dear undercover...
you said: "The legend of a man that dared to stand up to oppressiveness became the martyred hero of the oppressed and his story was embellished and added on to as time went by so that now we have legends that either God himself came in man's form, or in the very least, is God's 1st born sent to earth."...
By the testimony of two or three witnesses the matter is established (john 1:6-8; john 5:31-32,39).
since NT times the rabbi's have made a lengthy list of different "signs" that would signal the advent of their Messiah but the scripture shows that at the time of the first advent of Jesus Christ there weren't as many "signs" BUT the "signs" that needed to be fullfilled were even MORE miraculous because only God could preform them...
luke 4:16-22
in the gospel of john we are shown that john the baptist and the jews were expecting someone(john 1:31; matthew 11:2-3). Jesus said that He was fulfilling all the signs of the promised Messiah(matthew 11:4-6)
Jesus heals the man BORN blind...john 9:1-30
Jesus heals the lame...luke 5:16-25; matt 9:1-8; mark 2:1-12
Jesus heals leapers...luke 5:12-15; matt 8:2-4; mark 1:40-45
Jesus heals the deaf...mark 7:31-37
Jesus raises someone who had been dead for AT LEAST three days...john 11:43-47
Jesus did these "signs" and more to bring glory to God and the religious leaders knew that He was fulfilling all the required "signs" john 11:47; matthew 12:14...ALL this before your "witness"...as you said: "his story was embellished and added on to as time went by so that now we have legends..."
love michelle