A poster on social media speculated of what kind of person Jesus ‘, generally, in personality, humor, enthusiasm, animation, etc.
o felt led to reply as below….
What was Jesus generally like? You pose several questions seeking to get at his demeanor, personality, etc. I see the questions as pointing to what has already been revealed in the Gospels. In keeping with possessing the grace sufficient for every need, in Christ Jesus can be found whatever is needed by the individual(s) seeking him. In Matthew 5’s Beatitudes, speaking seated on a seaside hill before curious, perhaps adoring masses, but in particular to his disciples and followers, he is reassuring, consoling even, gentle, inspiring, instructing, just, while also pointing to paradox… I.e., broken spirits drawn into love and belonging, the grief-stricken comforted, the meek and humble rewarded, those hungering for righteousness satisfied, the merciful receiving mercy, the pure in heart given vision to see God, peacemakers living into the likeness of the Father….But still all of those who follow the path illuminated by the beatitudes will know persecution, betrayal, rejection by men, just as all those with the commitment, wisdom, and courage to speak God’s message to people in a timely, bold, and truthful manner, like the prophets before them were. Even so, the reward for persevering toward and beyond to that state in which God can use one for even the hardest tasks, the reward will be great. Christ is speaking from a posture of his role and authority as rabbi, priest, teacher, healer, etc. to these people…. Both on the hillside and, from Matthew’s perspective and heart perhaps, this is the perspective Christ reveals and Matthew longs to show of Christ to the Jews to whom he is writing. In Luke 5, standing in the highway, exhorting the throngs of those coming and going with much the same message, Christ is speaking from posture, voice, and authority of Prophet and King… calling out, warning, contrasting the consequences of choices to people who may or may not listen who are caught up in their own activity. Luke, a Gentile, sees in Christ this perspective, equally true, equally applicable but to a different audience.
Possessing the fullness of grace and truth, with all the gifts and graces of the fullness of the Spirit of God, sufficient for every need of man, whatever is needed is manifested by Jesus Christ, as he does what he sees the Father do, loves as the Father loves, feels and thinks as the Father does…. and in all of that he is giving us a fuller portrait of God revealed through the image of God Himself that has been put into humanity through this man, Jesus Christ, LORD God Incarnate.
I had a pastor say, “We give as much of ourselves as we can understand to as much of God as we can understand. Jesus comes to us to reveal the fullness of God and the fullness of God’s design and intent for humanity so that we might understand both God and ourselves better. And fulfill Jesus’ own prayer for us to be united with God the way he is and that we might know the love of the Father as he does.
The question is not “WWJD?” What was he like, how did he respond to life and people? What was his manner and personality? The question to be asked is “What does God desire?” That is what Jesus will be saying, doing, how he will be responding. Jesus’ demeanor will be like that of God, for he is God. Our desire is to become conformed to the image of God observed in Christ in accordance with the image of God that God himself has imprinted, imputed, and imparted to each of us. Will we all be conformed to the image God that is the same as it is in Jesus, being like Jesus himself? In some ways, yes. In all ways? No.
Just my thoughts….. CBB. 2/1/26