The Man Jesus

What is your perception of Jesus as a flesh and blood human being? I was curious to see how many artists had ever thought to portray Jesus “the man” and not Jesus “the emotion”. So, I did several searches through Google Images using various methods and keywords, and found only one image of a non-feminine Jesus Christ.

Think for a moment of all of the pictures you’ve seen of Jesus in your lifetime, and then think of the sort of life that the flesh and blood Jesus Christ lived. Jesus Christ, the baby born in a stable, with a feeding trough for a crib; Jesus Christ, the child raised by a carpenter. I’ve worked in a several different carpenter’s shops. I’m by no means cut out for that work by the way, and kudos to you if you are. Even with all of our fancy machines and all the technology we have now, it STILL isn’t easy work.

According to Luke 5:4-7, the adult man Jesus was welcome aboard fishing vessels. Watch The Deadliest Catch some time if you think being on a ship fishing ship is easy, then imagine it without any of the fancy technology. And don’t think for a second that anyone could get away with not working on a fishing boat back then. I can only imagine trying to heave a big net into a boat. I tried to seine a pond one time with a little net and thought I was going to die.

This man wasn’t by any means weak. The man Jesus walked all over an area approximately 5600 square miles ( around 140 mi x 40 mi) for about 4 years. This man is supposed to be the embodiment of what we as men should strive for today. Hebrews 4: 15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus the man had human desires. He had human emotions. It is by His life and by His words that we can measure what we should be. He spoke out boldly against the sins of the flesh; if He was without sin, and He spoke out against those things, then He did not participate in those things. Those are all easy traps for us men to fall into: lust, greed, sloth... to name just a few.

However, Mark 11:15-17 tells us that we’re not supposed to wuss up. Jesus (without sin) threw the merchants and their customers out of the temple, He overthrew the moneychangers’ tables and the seats of the guys selling doves. He was manly enough to take physical action without hesitation to defend what was right.

In our quest to become more Christ-like, let’s closely examine and remember who He really was. Let’s take into full account the life that He lived. I know I don’t measure up. But I also know that with God’s help I’ll continue to try. I would be PROUD to be so manly as Jesus.