RRLeath
Member
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2026
- Messages
- 7
These are my thoughts about Jesus' Character, his personality and maybe it's not what I learned in Sunday School!
The Sunday school pictures I grew up with portrayed a somber, serious Jesus that probably spoke with a stern, monotone voice, didn't smile much and maybe never laughed.
But after considering who He is-God- what he taught and what he said about himself I have considerably changed my thinking.
Jesus told us clearly that HE was the vine and we are the branches. If he lives in us and we in Him we would bear much fruit! The fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Jesus as the vine is THE source of all this fruit!
I think I can safely say that it is indisputable that these attributes are what our beloved God-man practiced in everyday life. He did not inherit the Adamic nature so could not do otherwise!
So this raises the question of Jesus' personality.
What was the God-man really like in real life.
Many authors and pictures portray Jesus in an angry rage, clearing the money changers and their animals out the temple. Some say he was lashing the vendors with the whip he had made. But read it again....Jesus was driving out both the cattle and the sheep away with that whip. (I imagine it was pretty nasty there where the animals were defecating all over the temple floor.)
Jesus was very angry at the sin that was defiling the temple. Jesus told us he was humble, meek and lowly in heart. Self control is a fruit of the spirit that is found in Him, the vine. I believe in this situation he practiced self-control and our meek, humble Savior did not fly into uncontrollable rage. I can imagine he was calmly stern, loudly telling them to get out, while with the other hand upsetting their tables.
Another time Jesus was angry with the Pharisees. He told them the truth about themselves but again I think it must have been said calmly and with self control.
He couldn't do otherwise, he is the source of the fruits, He was God!
Recall that after his own people and Religious leaders called for him to be crucified and the Roman soldiers mercilessly tortured him, He hung there nailed on the cross and amazingly, asked his Father to forgive them! Jesus knew nothing but love. We should not filter him through our own fallen human nature.
Did he have a sense of humor? I believe, as the Author of humor and laughter, he had a delightful, winsome demeanor and sense of humor. There was a reason his disciples and thousands of people were attracted to him!
If you read the parables, Jesus spoke to his disciples in illustrations pertinent to the time they lived in and in simple ways they could relate to! (I think we interpret what was said in the parables negatively because human nature just does that.)
For example, in teaching his disciples to never give up praying he told a story of some grumpy old godless judge that gave a bothersome widow the justice she was asking for because he got sick and tired of her bugging him all the time! I think Jesus told it humorously and maybe with a twinkle in his eye, to get his point across about persisting in prayer.
Then there was the time the Canaanite woman asked him to help her demon possessed daughter and He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
There must have been some good feelings going on there because she apparently wasn't intimidated by him, and comes back with "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the Masters table!" Jesus may have smiled, appreciating her quick wit, praised her faith and immediately her daughter was healed. Jesus treated Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery with tender compassion and great love so there is no reason to think he treated this Canaanite woman any differently. Remember, Jesus didn't have one cruel Adamic bone in his body. I believe he was lighthearted and smiling the whole time he spoke to her and to everyone he spoke with during his ministry.
Based on who he was -God- what I have written is the way I always think of Jesus! He is my loving Maker! know when I am praying to him he is right there, he never leaves me, loves me tenderly, cares about everything I do and I know I can approach him freely!
From the beginning he loved us. He made us for Himself to love and be loved! He wants us back! That is why he came to earth to show us how much he loved us and wanted to restore us, all mankind, back to paradise.
The Sunday school pictures I grew up with portrayed a somber, serious Jesus that probably spoke with a stern, monotone voice, didn't smile much and maybe never laughed.
But after considering who He is-God- what he taught and what he said about himself I have considerably changed my thinking.
Jesus told us clearly that HE was the vine and we are the branches. If he lives in us and we in Him we would bear much fruit! The fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Jesus as the vine is THE source of all this fruit!
I think I can safely say that it is indisputable that these attributes are what our beloved God-man practiced in everyday life. He did not inherit the Adamic nature so could not do otherwise!
So this raises the question of Jesus' personality.
What was the God-man really like in real life.
Many authors and pictures portray Jesus in an angry rage, clearing the money changers and their animals out the temple. Some say he was lashing the vendors with the whip he had made. But read it again....Jesus was driving out both the cattle and the sheep away with that whip. (I imagine it was pretty nasty there where the animals were defecating all over the temple floor.)
Jesus was very angry at the sin that was defiling the temple. Jesus told us he was humble, meek and lowly in heart. Self control is a fruit of the spirit that is found in Him, the vine. I believe in this situation he practiced self-control and our meek, humble Savior did not fly into uncontrollable rage. I can imagine he was calmly stern, loudly telling them to get out, while with the other hand upsetting their tables.
Another time Jesus was angry with the Pharisees. He told them the truth about themselves but again I think it must have been said calmly and with self control.
He couldn't do otherwise, he is the source of the fruits, He was God!
Recall that after his own people and Religious leaders called for him to be crucified and the Roman soldiers mercilessly tortured him, He hung there nailed on the cross and amazingly, asked his Father to forgive them! Jesus knew nothing but love. We should not filter him through our own fallen human nature.
Did he have a sense of humor? I believe, as the Author of humor and laughter, he had a delightful, winsome demeanor and sense of humor. There was a reason his disciples and thousands of people were attracted to him!
If you read the parables, Jesus spoke to his disciples in illustrations pertinent to the time they lived in and in simple ways they could relate to! (I think we interpret what was said in the parables negatively because human nature just does that.)
For example, in teaching his disciples to never give up praying he told a story of some grumpy old godless judge that gave a bothersome widow the justice she was asking for because he got sick and tired of her bugging him all the time! I think Jesus told it humorously and maybe with a twinkle in his eye, to get his point across about persisting in prayer.
Then there was the time the Canaanite woman asked him to help her demon possessed daughter and He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
Based on who he was -God- what I have written is the way I always think of Jesus! He is my loving Maker! know when I am praying to him he is right there, he never leaves me, loves me tenderly, cares about everything I do and I know I can approach him freely!
From the beginning he loved us. He made us for Himself to love and be loved! He wants us back! That is why he came to earth to show us how much he loved us and wanted to restore us, all mankind, back to paradise.
