Father but also a demonstration of what man himself can do if he makes the whole-souled surrender to the doing of the will of God.
There isn't just one way of interpreting the cross, Jesus had told his enemies that that he would prove his authority by allowing them to (pointing to his body) "
tear down this temple, and in 3 days I will raise it up again." They did kill him and he did resurrect himself. He then appeared to a number of believers before returning to his rightful place in heaven.
For me the cross was an act of Love, it serves different purposes. Jesus lived life to the fullest in faith, even passing through death. We have a God who knows what it is like to die the mortal death as well as live the mortal life, he did it superbly.