Aspects of Christian Character: Christian Character

While the title may seem a bit redundant, it does hold true for who were going to study. Was there anyone on earth in the Bible who exhibited perfect Christian Character? Can you guess? Well, we're going to be studying the only perfect conveyor of Christian character, and that's Christ himself.

Most people know the basics of who Christ was, even more so the story of the birth of Jesus. Most everybody knows that he was born in a stable to Mary and Joseph, even though Mary had been impregnated by the Holy Spirit. Most people know that shepherds and wise men (traditionally three, but we really have no idea, we just assume because they gave three gifts) and that the wise men gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Beyond that, they may know a few details about Jesus' life, mostly probably how he was crucified, but other than that, the world seems to be in the dark. What made Christ both God and man? How does a mortal man exhibit perfection? Well, we must go through the story of Jesus' life, and find what traits stand out, and what Jesus did. The Christians were called 'little Christs' because they imitated Christ. We must examine Jesus' live and strive to imitate him and set an example for the generations.

As mentioned before, Jesus was born in a stable. Although that was the beginning of his life, the interesting stuff doesn't start happening until he was about twelve:

41Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."

49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Luke 2:41-51

Jesus, even at such a young age, knew where he stood with God and what his job on earth was to do. In here we see that he has his priorities straight, but later in the passage he exhibits two important qualities of Christian character: obedience, and wisdom. Now after this we don't know much about what happened to Jesus until he was around in his thirties. That's when his true work on this earth started.

1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone."

5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

8Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'

9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'

12Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'

Luke 4:1-12

So in here we see him again acting obedient to his heavenly father, but there's another trait in there. Every thing that the devil offers Jesus, he offers with the reward of personal satisfaction. First, he knows that Jesus is hungry, so he tempts him with turning the stones into bread so he can eat. Then, he tempts him with 'authority and splendor' and riches if he would just choose to bow down to him. And lastly, he tempts him with the Word of God itself, with the safety and protection of God.

Now, there are so many other stories to tell about Jesus and the miracles he performed and the people he led to God that it would take almost too much time and space to recount them all. However, there's only one or two that I want to specifically look at:

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Matthew 9:9-12

Even though Jesus was a respected teacher of the law, he had enough humility to hang out with the 'low-lives' of his time. He knew what he was doing, and he was not afraid, even unto his death.