Jesus Truly Human

The New Testament books and the

Gospels in particular do not give us a

specific physical or character

description about Jesus. However,

they do tell us much about what He

said and did.

1. JESUS AND HIS TRULY HUMAN

THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS

Jesus and his truly human thoughts and emotions

1) He lived a normal life in eating, drinking, working, and living among

many people.

2) He was full of mercy and compassion towards the sick (Mk 1,40-41).

3) He wanted to comfort and felt pity for those who were worried and

afraid (Lk 7,12-15).

4) He argued with His apostles because they did not understand Him (Mk

7,14-18).

5) He showed His disapproval when his disciples prevented children from

coming to Him (Mk 10,14).

6) He was happy when people accepted God's word (Lk 10,21-22).

Jesus and his truly human thoughts and emotions

7) He felt sad when he saw how hardened the hearts of the

Pharisees were (Mk 3,1-6).

8) Full of courage, He expelled the dealers in the temple (Mt 21,12-

14).

9) He felt fear and anguish in the face of suffering (Mk 14,32-33).

10) He became tired and needed to rest (Jn 4,6).

11) He cried at the death of His friend Lazarus (Jn 11,1-37).

12) His great respect and admiration at the faith of a pagan (Lk 7,1-

10).

Jesus was therefore truly human

in every way except for sin.

2. JESUS AND HIS DEEP AND

PROFOUND INTELLIGENCE TOGETHER

WITH A SIMPLICITY THROUGH WHICH

HE COULD BE UNDERSTOOD BY

EVERYONE

Jesus immediately attracted the

attention of the people through

His teachings.

He was praised for the clarity of His

teachings in all places except in

Nazareth, His own home-town,

where He was rejected.

However, when He spoke, Jesus used

simple everyday language which

everyone could understand, even

children. Jesus also knew how to read

the hearts of people.

He knew what people needed, He

knew what each was looking for and

He understood when they had been

searching in the wrong places

Whoever listened to Him felt that

they were being personally

addressed and that they were being

invited to open their hearts to God.

“He wasn't like the teachers of the

Law; instead he taught with

authority.” (Mt 7,29)

“They were all well impressed with

Him and marvelled at the gracious

words that He spoke. They said,

‘Isn't he the son of Joseph?”

(Lk 4,22)

3. JESUS - A MAN OF

EXTRAORDINARY HONESTY

When being questioned in front of

Pilate Jesus confessed solemnly:

“You say that I am a king. I was born

and came into the world for this one

purpose, to speak about the truth.

Whoever loves the truth listens to

me.” (Jn 18,37)

In all He said and did, Jesus was

always faithful to the truth. He never

played around with the truth, He

never turned it to suit His needs.

When He established the Eucharist at Cesarea

Philippi some of those following Him left Him

for they thought His message was too

demanding. He did not compromise but He

told His apostles: “And you – would you also

like to leave?” (Jn 6,60-67)

Even His enemies and those who tried to

trick Him admitted: “Teacher, we know

that you tell the truth. You teach the

truth about God's will for humanity,

without worrying about what people

think, because you pay no attention to a

person's status.” (Mt 22,16).

He was sincere and honest with

Himself.

He lived according to His own

teaching. Through all the ages and

even today He can ask: “Who can

accuse me of not practising what I

teach?‟

Jesus sought to make His own lived

reality an example of His teaching: “I

have given you an example, so that

you will do just as I have done to

you.” (Jn 13,15).

As He taught He lived: a life of

prayer and trust in God, a

detachment from the things of the

world, a wholehearted and truly

sincere love for His neighbours and

forgiveness for His enemies.

4. JESUS AND HIS FREE, FIRM AND

DETERMINED CHARACTER

At twelve years of age Jesus already

knew that seeking to do His Father's will

came before any family ties. "Why did

you have to look for me?" he asked.

"Didn't you know that I had to be in my

Father's house?" (Lk 2,49).

Jesus was determined and strong in

character - a truly free and

courageous man.

He struggled with the authorities as

He started to preach; the Pharisees,

the Sadducees and the Herodians all

plotted against Him and tried to trap

or ridicule Him

The authorities tried to trap him by saying to him:

• “should we pay taxes?” (Lk 20,22)

• “under whose authority do you send the people away from the

temple?” (Lk 20,2)

• “do you have a devil within you?” (Jn 7,19; 8,48; 8,52).

• “give us a sign from heaven.” (Lk 11,16).

• “should we stone to death the adulterous woman?” (Jn 8,5)

• “tell us the plain truth without any riddles, are you the Messiah?”

(Jn 10,24).

He felt free even in front of Herod,

before His enemies, before

suffering and even in death.

Tied with ropes and nailed to the cross He

still had a free spirit that was able to say:

“Father forgive them for they do not know

what they do.” He was able to pray with a

loud voice to the Father during His suffering,

and to die in the hands of God, the Father.

5. JESUS AND HIS DEEP RESPECT

FOR THE DIGNITY OF EVERY

HUMAN PERSON

Before looking at a person’s

nationality, job or profession, before

looking at the good and the evil of

one’s actions, Jesus looks at the way

in which the image of God is

reflected within you.

Each one of us is called to receive

the Good News that God is really

interested in us and in helping us to

live life to the full.

He spent time with those in

positions of authority, respecting

and reaching out to all members of

society.

Jesus deeply respected and spent

time with women and children as

well. This is very significant because

only men who were considered

important in Jewish society at the

time.

Jesus was different in that He spent

time teaching pagans in the street,

prostitutes, publicans and all

sinners.

Jesus, however, defied the culture and the mentality

of the people of His time and He even allowed a

sinful woman to wash His feet with her tears as a

sign of repentance and dry them with her hair.

Due to past historic events, the

Samaritans were considered to be

semi-pagans and therefore enemies

of the Messiah-to-come. However

Jesus welcomed them and showed

them that He loved them.

He sought out and invited Himself to

the homes of publicans and tax

collectors.

Jewish people generally looked down on such

people because they were usually corrupt,

cheats and considered to be traitors who

collected money and taxes on behalf of the

foreign occupants (in Jesus’ time, Israel had

been conquered by the Romans).

In the same way as a doctor comes

to help and heal a sick person who

calls him, Jesus also comes to the

those who are in need and who call

out to Him.

6. JESUS - A KIND-HEARTED AND

GENEROUS MAN

He felt a sense of total unity and

solidarity with the person in

need and He was always ready to

reach out and touch those who

were ‘enslaved’ for one reason or

another.

Jesus helped those people who were ‘enslaved’

• because of disease or sickness: the blind, the deaf, the paralytic, the

epileptic, the lepers…

• because of sorrow: the widow of Nain, Jairus, the Chief Of the

synagogue…

• because of people being tormented by evil spirits …

• when people felt lost because they were living aimless lives – like when He

took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and

He stayed with them to teach them (Mk 6,34).

• when He came across people who were trapped and slaves to sin and evil:

Zaccheus, the prostitute, the Samaritan woman at the well…..

Jesus is love, and He loves everyone

with a love that is authentic and

genuine: He is ready to forgive, to

suffer and to die for those He loves

even if they freely choose to reject

Him. He does the same for us today.

7. JESUS - A DEEPLY SPIRITUAL

MAN

Jesus get His power

and energy from His

Father whom He met

regularly in prayer. He

used to pray so deeply

that He would feel at

One with Him.

The spirituality of Jesus was a

genuine one. He never sought the

praise of His followers during His

lifetime and He was always humble

in attitude, even when people

wanted to praise Him.

Jesus used to pray with those who

followed Him and He also spent

time praying alone.

He never worked miracles for His

own needs. He wanted to serve

others rather than to be served by

them.

Jesus was always patient with

people, always ready to help console

and heal - He was always at the

service of others.

Questions

1) How is Jesus truly human. Write at least 10 sentences to show this.

2) Jesus was truly human but there is an exception. What is this exception?

3) How Jesus attracted people immediately?

4) What were the main subjects that Jesus spoke on in order to be understood by the common

people?

5) How Jesus was a man of extraordinary honesty?

6) How Jesus was free and had a firm and determined character?

7) How Jesus had a deep respect for the dignity of every human person?

8) How Jesus was a kind-hearted and generous man?

9) How Jesus was a deeply spiritual man?