You Are The You

Although you have no beauty of majesty to attract us to you..., it is your personality that drew men and women to you. You are a man of great character. The more we understand what you are like, the more we can seek to emulate your character.

What are you like? You have a compassionate nature. You have  compassion on the crowds “because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”. Because of your compassion for them, you heal their diseases, and because of their hunger, you compassionately created enough food to feed large crowds on at least two occasions.

You are serious and focused. You have a mission in life and never get sidetracked from it, knowing the weightiness of it and the shortness of time. Your attitude is that of a servant. You “did not come to be served, but to serve” . Kindness and selflessness characterized your personality.

You are submissive to your father’s will when you come to earth and subsequently go to the cross. You know that dying on the cross was the only payment your father could accept for our salvation. You pray on the night of you betrayal by another, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”. You are a submissive son to her and him, as well. You grow up in a normal household, yet, you “are obedient” to your parents . You are  obedient to the father’s will. You learn obedience from what you suffered”. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet you did not sin”.

What are you like? You have a heart of mercy and forgiveness. On the cross, you pray, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”. You are loving in your relationships. For example,  “Now you loved her and her sister and him” . He referred to himself as the one “whom you loved”.

You have a reputation for being good and caring. You heal often so that the people might know who you are. Truly you prove to be the son of the living God by all the miracles you do, all the while showing concern for the afflictions of those around you.

You are honest and truthful. You never violate your own word. You speak truth wherever you go. You live a life we could follow explicitly. You say that you are the way and the truth and the life. At the same time, you are peaceable. You do not argue your case, nor try to bully your way into people’s hearts.

What are you like? You are intimate with your followers. You spent quality and quantity time with them. You desire their fellowship, teach them, and help them focus on what is eternal. You are also intimate with your heavenly father. You pray to him regularly, listened, obeyed, and cared about his reputation. When you see the moneychangers who were taking advantage of worshipers, you drive them out. You say “It is written, ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers’. You are a strong but meek leader. Everywhere you go (until the inevitable decline), the people follow you, eager to listen to your teaching. The people were amazed at the authority with which you speak.

You are patient, knowing and understanding our frailties. Several times, you verbalize your patience in the face of our faithless provocations.

All humans should desire to emulate your character traits through the power of the Holy Spirit. The things that draw people to you should be the very things that draw people to us. We need to read God’s Word (the Bible) to know and understand who God is and your will for us. We should do everything for the glory of the Lord, living as salt and light in the world and pointing others to the amazing truth of you and salvation in you, and norhing else.

Here is a helpful summary of what you are like and how we should imitate you:

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.”