The New Testament reveals to us the nature of Jesus Christ; the first four books in particular give details of His earthly life spanning a third of a century. What one finds within these documents is a personality that has brought about the greatest change for good in the history of the world. Even today, 2,000 years removed from when He lived among us, Jesus’ words and deeds impress people to believe in Him as the Son of God and inspire them to mold their lives after His example.
The adage, “actions speak louder than words,” is a truth that can often be seen in the deeds of Jesus of Nazareth. Unlike the sanctimonious Pharisees, Jesus was “a friend of publicans and sinners” (Luke 7:34). He was not a friend who participated with them in sinning, but was a true friend who loved them, formed relationships with them, and told them, “go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). He spoke with a Samaritan woman at the well, asking her for a drink (John 4:7). He had no container to hold his own water (John 4:11); He was willing to put his mouth to the bucket the Samaritan woman was carrying. What first-century Jewish writer would have concocted such a story? Certainly none. The character of Jesus shines above the prejudices of His day. Jesus healed the lepers by touching them (Matthew 8:3). When the band of officers came with weapons to take Jesus by force, He even healed the ear of Malchus after Peter cut it off (Luke 22:51; John 18:10). Throughout His short life, “he went about doing good” (Acts 10:38).
One can learn much about a man from what he says about himself, what his friends say, and even what his enemies say. Jesus asked, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” (John 8:46). He called on others to repent, but was not in need of repentance Himself (Matthew 3:14-15; 4:17). He said He always did the things that please the Father (John 8:29). Which of us could truly say the same? His teachings are without equal, as the officers admitted, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). Jesus’ friends said that He was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16); the Father corroborated this truth by audibly declaring it from heaven (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). The religious leaders, Jesus’ enemies, did not hesitate to cast reproaches on Him. They implied that His birth was from fornication (John 8:41). They said He was a Samaritan and had a devil (John 8:48). Each confrontation Jesus had with His enemies did not elicit any evil from Him, but manifested His supreme virtues of love and truth; contrariwise, His enemies embarrassed themselves because they showed how manipulative and hypocritical they were (Matthew 22).
The only logical basis for this unparalleled character named Jesus evinced in the Gospel accounts is that He was God in the flesh who actually lived, doing these great deeds and saying these great statements. No other conclusion squares with the facts. Man could not create such a character. He surpasses the perfection of any figment of our imaginations, and yet was clearly rooted in the world dealing with real people in places which actually existed. “What think ye of Christ?” (Matthew 22:42). Will you examine the character of the Christ portrayed in the New Testament? If you will honestly consider Him, you will come away with the same conclusion the centurion did when he said, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).
–Mark Day
Leave a Reply