I read your summary of Christian beliefs you linked to, so this reply pertains to that too. All throughout the new testament the followers of Jesus are encouraged to follow him and become like him. Even if I discard all of Saul, there is still at least Luke 6:39-40 or John 10:30-34. If Jesus was what Christians make him to be -- the sole manifestation of God -- why on Earth would he tell you that you can be like him.

Well, the answer is simple -- what he was teaching is that we are all "children of God", we are all God manifested, and our "I am" is the God's "I am" (as in equivalent). We just have to realize it by putting our faith in him and what he teaches (one obviously has to do it in order to follow his path). That is also pretty much what Hinduism and Buddhism (as its reformation) are all about.