For my determined purpose is that I may know Him,
that I may progressively become more deeply
and intimately acquainted with Him,
perceiving and recognizing and understanding
the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly.
Philippians 3:10a (AMP)
Jesus. Tell me about Him.
That’s a large request, but through His Word we gain some insight into this amazing Person. Though the Bible does not describe how Jesus looked or what kind of personality He had, it does leave these interesting clues.[1]
Jesus held crowds spellbound for hours. Mark 6:34-36
Children liked Him. Luke 18:15-16
Many people developed a deep affection for Him. John 11:1-6
Luke 9:57, Matthew 8:19
These clues suggest that Jesus was a charismatic[2] teacher/speaker, that He had an
attractive appearance, and a warm personality.
He spent forty days and nights in a wilderness without food.
Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus lived a rugged life. He walked miles in all kinds of weather.
John 4:1-6
He spent whole nights in prayer. Luke 6:12
He frequently slept out under the stars. Luke 9:58
These clues suggest that Jesus was physically fit and strong.
We find that He was hated by the super religious people because He saw through their masks of hypocrisy, rejected their strict rules, and because He associated with people they considered to be below their lofty status. He refused to be a slave to the laws set by those who held positions of influence. He lived among the common people and ministered to them, loving them, and healing them. He reached out to the unlovely, those unacceptable to society.
The authorities hated Him because they saw Him as a threat to the control they held over their subjects and a threat to their comfort zone. These clues tell us that He was not prejudiced and that He was courageous.
He was kind. How many times do we read of His kindness? The woman taken in adultery. The Roman centurion’s daughter. The woman who wept as she rubbed her vial of costly perfume on His feet. The Roman soldier as Jesus put his ear back after Peter had sliced it off. Tabitha. Peter’s mother. Feeding the multitudes. Healing the lepers. There are too many to list. We see His patience as He worked tirelessly with His disciples teaching them about His kingdom and what was to come. We sense His understanding as He walked and talked with others in their worlds of confusion and suffering..
He was not seeking fame or wealth. He had deep convictions and lived by those convictions. He was focused. He refused to accept praise for His deeds of kindness and compassion but gave credit to His Father for His every action. He was humble, not seeking self-aggrandizement.
He taught that the greatest commandment was to love, to love God and to love others. He demonstrated His passion for this commandment when He was mocked, tortured, and crucified for us so that we might live surrounded by His love for eternity.
It would be impossible to find scriptures through which we could legitimately criticize Him in any way. Criticize Him for healing? for setting men free? for feeding the hungry? for loving? for giving men answers for their deepest needs? Yet many today are obsessed to discover some fault, some hidden quirk, some inconsistency, or moral failing that would discredit this God-Man, Jesus.
Tell you about Jesus? I can’t. He is too awesome for description. The magnificent truth for each of us who really cares to find out is that the Person who masterminded all creation was once breathing, sleeping, and eating on this planet Earth just as you and I do.[3] He changed lives radically as He walked the hills of Galilee and He still changes lives radically today.
What do you do with this Jesus? You have to do something. You cannot ignore Him.
[1] Mark Link: He is the Still Point of the turning world
[2] Charisma: A special charm or allure that inspires devotion or allegiance
[3] He is the Still Point of the Turning World; Mark Link
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