More About Jesus – His Character
It has always amazed me how many people worship the false gods of low character. From the Roman and Greek false gods that were full of immorality to the false god of Allah who is full of hate. How sad it is that all over the world people will worship more false gods than can be named and all of those false gods have serious character flaws. How totally different it is with our Lord. He has a perfect flawless character. He is the only one who is worthy.
I He is altogether lovely and Holy.
Son 5:16 His mouth [is] most sweet: yea, he [is] altogether lovely. This [is] my beloved, and this [is] my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Act 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Jesus is Holy. When applied to God it signifies perfectly pure, immaculate, and complete in moral character. It is not that Jesus decides to do some holy things or that He decides to be holy from time to time. No, He is Holy. It is His very nature, and He cannot be anything else.
II He is righteous.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Jesus is righteous. He always does right. Not once has he ever done anything wrong. He is the only one who ever lived that fulfilled all the law of God. His righteousness is perfect. It is His very nature. He cannot do anything but that which is right.
III He is good.
Mat 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Jesus is the most virtuous person to ever walk the earth. He did all kinds of good works while He was here. He healed, He counseled, He preached the gospel, He sought the lost, and He gave help and comfort. Jesus has not changed. He is still good today, and He is therefore still doing good today.
IV He is faithful.
Deu_7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Isa 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
1Th 5:24 Faithful [is] he that calleth you, who also will do [it].
Others can be faithful for a time. Some can achieve a high degree of faithfulness in a few things. But no man can be 100 percent faithful in all things all the time. Pro_20:6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
But it is a different matter with Jesus. He cannot be anything but faithful. At all times and in all things. Total, complete, constant, and perfect faithfulness.
2Ti_2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
V He is sinless.
Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Men sin because we are sinners. We sin because that is our fallen nature. By the grace of God and in being yielded to Him, we can sin less often. But do not let that puff you up. You will still sin. You will still make some mistakes; still not do everything that God wants you to. All men will sin. It cannot be avoided. That is not the case with Jesus. He is the only one who cannot sin. He has no sin nature. He is pure. That is why He could die a substitutionary death. He was the Sinless dying for sinners.
VI He is true.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Joh 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
1Jo 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Everything that Jesus said was truth, and everything that Jesus did speaks of truth because He is the embodiment of truth.
VII He is just.
Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Act 22:14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
Often in this world we see justice that is lacking and judges that are corrupt. If you want to see perfect justice; if you want to see a perfect judge, then look no further than Jesus. Some will ask the question why God doesn’t judge all the wickedness around us. The answer is, He is. He is watching every wrong thing ever done. And everyone will be judged by Him. All will have to stand and give an account. Jesus is the perfect judge. In reality no one is getting away with anything. Our problem is we want to see it now and do not live in light of eternity.
VIII In Him is no guile.
Isa 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither [was any] deceit in his mouth.
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
We also see this aspect of His character when Jesus went thru the events that led up to the cross and in His actions on the cross. He was reviled but He did not respond that way. Jesus could not betray His own perfect character no matter what was said to Him or done to Him.
IX He is Harmless.
Heb 7:26 For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Jesus will never do anything to harm one of His own. It might not feel like it when He is chastising you. But when that happens it is not done out of anger to hurt you. It is done with your best in mind. When you are set on a course that will bring you harm, He must take action on your behalf. Jesus is harmless. What a wonderful aspect of His character. And really getting ahold of that great truth can really help you thru the hard times of life.
X He is Obedient to God the Father
Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.
Joh 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Jesus was completely obedient. He did all that the Father wanted Him to do. And you see here that there is a connection between love and obedience. We should follow His example and love enough to be obedient.
XI He is Meek
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Meek is not to be confused with weakness. It is often called power under control. Jesus was the most powerful person to ever walk the earth. He is God incarnate. He has all power. But He did not abuse it. He did not mistreat others. He was meek. You can most likely think of personal examples of people who had power and flaunted it. They wanted everyone to know they were in control. The top dog who rubs their power in the faces of others. That is not the way we are to be. Just one example would be in marriage. The husband would do well to fulfil his role with meekness. (Power under control)
XII He is Merciful
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Grace and mercy are very closely related. There is a slight difference. Grace is unmerited favor. That is getting what you do not deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve. For example we all deserve hell. Not going to hell is mercy. Mercy has more to do with the withholding of punishment. Jesus is very merciful.
XIII He is Compassionate
Isa 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.
Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 7:13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
Jesus cares. He cares. It does not matter how bad your situation is, you can be assured that He is compassionate. He will help you thru your situation. He will either deliver you from it, or as in many cases, He will deliver you thru it.
XIV He is Loving
Joh 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Praise God for this aspect of His character. He is loving. He loved us before we ever loved Him. He died for us while we were still awful sinners. There is no love greater than the love of Jesus. None!
XV He is Self denying
Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head.
2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
We have no experience with which to try to understand just how much Jesus gave up to come to the earth for us. One day, when we are in glory with Him, we will start to see the depth of it all. He gave up the glory of heaven, the worship of angels, the sitting on the throne with the Father, for sinful you. The one who knew no sin, and took your sin upon Himself. Now that is self-sacrifice at its ultimate. The part of His character that put others first, is one of the many characteristics of Jesus that we are to emulate.
XVI He is Humble
Luk 22:27 For whether [is] greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? [is] not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Phi 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
To be humbled is to bring down or to lower. It is to be submissive. If you read about His experience in the garden, you will find that He was not looking forward to being made sin for us. He prayed for another way, but there was no other way. So Jesus submitted and lowered Himself and went to the cross. No man put Him there. He humbled Himself and went. We are to be submissive to all His commands. Humble ourselves and obey.
XVII He is Forgiving
Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Jesus cannot deny Himself. He cannot deny who He is. He cannot go against His character. And praise God His is forgiving. Even on the cross He spoke words of forgiveness. He will forgive all who come to Him for salvation. And He will forgive all of our sins, if we confess our sins.
1Jn_1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Application.
1.He is worthy. Christian you are following the Only One Who is Worthy to be followed. There is NO FLAW IN HIM. Period. He is worthy of all your love, all your devotion, all your time. Everything.
2.For those who are suffering or will suffer in the future. In that deep dark valley of suffering in my case in ICU. When the pain is unbearable this wicked thought often tries to raise it’s ugly head. Why Lord, why. What did I do wrong? Why are you punishing me so severely. It is just cruel. STOP STOP STOP!!!. That thought is completely inconsistent with Jesus’ Character. You will never find anything like that in Scripture. He is loving, compassionate, and merciful. He is the good Shepherd. He has allowed it, and we don’t have to know the reasons why. But know this in the end it is for our good. Romans 8:28.
3. The main application is that we are to be conformed into His image. Therefore if we are growing in the Lord then we should be showing forth more and more of His Character all the time. We should become more humble, more forgiving, more self denying, more harmless, more obedient and so on.
Saints are to be conformed to His image
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
See all the More About Jesus Lessons
Optional Illustrations showing the contrast between the wonderful character of our God and false gods.
Nepal appoints 3-year-old as new living goddess By Yuvraj Acharya Associated Press Writer Tue Oct 7, 2008
Katmandu, Nepal – Hindu and Buddhist priests chanted sacred hymns and cascaded flowers and grains of rice over a 3-year-old girl who was appointed a living goddess in Nepal on Tuesday.
Wrapped in red silk and adorned with red flowers in her hair, Matani Shakya received approval from the priests and President Ram Baran Yadav in a centuries-old tradition with deep ties to Nepal’s monarchy, which was abolished in May. The new “kumari” or living goddess, was carried from her parents’ home to an ancient palatial temple in the heart of the Nepali capital, Katmandu, where she will live until she reaches puberty and loses her divine status.
She will be worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists as an incarnation of the powerful Hindu deity Taleju. A panel of judges conducted a series of ancient ceremonies to select the goddess from several 2 to 4 year old girls who are all members of the impoverished Shakya goldsmith caste.
The judges read the candidates’ horoscopes and check each one for physical imperfections. The living goddess must have perfect hair, eyes, teeth and skin with no scars, and should not be afraid of the dark.
As a final test, the living goddess must spend a night alone in a room among the heads of ritually slaughtered goats and buffaloes without showing fear. Having passed all the tests, the child will stay in almost complete isolation at the temple, and will be allowed to return to her family only at the onset of menstruation when a new goddess will be named to replace her.
“I feel a bit sad, but since my child has become a living goddess I feel proud,” said her father Pratap Man Shakya. During her time as a goddess, she will always wear red, pin up her hair in topknots, and have a third eye painted on her forehead.
Devotees touch the girls’ feet with their foreheads, the highest sign of respect among Hindus in Nepal. During religious festivals the goddesses are wheeled around on a chariot pulled by devotees.
The girls often struggle to readjust to normal lives after they return home. Nepalese folklore holds that men who marry a former kumari will die young, and so many girls remain unmarried and face a life of hardship.
The religious police in Saudi Arabia (search) are now out on the streets in full force looking for anyone violating a ban on Valentine’s Day celebrations. Retailers are banned from selling anything with red in it including red roses, or red teddy bears. And waiters are advised to keep red out of their uniforms. The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (search) says Valentine’s Day is a Christian holiday that Muslims should reject. Violators could be jailed for days. Saudi citizens, however, have created somewhat of a black market for red sales items. Red flowers, for instance, are now being sold out of the backrooms of shops and are going for quadruple their normal price.
Some missionaries wanted a greater insight into the people that they were trying to win so they arranged a trip to a popular Hindu pilgrim center, where high on a hill sat a famous temple. They had to climb a 600 foot high hill in oppressive heat, and they had to go barefoot. It was a rare thing for an outsider to be allowed to enter a Hindu temple. This is how the missionary describes the temple-cave.
“I plucked up courage and we went in. The interior was extremely dark and reeked of bats and sweat. I found the stench overwhelming, and once nearly vomited. As we stumbled through the black passageways, a loud gong suddenly clanged just next to us. I held on tighter to Das. Other pilgrims picked their way ahead of us in the dark. I felt an overwhelming oppression and fear. Every so often a small opening in the stone wall revealed a small enclosed area where priests, clad only in loincloths, burned sacred fire and chanted sacred mantras. The sweat ran from their partly naked bodies. The temple-cave had many idols and in one place we saw a small trough dripping water. I watched as devotees sipped the water (supposedly the urine of gods) and worshiped. We finally emerged into the outside air and light. For me, going through that temple was a horrible experience. Afterward I reflected on what I had seen. I grieved for those dear Hindu people who appeared to be in bondage as they earnestly attempted to earn a better condition in their next incarnation. I thanked God for the freedom I had in Jesus Christ. That experience reinforced my gratitude to God for what he did for me when Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I didn’t have to go on a pilgrimage to some dark fearful temple, hoping that by my works I might be reincarnated to something better than I was in this life.”