Growing up made easier
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a woman named Mary, whose husband was Joseph. He began teaching and preaching around age 30, and is traditionally believed to have died at age 33. He was tried by Jewish authorities, and was sentenced to crucifixion by Pontious Pilate.
The proof of Jesus's existence is outside the scope of this article; however There is good, non-Biblical, historical evidence that Jesus existed.1 For now, it will suffice to comment on the Bible's language surrounding Jesus's historicity. That is, unlike many fiction or fantasy stories, the Bible places Jesus in history, among figures and places that exist or are known to have existed: Caesar Augustus, Quirinius, Pontious Pilate, Nazareth, and Bethlehem.
Given that Jesus existed, then, we next consider C.S. Lewis's famous "Liar, Lunatic, Lord" argument.2 Namely, Jesus in his years of teaching claimed to be God. This leaves us with four options:
The first is a problematic view, given the historical evidence.
The second and third views are problematic for religions who claim that Jesus was a great prophet (in particular, Judaism or Islam). The problem is that He did not simply claim to be a prophet. He claimed to be God. If He was wrong, he was blasphemous at best, but certainly not a great spiritual and moral figure. Some may hold the view that Jesus never claimed to be God. Even if that were so (which it's not), Jesus certainly claimed to take away people's sins. But no one except God can take away people's sins, so we're back to square one.
For everyone else, it will suffice to say that these views are problematic because of what Jesus taught, did, and said. The crowds (and indeed the Apostles!) would not have been impressed with Him were He a liar; that is, He backed up His claims with miracles. Additionally, Jesus taught intellectually consistent, high-octane content. He deftly navigated through the Pharisees' and Sadducees' traps (I'm thinking here of (1) the woman caught in adultery; (2) the paying of taxes to Caesar; and (3) the question of the woman who married 7 brothers). A lunatic would have a hard time putting all that together.
After everything is considered, then, we're left with the fourth view: the one Christians hold.
Notice, now, that Jesus's claim makes Christianity unlike any other major religion. In all other religions, a prophet or spiritual leader arises, claiming to have insight into God or claiming to have received a message from God. Christianity is completely different: Jesus came claiming to be God. If we accept his claim (which we must, unless we believe that Jesus was a liar or a lunatic), then Christianity, being the only religion to profess that Jesus is God, can be the only reasonable religion.