He was walked on earth thousands of years ago. He is so famous that people say his name when they stub their toe. You were probably even judged by some mean high school girl who claimed she thought she was holier than everyone else, just because she knew him.
"But who really is this Jesus guy anyway?
I mean he's judgmental, right? He must have come down to yell at the world, that's why Christians are so mean and have all of those rules. I mean he must be this."
What if I were to tell you he was just the opposite, and these Christians sometimes just give him a really bad name.
See Jesus was a man, but not your average man He was actually God. He wanted to come down live life with us and even better, he ended up dying for us, taking on a huge punishment for us, just so we could go to heaven and be with God forever.
See us humans are naturally sinful, but God loves us anyway. He wanted to spend all of eternity with us but as you may know, Heaven is perfect. We are not perfect because of sin. So, God had to make us perfect. Which is why Jesus had to die for our sins.
But let's back up. What was Jesus really like when he was here on earth? What is God like? The answers might really surprise you.
1. He was witty.
One thing you should know about Jesus, he was always answering questions with questions.
Mark 4:38
38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
2. He wasn't Judgmental.
In John 8, they were all gathered around a woman who had committed adultery. In that time period, it was common to stone women for this. As the men began to try and stone the women, Jesus stepped in.
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Jesus was perfect, he could have thrown a stone, but he didn't. Jesus just loved.
3. He loved the people that people hated.
There once was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector. In those days, being a tax collector would be a lot like being a criminal now. He would demand money from people for the government and then double it to take more for himself. He was a crook and no one liked him. No one liked him, until Jesus, that is.
Luke 19:3-6
He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
Yes, Jesus loved everyone. Even the criminals. Better yet, he did not care what people thought about him. Jesus would have been that kid in high school who sat and ate lunch with the kids who ate alone. Jesus loved, and his love was there no matter if others thought it was crazy. ( Side note: it still is here.)
4. He cared.
Jesus had a dear friend named Mary. At one point, Mary's brother died. This is the scene that followed:
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
A few minutes later, Jesus goes and raises Mary's brother Lazarus from the dead. He knew he was going to raise him from the dead this entire time, but he still took the time to cry. Many people ask "If Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead then why did he cry?". It's simple Jesus cried because he knew Mary was in pain. He cared.
5. He's still here.
After Jesus was killed on the cross, he raised from the dead. Kind of crazy, but if he really was God then this would be completely possible. After being raised from the dead he went and told his disciples a few things.
John 14 states:
12 “I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do anything you ask the Father in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son. 14 If you ask me to do something, I will do it.
26 However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.
27 “I’m leaving you peace. I’m giving you my peace. I don’t give you the kind of peace that the world gives. So don’t be troubled or cowardly. 28 You heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away, but I’m coming back to you.’
So, Jesus left, but he sent his spirit to live inside of anyone who wants to accept his gift of grace.
In short, Jesus Loves, cares, and can enable you to do great things. All in all, I think he was pretty cool guy.
