List of contents:
I. A brief historical background.
II. The character of Jesus.
1. The love of Jesus.
2. The compassion of Jesus.
3. Jesus: the good shepherd.
4. The holiness of Jesus.
5. The humility of Jesus.
6. The peaceful and non-violent nature of Jesus:
the Prince of Peace.
7. The authority of Jesus, the Christ.
Inspirationals from the Holy Bible:
"Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world'"
(John 8: 12a); "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives
His life for the sheep" (John 10: 11); "Behold, I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will
come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:
20).
In order to know about the life and teachings of Jesus, it is recommended
that you read the Gospel of Luke, and watch the Jesus film.
I. A BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Jesus was born around 5-4 B.C. of the Holy Spirit of the Living God
and his virgin mother Mary into a humble poor Jewish family: “Now
the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After his mother Mary was
betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child
of the Holy Spirit. . . So all this was done that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the Lord through the Prophet, saying: Behold the
virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His
name ‘Immanuel’, which is translated ‘God with us’
(Matthew 1: 18, 22-23). “And she brought forth her firstborn Son,
and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because
there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7; 1: 26-38).
Jesus was born in a cave at Bethlehem, a small village in southern Palestine.
He was raised in a pious Jewish family, and lived the religious life
of a pious adult Jew. He was a native of Nazareth, a small town in northern
Palestine. Before his active ministry, it is thought that he worked
with his hands as a common laborer, probably in carpentry. He lived
among the poor and identified with them. His disciples were simple folk.
The twelve apostles constituted the inner group of his disciples. During
Jesus active ministry of about three and half years, the twelve apostles
accompanied him everywhere he went. They heard all his teachings. They
had private discussions with him. They saw all his miracles. After he
ascended into heaven, he sent them to preach the gospel to the world.
All of them except two were martyred because of their Christian witness.
Of these two, one died of old age in exile (the apostle John), and the
other betrayed him (Judas Iscariot).
He started his active ministry when he was about thirty years of age
(Luke 3:23a). Although Jesus’ ministry lasted only a short
period of nearly three and a half years, it had a world-shattering effect.
With the exception of a brief visit to the towns of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew
15:21), Jesus ministered in Palestine. His ministry encompassed two
major aspects: preaching and teaching, and mighty miracles, some of
which are unique in the history of humankind. His favorite method of
teaching was by using parables. Jesus’ life and behavior were
radically consistent with his teaching.
The portrait of Jesus Christ is the portrait of pristine divine love;
a love that has no end; a love that knows no bounds; a love that exceeds
our human understanding and comprehension. He loves us more than a mother
loves her nursing baby: “Can a woman forget her nursing
child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may
forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15). The
prophet Isaiah prophesied about the mission of Jesus Christ more than seven
centuries before his birth saying: “The Spirit of the
LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to
the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty
to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
(Luke 4: 18-19; Isaiah 61: 1-2). The essence of Jesus Christ’s
message to us is love: "God is love" (1 John. 4:8b;
John 3:16). Our response to his unlimited sacrificial love
for us is that we love him back: "We love him because He
first loved us" (1 John. 4:19). True love strives to please
the beloved: "If you love Me, keep my commandments"
(John. 14:15). What are these commandments? His commandments
are that we love both God and our neighbor: "You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and
with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these
two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).
He was reluctant to declare that he was the prophesied Messiah, because
in his day the understanding of the Messiah’s mission was distorted
and reduced to the role of an earthly king, which he refused to accept.
He became despised and rejected by many of his own people (the Jews),
who were more interested in earthly power, and dead tradition. After
the humiliation and agony of his cross, his earthly historic existence
ended in the triumph of his resurrection and ascension to heaven in
30-33 A.D.
The period preceding Christ was characterized by political instability
in Palestine involving endless bloody bitter wars, barbaric military
campaigns, imperial changes, conspiracies, assassinations, and at times
political chaos. The predominant world power at the time of Christ was
the Roman Empire. From 6 AD to 41 AD six Roman procurators ruled Judea
(southern Palestine) from Caesarea Maritima, the first of whom was P.
Quirinius, who began his administration by ordering a census. This led
to armed rebellion in Judea by people fearing higher taxes and labor.
The best known of the procurators was Pontius Pilate, who succeeded
Gratus in 26 AD. Like his predecessors, he gave little attention to
the Jewish traditions, which led to discontent. The wide-spread Jewish
discontent prompted the Jews to seek the Messiah. Amidst this
desperation and the darkness of that long night that seemed to have
no end, the light of Jesus shone bright.
II. THE CHARACTER OF JESUS
The wonderful portrait of Jesus is presented herein from the Holy
Bible. All biblical quotations are from the NKJV (New King James Version
translation of the Holy Bible).
1. The Love of Jesus
Jesus loved all kinds of people: including sinners, marginalized people,
tax collectors, the sick, women and children. In fact, he used to eat
with notorious public sinners in order to guide them to repentance.
The love of Jesus is declared in many ways.
i. Relieving the Weary:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I
am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11: 28-30).
ii. Feeding the Hungry
At least on two occasions, Jesus fed a multitude of hungry people
who were following him. On one occasion, he fed about five thousand
men besides women and children by blessing five loaves of bread and
two fish (Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:11-17). On the other occasion, he
fed about four thousand men besides women and children by blessing seven
loaves of bread and a few fish (Matthew 15: 32-39). On both occasions,
he did that upon his own initiative: “I have compassion
on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days
and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry,
lest they faint on the way” (Matthew 15:32).
iii. Healing the sick
Jesus healed many people afflicted with a variety of ailments. He
healed the leper (Luke 5: 12-15; 17: 11-19), the paralytic (Luke 5:
16-26), the paralyzed (Matthew 8: 5-13), the blind (Matthew 9: 27-31),
a bleeding woman (Luke 8: 43-48), and those with a variety of diseases:
“Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the
lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down
at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled
when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking,
and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel” (Matthew
15: 30-31).
iv. Freeing the demon-possessed
from demonic power
Jesus set many people free from demonic powers that possessed and
tormented them. Demons knew that he was the Christ (Luke 4: 41; 8: 26-39;
Mark 9: 17-29; Matthew 8: 16, 28-34; 9: 32-33; 12: 22-23). “Now
in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.
And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let us alone! What
have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us?
I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’ But Jesus rebuked
him saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!’ And when the
demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not
hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying,
‘What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands
the unclean spirits, and they come out” (Luke 4: 33-36).
2. The Compassion of Jesus
“And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and
He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick”
(Matthew 14: 14).
i. Lamenting over the impending
destruction of Jerusalem
Jesus foreknew the then future destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans,
which took place in 70 AD. He wept over it with compassion: “Now
as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, if you had
known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for
your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come
upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround
you and close you in on every side, and level you and your children
within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone
upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation”
(Luke 19: 41-44).
ii. Raising the widow’s
son from the dead
Jesus had compassion for the weeping widow who lost her only son.
Therefore, he raised her son from the dead upon his own initiative:
“And when He came near the gate of the city, behold a
dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she
was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the
Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘do
not weep.’ Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those
who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to
you, arise.’ So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And
He presented him to his mother” (Luke 7: 12-15).
iii. Raising Lazarus from the
dead
Lazarus and his two sisters were dear friends of Jesus. When Lazarus
died, Jesus went to console his sisters and raise him from the dead.
When Jesus saw Lazarus’ sister and friends weeping, he wept for
their anguish and pain: “Therefore, when Jesus saw her
weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit
and was troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’
They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept”
(John 11: 33-35).
3. Jesus: the Good Shepherd
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
gives His life for the sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John
10: 11, 27-28). Jesus searches for the lost sinner: “What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he looses one of them, does not
leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which
is lost until he finds it. And when he has found it, he lays it on his
shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his
friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I
have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15: 4-7);
“For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to
the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls” (1 Peter 2: 25).
We pray with the psalmist: “The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads
me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the
paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for
You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalms
23: 1-4).
4. The Holiness of Jesus
From the above discussion it is apparent that Jesus did all goodness
to all people. In addition, Jesus lived a pure holy life. He was blameless
without sin: “Which of you convicts Me of sin?”
(John 8: 46a); “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in
His mouth; who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when
He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges
righteously” (1 Peter 2: 22-23); “And you know that He was
manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin”
(1 John 3: 5); “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible
things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter
1: 18a, 19).
5. The Humility of Jesus
Jesus was a very humble person: “Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”
(Matthew 11: 29-30). When Jesus entered Jerusalem He was riding
a young donkey, which symbolizes peace; he never used a horse that symbolizes
war and conquest: “Then Jesus, when He had found a young
donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion,
behold, your King is coming sitting on a donkey’s colt”
(John 12: 14-15).
Jesus befriended the sinner and the outcast in order to bring them
to repentance: “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said
to His disciples, ‘Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors
and sinners? When Jesus heard that, He said to them, ‘Those who
are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; For I
did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance”
(Matthew 9: 11-12, 13b).
Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in order to teach them a lesson
in humility: “After that, He poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel
with which He was girded. So when He had washed their feet, taken His
garments and sat down again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what
I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well,
for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,
you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you
an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:
5, 12-15).
6. The Peaceful and Non-violent
Nature of Jesus, the Prince of Peace
Jesus never carried a sword or any weapon whatsoever. Jesus never
asked anyone to kill somebody for him. In fact, when Peter, one of his
chosen apostles, pulled his sword to prevent them from arresting Jesus,
Jesus asked him not to use his sword: “And suddenly, one
of those who where with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword,
struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus
said to him, ‘Put your sword in its place, for all who take the
sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray
to My Father, and He will provide me with more than twelve legions of
angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen
thus?” (Matthew 26: 51-54). Subsequently, Jesus healed
the ear of the servant of the high priest who came to arrest him (Luke
22: 51).
Jesus never organized an army, never invaded a country in the name
of God, and never asked any of his disciples to do so for him. He did
not come to establish an earthly kingdom or a state. In fact, he refused
to become an earthly king: “Therefore, when Jesus perceived
that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king,
He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone” (John 6: 15).
There are many witnesses in the Holy Bible on the peaceful non-violent
nature of Jesus. The following are a few of them: “He
will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the
streets” (Matthew 12: 19); “Because He had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53: 9b).
7. The Authority of Jesus, the
Christ
Many mighty miracles and works performed by Jesus are recorded in
the books of the New Testament. These acts demonstrate his power and
authority.
i. Authority to heal the sick
ii. Authority over demonic powers
iii. Authority to forgive sins
Jesus performed both physical healings and spiritual healings. The
latter was effected mainly by forgiving the sins of the person: “When
He saw their faith, He said to him, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven
you.’ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying,
‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but
God alone?’ But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered
and said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning in your hearts?’
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or
to say, ‘Rise up and walk?’ But that you may know that the
Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’—He said to
the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your
bed, and go to your house. Immediately he rose up before them, took
up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying
God” (Luke 5: 20-25; 7: 36-50). Jesus healed the paralytic
man, but did that after He forgave his sins. He declared that He had
the power to forgive sins. Jesus proved that he had the authority to
forgive sins because, if he had committed blasphemy, He could not heal
the paralytic man, which He did with ease.
iv. Authority over human life
We know of three miracles of raising the dead (Luke 8: 41-42, 49-56;
7: 12-15; John 11: 1-44). The most powerful of these miracles is raising
Lazarus from the dead four days after his death after his corpse began
to decompose in his grave (John 11: 1-44).
v. Authority of creation
The miracles of multiplying the few loaves of bread and fishes to
feed the hungry multitudes of people with plenty of left-over food which
they collected in baskets are miracles of creation (Luke 9: 11-17; Matthew
15: 32-39).
Jesus created two new eyes for a man born blind (John 9). This man
was born without eyeballs. Jesus created in him a pair of new eyeballs
from clay that He anointed the blind man’s eye sockets with. This
miracle reminds us of God’s creation of Adam from clay (Genesis
2:7).
vi. Authority over nature
Jesus rebuked the stormy wind and the raging sea, and they obeyed
him (Matthew 8: 23-27; Mark 4: 36-41; Luke 8:22-25). He was able to
command the forces of nature and they obeyed Him! In addition, Jesus
walked on the raging sea as if it were dry land (Mark 6: 45-52).