Who Was Jesus Christ?

WHAT did Jesus really look like? Although artists have produced many thousands of paintings and sculptures of him, they have no photographs of him or descriptions by his contemporaries to guide them. The Bible tells us nothing as to the color of his hair or his eyes, nor does it give his height, weight or any other particulars as to his appearance. As is true of all other pictures of him, those in this magazine are simply an artist’s conception.

Many persons have been admired because of their appearance, but Jesus Christ did not gain his fame because of his outward appearance.

No doubt he was manly and handsome. The Bible shows that he was born as a perfect human by the miraculous operation of God’s spirit. “Jesus went on progressing in wisdom and in physical growth,” one of his followers, the physician Luke, reports.​—Matthew 1:20, 21; Luke 2:52.

But being a perfect man does not mean he was a superman in appearance. Nor did he have a halo around his head. The Bible indicates that he could pass for a rather ordinary person. He could, for example, go up to Jerusalem incognito, without being identified by the crowd. Also, the soldiers who went out to arrest him needed his traitorous disciple Judas to identify him for them.​—John 7:10-13; Matthew 26:47, 48.

It is evident that Jesus’ outward appearance was viewed by the Bible writers as of minor importance. They dwelt on his mission and the personal qualities that he revealed as he fulfilled that mission on earth.

Mission Extraordinary

Consider the extraordinary mission Jesus performed here on earth and you will understand what an impact he made on human history. No other creature has ever accomplished what he did.

The Bible shows that he had a prehuman existence as a heavenly Son of God. He was God’s most intimate and faithful collaborator in the creation of all things. (Colossians 1:13-17) When the situation arose that called for him to take up a divine mission on earth that would mean his being born, living and dying as a human creature, he willingly shouldered this responsibility.

What was the situation that called for this? By his own choice Adam had sinned in Eden. He violated God’s clearly stated law, on which his life depended. This perfect forefather of all mankind thus lost human perfection and hope for everlasting life on a paradise earth not only for himself but also for all his then unborn offspring. (Romans 5:12; Genesis 2:15–3:24) No imperfect son of Adam could reclaim for mankind what had been lost. According to God’s perfect standard of justice, the life of a perfect human, like Adam, would have to be laid down in sacrifice to redeem humankind. But how could it be provided? Jehovah God himself made the provision, satisfying the requirements of justice and demonstrating the depth of his own love for humankind.​—Psalm 49:6-9; 1 John 4:9.

From heaven, God sent his own Son, his most intimate associate. That one’s birth as a child and his growing up to perfect manhood were only a means toward the fulfillment of his mission. By his life he demonstrated his complete loyalty to God; he made it clear that his devotion to Jehovah was not motivated by any selfish personal gain, and he proved that Adam, too, could have been faithful to his Creator if he had wanted to. By Jesus’ death as a perfect man, the way was opened for redemption of humans who inherited sin, imperfection and death. Now people who were willing to accept this redemption could have the prospect of everlasting life in a righteous new order.

No other man in history has accomplished a greater work than that.

Not Seeking His Own Glory

Jesus did not do all of this to gain fame for himself. In prayer to his heavenly Father, he clearly stated: “I have glorified you on the earth.”​—John 17:4.

His view of his own role is excellently summed up in these words: “The Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many.” (Mark 10:45) And humbly directing attention to the One who made it all possible, he said: “God loved the world [of mankind] so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”​—John 3:16.

A Master Teacher

During the three and a half years of his public ministry, from 29 to 33 C.E., Jesus devoted himself constantly to teaching others. And what a teacher he was! “Never has another man spoken like this.” That was the spontaneous remark from some officers who heard Jesus teach on one occasion. On another occasion all his listeners began to “marvel at the winsome words proceeding out of his mouth.” Yes, people who personally heard Jesus found in him a real master teacher.​—John 7:46; Luke 4:22.

His most celebrated discourse was the so-called Sermon on the Mount. Not only did the depth of wisdom and the extraordinarily keen knowledge of human nature expressed in this open-air sermon by Jesus amaze his immediate listeners, but throughout the centuries it has astounded millions of people, learned and unlearned. The late psychiatrist Dr. James F. Fisher, at the close of his successful career, expressed his esteem for this sermon, saying: “If you were to take the sum total of all the most qualified of psychologists on the subject of mental hygiene​—if you were to combine them and refine them and cleave out the excess verbiage—​if you were to . . . have those unadulterated bits of pure scientific knowledge concisely expressed by the most capable of living poets, you would have an awkward and incomplete summation of the Sermon on the Mount.”

If you would like to familiarize yourself with this sermon of sermons, look it up in a Bible and read it for yourself in Matthew, chapters five through seven. It will take you about 15 minutes. You will find thoughts that truly fill the greatest needs of mankind, not the least in this crucial time. You will find principles on how to get along with other people and how to cope with your own feelings. You will be helped to find the real meaning in life, what things in life should be of primary concern to you, and how to establish a good relationship with God. In 15 minutes! When he had finished his sermon, the crowds hearing him were “astounded at his way of teaching; for he was teaching them as a person having authority, and not as their scribes.”​—Matthew 7:28, 29.

Jesus’ teaching was effective because what he spoke he had actually heard from God, his Father. (John 14:10) He did not rely on human traditions, as the Jewish scribes did. Besides that, he had genuine love for his sincere listeners. Because he loved them from his heart, he won their ears and their deep respect. They noticed how much he differed from the scribes and other religious teachers who kept aloof from the people. These drew their robes about them, as it were, so that they would not be contaminated by touching the “crowd that does not know the Law.” They looked down on the crowd as “accursed people,” as they called them.​—John 7:49.

But Jesus spoke from a deep fund of compassion. He said: “Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news to the poor.” (Luke 4:18) He made his message simple, brief and clear. He illustrated his points with things his listeners knew well. He endeavored to reach deep down into their hearts. He motivated them to make their minds and hearts over, to repent of wrong thoughts and deeds, and to begin a fresh new way of life, leading to a favorable relationship with God and giving them a real hope for the future.

Compare this teaching with political speeches and religious sermons that you may hear. Some are clever, some sound fair. Some speakers rage and provoke strife. But how many are filled with love and empathy for the common man?

Jesus did not show his compassion for others only in words. He aided people with their pressing physical needs. He fed them, healed the afflicted, even raised their dear ones from the dead. He had power from God to do that, and he used that power to the full. At times he did not even have sufficient time to eat and rest. He really had a great heart.​—Matthew 14:14; Mark 6:38-44; 8:22-25; 10:13, 14; Luke 8:49-56; Acts 10:38.

One of the greatest features in Jesus’ teaching was that he provided channels through which, after his departure, his influence would flow to future generations. When his brief teaching period ended he had taught, trained and equipped a group of disciples so that they could be sent out into the world to carry on the work he had started. He left his disciples behind him not only as teachers but as those who were able to instruct others to become teachers. What he began has mushroomed into a globe-encircling work of disciple-making that has reached into “all the nations,” as he foretold.​—Matthew 28:19, 20.

A Loving, Courageous Leader

Jesus took the lead among his disciples. They never objected because of his indisputable ability to lead. He set a perfect example for them. Whatever he asked of them he displayed in his own conduct. Not only by word but by example he taught them to love their neighbor, yes, even their enemies. Therefore, his earthly leadership was a completely bloodless one. He could never be accused of having shed a single drop of any other person’s blood. He did not even leave behind the wound of the ear of an antagonist inflicted by one of his disciples; he immediately healed it.​—Luke 6:32-36; 22:50, 51.

At the same time great courage, manliness and strength are evident throughout his earthly life. For example, we read in Mark 10:32: “Now they were advancing on the road up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going in front of them, and they felt amazement; but those who followed began to fear.” On this occasion Jesus was on his last tour with his disciples to Jerusalem. He knew he was going to be executed there. The religious leaders of his day wanted all the glory for themselves. And to keep it they were determined to kill him. Jesus knew this as he walked up to Jerusalem, and he told his disciples about it. (Mr 10 Verses 33, 34) He did not draw back but went ahead of them on the road, to the amazement of his fearful disciples. What a courageous leader they had!

A few days later when Jesus was standing trial for his life and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate asked him whether he was a king, he answered: “You yourself are saying that I am a king.” (John 18:37) He never lied to save his skin. He bravely bore witness to the kingdom he represented, God’s kingdom.

That same day Jesus was sentenced to death, whipped, crowned with thorns, slapped in the face, spit upon, and finally was nailed to a torture stake to suffer the most agonizing death. Right up to the end he shouldered his responsibility as a loving, courageous leader. With his last breath he gave his final report to his heavenly Father: “It has been accomplished!”​—John 19:30.

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No other person has ever accomplished what Jesus Christ did when he was on earth

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“Never has another man spoken like this,” was the spontaneous remark of an official who heard Jesus teach

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Jesus could not be accused of shedding any person’s blood, but, instead, healed the wounds of others

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What Adam lost for mankind, Jesus regained

Adam

Jesus

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Jesus glorified God, not himself

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Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount

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He showed loving interest in children