Jesus' Personality and Temperament

[ITS]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

[Joeyb]

This is my first time ever interacting with this style of learning, so bare with me.

I would like to suggest that Jesus personality resembles very much someon who is complete control of the situation, mixed with someone who is completely humble. As I refelct on that I realize that there is nor real examples of this in human history, therefore it is hard to compare.

His disciples however, took on a more forceful, urgency about their message. I attribute this to the fact that they wer not in control of the situation (GOd was) and therefore ha no idea who would reject or accepthteir message and when. This therefore, led them to a quandry of how to approach people. They seemd to have chosen a rather zealous approach.

[DBerg]

I believe that Jesus' personality and temperament would have been what we would call well-rounded and holy - knowing when to show compassion and when to show anger, feeling emotions and yet responding in healthy ways. He would have been able to respond out of choice rather than just out of automatic responses from his human nature.

Too often we as humans respond to situations automatically out of our personal temperament. When we learn more of who we are we can make choices to overcome our weaknesses and make better choices. In this way we become more like Christ and begin to become "wiser" in our responses thus forming our personality to be more holy, while retaining individualty.

[pat engler]

This is my first time ever interacting with this style of learning, so bare with me.

I would like to suggest that Jesus personality resembles very much someon who is complete control of the situation, mixed with someone who is completely humble. As I refelct on that I realize that there is nor real examples of this in human history, therefore it is hard to compare.

His disciples however, took on a more forceful, urgency about their message. I attribute this to the fact that they wer not in control of the situation (GOd was) and therefore ha no idea who would reject or accepthteir message and when. This therefore, led them to a quandry of how to approach people. They seemd to have chosen a rather zealous approach.

I agree with you that Jesus was completely humble and yet very much in control. I think Jesus showed even more richness in His personality. After all , He was God in the flesh. He showed us what the Father was like. I think Jesus had a tremendous amount of compassion, wisdom, and personal discipline show through in His character as well as the humility and self-control. I disagree, however, with the point you made about His disciples taking on a more forceful urgency about their message. I don't believe a student is above his or her teacher. Jesus poured out His time and energy teaching the masses, individuals and His disciples. He accomplished an incredible feat in His short ministry. He showed the disciples what passion and urgency were all about. He paid the ultimate price on the cross, which only His disciples could do after they had witnessed Jesus doing so. Perhaps it was the power and zeal of the Holy Spirit that we read about in Acts and the Epistles.

[pat engler]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?
I believe Jesus' personality was one of fierce loyalty and dedication to the Father and His will. Jesus was very confident and fearless. Many of the situations He was in would have caused me to run and hide, and yet Jesus completely trusted in God to control the events for when His time was right to do things. His temperment was self controlled and yet I don't think He was just this angry person walking around who had to control His anger. I think He was incredibly patient and loved being around people. He served people from morning to night many days. He granted people their requests. He got irritated with His disciples when they wondered how Jesus was going to feed the thousands of people. He told them to feed them! Jesus, in my opinion, had the ideal personality, and I believe that although He was intent on His mission, He thoroughly enjoyed His short life under submission to God.

[rschertzer]

The aspect of Jesus' personality and temperment that is absolutely foriegn to me is the fact that he was/is all-knowing. Nothing ever caught him by surprise, nor was he ever unprepared for a challenge.

I am daily challenged and at a loss for how to handle various situations. Although we should strive to emulate his personality and temperment, I know I will always fall far short. Part of this lies in the fact that Jesus embodied every spiritual gift.

Although I beilieve I have the gift of evangelism, I also feel that I don't have the gift of encouragement, so that is a very difficult part of his temperment for me to emulate. And I definitely don't think it is the norm.

[mbaxter_98]

It seems near impossible to describe the personality of the Savior of the Universe. However, Jesus is God and being God He created all emotions. So I would guess that Christ had a perfect balance of all emotions. He was completely loving, yet He also showed anger towards evil. He was completely joyful, yet mourned when mourning was appropriate. He was outgoing, yet reserved when He needed to be. So I think it would be safe to assume that Jesus had a perfect balance between all emotions, to form a personality that is in control of every situation.

As followers of Christ we must strive to do the same - a perfect balance between all emotions, thus forming the perfect personality.

[stauffer]

It is harder to imagine Christ not having the perfect balance of temperament. He knew how to take action when necessary, as in the cleansing of the temple. But he also knew be patient with people, as in the many discussions with the Pharisees. How many times did Jesus describe his origins in the gospels? I would have given up way before he did!
In terms of his personality, he was driven, clearly compassionate, empathetic, knowledgeable of the scriptures, and brave. I felt his humanity shined through in the garden of gethsemane when he asked that this cup pass from him. I believe he was referring to the temporary separation from God he had to experience while on the cross. Also, he knew the pain he'd endure yet he went forward anyway. What an amazing mix of love for humanity and bravery in the face of such pain!
The question of whether this is normative is more difficult to answer. I do not necessarily believe that there are "perfect" personality traits that one should emulate. Is an intravert more preferred or an extravert? How about a sense of humor? What about one's preference of clothing or musical taste? While I'll certainly agree that a more loving person is preferred over a less loving one, I don't think that all personality traits are measured in this way, so to say his personality was normative for his followers pushes the point too far in my opinion.

[JohnP]

The aspect of Jesus' personality and temperment that is absolutely foriegn to me is the fact that he was/is all-knowing. Nothing ever caught him by surprise, nor was he ever unprepared for a challenge.

I am daily challenged and at a loss for how to handle various situations. Although we should strive to emulate his personality and temperment, I know I will always fall far short. Part of this lies in the fact that Jesus embodied every spiritual gift.

Although I beilieve I have the gift of evangelism, I also feel that I don't have the gift of encouragement, so that is a very difficult part of his temperment for me to emulate. And I definitely don't think it is the norm.

One thing to remember is that Jesus was the perfect person, and therefore would have exhibited all the good characteristics of the basic 4 personality types (choleric, sanguine, melancholy, phlegmatic) or mixtures thereof (different definitions depending on which chart you use). He reacted in whatever way was necessary for each situation - if He needed to use the whip, He would, and if someone needed a soft touch, His hand was there.

Obviously, we aren't perfect, and as individuals we are stronger in some areas than others. That doesn't absolve us from the responsibility of being like Christ. The closer you grow in your relationship with Him, the more He takes those strengths and softens them, molding them for His use. The closer you grow to Christ the more He takes those areas you aren't strong in, and gives you the ability to minister through them, for He is the one enabling, not you.

I think that no, it isn't normative but it is something we need to strive for. Our hearts desire needs to be like Paul's - to know Him, and Him alone. You cannot know Christ and not change.

[Hansel Young]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His followers?

Although Jesus was God, He was also fully human. He reacted to every situation in a way that was completely human and yet truly divine.
For instance, when He heard of Lazarus' death, Jesus wept. He
exhibited perfectly natural human emotions. As God, He took
action to raise Lazarus from the dead. This action was true to
His Divinity, and was given as a sign that He was the One, the
Messiah.

While, we are still fully human men and women, Romans 8 tells
us that we are also given the Spirit of Christ. We are made into
the image of Christ so that we can respond as He did, with human emotions and Godly compassion.

[Hansel Young]

It is harder to imagine Christ not having the perfect balance of temperament. He knew how to take action when necessary, as in the cleansing of the temple. But he also knew be patient with people, as in the many discussions with the Pharisees. How many times did Jesus describe his origins in the gospels? I would have given up way before he did!
In terms of his personality, he was driven, clearly compassionate, empathetic, knowledgeable of the scriptures, and brave. I felt his humanity shined through in the garden of gethsemane when he asked that this cup pass from him. I believe he was referring to the temporary separation from God he had to experience while on the cross. Also, he knew the pain he'd endure yet he went forward anyway. What an amazing mix of love for humanity and bravery in the face of such pain!
The question of whether this is normative is more difficult to answer. I do not necessarily believe that there are "perfect" personality traits that one should emulate. Is an intravert more preferred or an extravert? How about a sense of humor? What about one's preference of clothing or musical taste? While I'll certainly agree that a more loving person is preferred over a less loving one, I don't think that all personality traits are measured in this way, so to say his personality was normative for his followers pushes the point too far in my opinion.

I appreciate your input about the wonderful character of Jesus Christ.
He lived the model life from start to finish.

However, I do believe that it is normative for Christ's followers to
emulate the life of Christ.

Phillipians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus..."

Christ does not call us to a particular kind of personality. Christ calls
us to become a new creation. The old things are passed away and
everything is made new. We may still be introverted, but God will
give us courage to be a witness to our friends. We may still be extroverted, but God can give us wisdom to be kind despite our
outgoing personality.

Jesus Christ does not call us to His charisma, but to His character.
He sent His servant, John the Baptist, to preach repentance. Jesus
came to introduce a radically new kind of kingdom. He came to build
a kingdom of righteousness.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Through His atonement on the cross we are now enabled to be born
again as we come to Christ in repentance of our sins. We now have the way paved to live a life modeled after Jesus Christ. We are not modeled
to His personality but to His Holiness.

Romans 3:22 "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference."

Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

[tgarner]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

I don't think words can adequately capture the perfection of Christ's personality and temperament. He was holy, loving, compassionate, patient, firm, motivated, encouraging, convicting, hilarious, and sober. He was all of these things and more. And I think Scripture makes very clear that His followers are to emulate Christ's personality and temperament. Romans 8:28 is explicitly states that God causes all things that enter our lives to work together for our good. Well, what is that good? As is the key with most aspects of Bible study, if you what to find out what the text means, just keep reading. Verse 29 explains that the good God desires to bring about in our lives is conformity to the image of His Son. God wants us to resemble Christ in every aspect of our being. Thus, we must make it our goal ever to strive for greater conformity to Christ. This includes our personalities and temperaments.

[tgarner]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His followers?

Although Jesus was God, He was also fully human. He reacted to every situation in a way that was completely human and yet truly divine.
For instance, when He heard of Lazarus' death, Jesus wept. He
exhibited perfectly natural human emotions. As God, He took
action to raise Lazarus from the dead. This action was true to
His Divinity, and was given as a sign that He was the One, the
Messiah.

While, we are still fully human men and women, Romans 8 tells
us that we are also given the Spirit of Christ. We are made into
the image of Christ so that we can respond as He did, with human emotions and Godly compassion.

Hansel,
The fact that Jesus wept upon seeing the grief of those who loved Lazarus has always amazed me too. Jesus knew what He was about to do. After all, He was God. But as you point out, He was also fully human. And so He wept. The compassion Christ had for the family of Lazarus as well as the compassion Christ has for us should motivate us to demonstrate compassion to the others God has placed in our lives.

[doliver]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

Jesus always seemed to be very caring and loving to everybody. He would dine with sinners. He talked to the Samaritan (Gentile) woman at the well. He healed the sickest of the sick (lepers and paralytics). He healed the demon possessed. But I believe we can not forget about His other attributes. We see Him getting angry at those in the temple when they were selling items and making His Fathers house unclean by doing this.

His followers did not seem as loving and caring. They seemed always bothered about the small things. They would not think Jesus had enough time for people or resources to take care of them. A good example is the feeding of the five thousand. They didn't get it yet, that God could supply all their needs in any situation.

[doliver]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His followers?

Although Jesus was God, He was also fully human. He reacted to every situation in a way that was completely human and yet truly divine.
For instance, when He heard of Lazarus' death, Jesus wept. He
exhibited perfectly natural human emotions. As God, He took
action to raise Lazarus from the dead. This action was true to
His Divinity, and was given as a sign that He was the One, the
Messiah.

While, we are still fully human men and women, Romans 8 tells
us that we are also given the Spirit of Christ. We are made into
the image of Christ so that we can respond as He did, with human emotions and Godly compassion.

Hansel,
The fact that Jesus wept upon seeing the grief of those who loved Lazarus has always amazed me too. Jesus knew what He was about to do. After all, He was God. But as you point out, He was also fully human. And so He wept. The compassion Christ had for the family of Lazarus as well as the compassion Christ has for us should motivate us to demonstrate compassion to the others God has placed in our lives.

I also believe this is a great example of His human aspect. Even though HE was fully human as well as fully God, I do believe though that unlike His emotions which were perfect (He could not sin), that our emotions sometimes are for the wrong reasons. We let them get in the way of what is real and true. We need to show that compassion and caring for others. This is the only way some will every see Jesus and what He is about.

[wanda]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

When I think about Jesus' personality the first thing that comes to my mind to describe him is His joy. By this I don't mean happiness but that inner joy that we can have regardless of our circumstances when we are walking in the spirit. He endured the cross for the "joy set before Him".

I see his personality as covering a wide range of emotion which was an expression of His deep love for people. Though he was emotional, he did not allow His emotions to control Him like we often do. Instead,he had amazing self-control.

It is mentioned in the Word that he spoke with authority. People are drawn to others who speak with authority, especially when it is combined with humility and compassion, as Jesus portrayed.

There is a bit of mystery to His personality that cannot be put into words. Afterall, he is the Son of God.

[wanda]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

When I think about Jesus' personality the first thing that comes to my mind to describe him is His joy. By this I don't mean happiness but that inner joy that we can have regardless of our circumstances when we are walking in the spirit. He endured the cross for the "joy set before Him".

I see his personality as covering a wide range of emotion which was an expression of His deep love for people. Though he was emotional, he did not allow His emotions to control Him like we often do. Instead,he had amazing self-control.

It is mentioned in the Word that he spoke with authority. People are drawn to others who speak with authority, especially when it is combined with humility and compassion, as Jesus portrayed.

There is a bit of mystery to His personality that cannot be put into words. Afterall, he is the Son of God.

As for His followers, they were very different. They were more like him after he ascended and left the Holy Spirit for them. Before that, they were too concerned for themselves to have that selfless characteristic that Christ had.

[wanda]

As I read your response about Jesus' loyalty and dedication to the Father I can't help but to think about when Jesus said that if we know Him we know the Father. He is one with the Father. His personality reveals Gods personality to us. As I reflect on God in the Old Testament and the many characteristics of Him that are revealed, it is really interesting to realize that they also reveal Jesus. Jesus' personality reveals the same God who was so patience with the Israelites, who destroyed the earth in Noah's day and gave His Son for the world. He is so much deeper than us and His personality is just as uncomprehendible to us as his ways are higher than ours.


How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?
I believe Jesus' personality was one of fierce loyalty and dedication to the Father and His will. Jesus was very confident and fearless. Many of the situations He was in would have caused me to run and hide, and yet Jesus completely trusted in God to control the events for when His time was right to do things. His temperment was self controlled and yet I don't think He was just this angry person walking around who had to control His anger. I think He was incredibly patient and loved being around people. He served people from morning to night many days. He granted people their requests. He got irritated with His disciples when they wondered how Jesus was going to feed the thousands of people. He told them to feed them! Jesus, in my opinion, had the ideal personality, and I believe that although He was intent on His mission, He thoroughly enjoyed His short life under submission to God.

[brekar]

Being "just like Jesus" is the NORM for the followers of Christ. If you are a true believer, then anything else is NOT the norm. As Christians – believers in Jesus Christ – we should adopt the same attitude and the same terperament Jesus held about the "things of God" especially when it pertains to Scripture. Jesus never belittled Scripture. He never placed tradition above Scripture. He never criticized Scripture. He never contradicted Scripture. He never opposed Scripture. He believed every Word of Scripture. And we as His followers, should be the exact same way (well, at least striving to be that way)!

[FrankP]

Jesus was always in control of the personality style and temperament. When the situation called for a strong forceful hand (as in the case of the cleansing of the temple), it was there; when it called for patience and understanding (as in the case of the healings), it was there. He always knew the right thing to do at the right time. However, His disciples appeared to have difficulty with understanding the needs of the people and on occasion, acted rather selfish and indifferent.

[FrankP]

Being "just like Jesus" is the NORM for the followers of Christ. If you are a true believer, then anything else is NOT the norm. As Christians – believers in Jesus Christ – we should adopt the same attitude and the same terperament Jesus held about the "things of God" especially when it pertains to Scripture. Jesus never belittled Scripture. He never placed tradition above Scripture. He never criticized Scripture. He never contradicted Scripture. He never opposed Scripture. He believed every Word of Scripture. And we as His followers, should be the exact same way (well, at least striving to be that way)!

I agree with you 100% that being “just like Jesus” should be the norm for ALL the followers of Christ. However, as you also point out, most of us are still striving for that perfection. Just as His disciples, some of us may tend to stumble, not necessarily in our devotion to God, but in our everyday interactions with those around us. We need to constantly be aware of the lessons He taught His disciples and continually strive for the humility and grace that He stressed with them.

[rcasillas]

Even though Jesus was God, Philippians 2 teaches us He emptied Himself of the need to show Himself as God, He was also man. As a man He was sinless so His personality and temperament were not tarnished and affected by sin. He was angry when running the merchants out of the temple yet it was not for gain that He did this but because the people were being taking advantage of financially (price gouging) and was taking the focus of the worshipper away from what he/she was there to do which was worship God.

As we look to Jesus He helps us and molds our personality and temperament.

[rcasillas]

[QUOTE=pat engler;221]I believe Jesus' personality was one of fierce loyalty and dedication to the Father and His will. Jesus was very confident and fearless. Many of the situations He was in would have caused me to run and hide, and yet Jesus completely trusted in God to control the events for when His time was right to do things. His temperment was self controlled and yet I don't think He was just this angry person walking around who had to control His anger. I think He was incredibly patient and loved being around people. He served people from morning to night many days. He granted people their requests. He got irritated with His disciples when they wondered how Jesus was going to feed the thousands of people. He told them to feed them! Jesus, in my opinion, had the ideal personality, and I believe that although He was intent on His mission, He thoroughly enjoyed His short life under submission to God.[/QU
Response
Many situations Jesus was in would cause anyone to want to run. The good news is that Jesus overcame in every situation He faced and therefore is able to "succor" (Heb. 2:18) us when tested. You point out that Jesus was intent on His mission. I believe it was this focus that allowed Him to handle situations properly.

When Jesus asked His disciples He already knew what He would do but tested the them any way. He was testing their faith and resourcefulness.

[rcasillas]

I believe that Jesus' personality and temperament would have been what we would call well-rounded and holy - knowing when to show compassion and when to show anger, feeling emotions and yet responding in healthy ways. He would have been able to respond out of choice rather than just out of automatic responses from his human nature.

Too often we as humans respond to situations automatically out of our personal temperament. When we learn more of who we are we can make choices to overcome our weaknesses and make better choices. In this way we become more like Christ and begin to become "wiser" in our responses thus forming our personality to be more holy, while retaining individualty.

Response
Jesus was a man who operated in the plans and purposes of God every day of His life at every moment. In John 4:34 we are told that Jesus was intent on finishing the work He had been sent to accomplish. One of these works was to reveal to man what life was to be like. In other words the life of Jesus reveals to us what God wants our life to be like. With that in mind, the reactions He displayed at various times in His ministry were proper because He sought to do the will of the Father at all times.

[kyle.hurst]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

Jesus’ was definitely slow to anger. He endured many hardships at the hands of people that he would soon die for. It had to be incredibly frustrating to listen to the constant ignorance of the Jewish leaders, and to know the pain that they would deliberately inflict upon him. What made Jesus’ restraint possible was his compassion for the lost. He did not see everyone that was against him as enemies, but as lost people who were in need of a savior.
His followers certainly did not always share these same characteristics. With two of his disciples being named the “sons of thunder” and another cutting of a persons ear with a dagger, we can see that they were average people and were not always capable of the saviors compassion.

[Timothy]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?
It appears to me that Jesus personality was solid and set. He knew what He was doing and where He was going. I have come to believe that He was more in control of every situation that we would like to first admit. We see several sides of His temperment. We see Him at peace talking with, dealing with, healing, and teaching thousands at a time. We see Him holding and blessing children. This is a real positive side of His temperment. We also see Him emotionally involved in several situations that truly reveal His humanity, such as when he cleared the temple of the money changers. Yes, I believe that was also righteousness indignation. However we see Him weeping over Lazarus before He raised Him from the dead. We see Him weeping over Israel which is the apple of His eye. We see Him respond sharply to Peter when he tried to discourage Jesus from going to Jerusalem, "get thee behind me satan." But the more I look at Jesus the more strength I see in His personality, and in his temperment.

[Timothy]

Ron C, I agree with you to some extent, but Jesus also drove out the money changers because they were in essence talk up the room for the gentiles to come into the temple and worship God. In the Old Testament, the Temple was to be a place where everyone, Jew or Gentile, could come and worship. The Sanhedrin determined that it was the lesser of the two evils to have money made and exchange hands, rather then to allow the gentiles into any protion of the temple to worship God.

[spiritword]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

Since Jesus was God Himself in human bodily form, I think His temperament would have been that of like God, which is love primarily (1 John 4:8, 16; 1 Cor 13; Eph 3:16-19). As far as I know, the only time that Jesus described His temperament is in Matt 11:28-30, where He said that He was someone who is “gentle and lowly in heart,” and people will find rest in Him. Hence, I believe all the other aspects of Jesus’ personality and temperament would have been coming from a heart of love and humility (Phil 2:5-11; John 3:16; 1 John 3:16).

As for Jesus’ followers, since no human is perfect, it would not be true of His disciples being loving and humble at all times under all circumstances. However, the Scriptures seem to say that it is possible to be Christlike to an extent that we would become “a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). We have the potential to the fullness of the mind and affection of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:8, 2:5), and that we were “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29). There are many other Scriptures which do seem to point to the fact that although followers of Christ do not always have the loving temperament of Jesus, but it is possible to be more like Jesus everyday as they choose to yield to the grace of God for the daily transformation and renewal. Having said this, I believe each person has a unique individuality that is neutral to a certain extent, which has nothing to do with being like Jesus or not.

[spiritword]

It appears to me that Jesus personality was solid and set. He knew what He was doing and where He was going. I have come to believe that He was more in control of every situation that we would like to first admit. We see several sides of His temperment. We see Him at peace talking with, dealing with, healing, and teaching thousands at a time. We see Him holding and blessing children. This is a real positive side of His temperment. We also see Him emotionally involved in several situations that truly reveal His humanity, such as when he cleared the temple of the money changers. Yes, I believe that was also righteousness indignation. However we see Him weeping over Lazarus before He raised Him from the dead. We see Him weeping over Israel which is the apple of His eye. We see Him respond sharply to Peter when he tried to discourage Jesus from going to Jerusalem, "get thee behind me satan." But the more I look at Jesus the more strength I see in His personality, and in his temperment.

Yes, I do believe we see many sides to Jesus’ temperament in the Gospels, both the peaceful and the more emotional. I also agree that Jesus was in control and free of fear under all circumstances (1 John 4:18). From my own point of view, I would conclude that all words and acts of Jesus, whether they are more gentle or more expressive, stem from a heart of love and humility as described in my answer to the original post question. Therefore, even when Jesus was clearing the Temple and driving out the merchants, it was done out of a love for His Father’s house, for those who were practicing wrongdoings, and for all true worshippers of God. I believe being loving is not in contradiction to being emotional, such as righteous indignation (for Jesus), at the proper situation and time.

[Phil B]

Jesus’ personality and temperament throughout His life and ministry were characterized by unbending, unwavering, steadfast perfection. He was perfect in righteousness, in humility, in obedience to the will of the Father, in love and compassion for sinners. Everything He did, said, and thought was at the right time, to the right degree and for the right reasons. His anger was never misplaced, His gentleness never overdone, His compassion never fake. His words were always selected with the utmost care and precision, His judgments were just and His love was never shallow or insincere. He was never a pushover or open to bribe, but was rather characterized by the deepest of convictions to truth and righteousness- not convictions based on a higher standard or code, but convictions that flow from His flawless, blameless character as the incarnate Son of God, the way the truth and the life.
Of course we as His followers are called to imitate Him (Ephesians 5:1-2). We are to strive for convictions based not on our own character and standard of righteousness, but for those of Christ Himself. He has given us the Holy Spirit so that we may seek after godliness with undivided devotion- always approaching, yet never reaching in this life, God’s desires for us as His humbly and joyfully submissive children.

[Phil B]

Being "just like Jesus" is the NORM for the followers of Christ. If you are a true believer, then anything else is NOT the norm. As Christians – believers in Jesus Christ – we should adopt the same attitude and the same terperament Jesus held about the "things of God" especially when it pertains to Scripture. Jesus never belittled Scripture. He never placed tradition above Scripture. He never criticized Scripture. He never contradicted Scripture. He never opposed Scripture. He believed every Word of Scripture. And we as His followers, should be the exact same way (well, at least striving to be that way)!

Amen, brother. Good points. We are called to be followers and imitators of Christ- conforming our values and attitudes to His.
I am in youth ministry and I think it's important to make the point with teens that we are to imitate certain things in Christ but not all (as you said- the things of God"). For example, we are not to conform to the cultural standards of His day regarding dress and diet (like the book "What would Jesus eat?" implies), we also cannot die for the sins of mankind or speak with divine authority. Also, Dr. Hulbert made the point about how God's forgiveness of sins is qualitatively different from the way we forgive sins. Another application could be that Jesus' cleansing of the Temple does not give us license to overturn tables in a church building where heresy is taught. Just something to reflect on- what exactly are the things in Christ that we are to imitate?

[Susan E.]

The reactions of people around Jesus show us a picture of His personality and temperament. People didn’t seem to fear him, so he must have exuded gentleness and trust. They didn’t shy away from him as if he were a haughty sort, so he must have seemed humble in a genuine way.

He was loved and worshipped by many because of his words, deeds, and life; he angered and was hated by many because of the same words, deeds, and life, therefore He was “true to the truth,” I would put it, and that truth was the dividing line between the lovers and the haters, between those who recognized him and those who would not recognize him.

He was a master teacher, one who needed to be steady and patient because his lessons were new, such as the teaching on the Mount. It was different from the understanding of the day, different from the norms of the day, because the understanding of the time (any time for that matter) was not a true representation of God’s way and thought. He was making clearer to the people the mind and heart of God toward them. Though he did not state it - in sentence form - in that particular teaching, he went on revealing through his life that we should recognize him as the way of reconciliation to God.

That way that he revealed, having been accepted by us, and then becoming the life within us, allows us to begin living in a manner that pleases God. Lo and behold - when we do that, we begin living a life that looks more and more like the life that Jesus patterned for us. There’s the answer to the question then, Jesus personality and temperament is certainly normative for us.

[Susan E.]

Since Jesus was God Himself in human bodily form, I think His temperament would have been that of like God, which is love primarily (1 John 4:8, 16; 1 Cor 13; Eph 3:16-19). As far as I know, the only time that Jesus described His temperament is in Matt 11:28-30, where He said that He was someone who is “gentle and lowly in heart,” and people will find rest in Him. Hence, I believe all the other aspects of Jesus’ personality and temperament would have been coming from a heart of love and humility (Phil 2:5-11; John 3:16; 1 John 3:16).

As for Jesus’ followers, since no human is perfect, it would not be true of His disciples being loving and humble at all times under all circumstances. However, the Scriptures seem to say that it is possible to be Christlike to an extent that we would become “a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). We have the potential to the fullness of the mind and affection of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:8, 2:5), and that we were “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29). There are many other Scriptures which do seem to point to the fact that although followers of Christ do not always have the loving temperament of Jesus, but it is possible to be more like Jesus everyday as they choose to yield to the grace of God for the daily transformation and renewal. Having said this, I believe each person has a unique individuality that is neutral to a certain extent, which has nothing to do with being like Jesus or not.

These thoughts on Christs' personality are so well-written, relating excellent reminders to us of God's love being revealed in His Son.

I'm not sure I grasp the meaning of the "neutral individuality" that is mentioned. I agree that we do not meet the mark of living as the Lord lived in our daily lives though we try. I do firmly believe, though, that his personality and temperament is normative as I understand the meaning of normative, that is a "standard set."

A later posting here points out that we should not emulate Jesus right to judgment, and that our forgiveness does not carry the same meaning as God's, but in traits that make up personality and temperament we could not overstep in trying to meet the standards by which Jesus lived. As the scriptures in the above quotations state, God is love. A good standard to live by.

[Macatawa]

I believe that Jesus had the kind of personality that was inescapably captivating. He inhabited, as man and God, the essence of one who did not even need to speak in order for people to notice him. Such an endearing personality would include such attributes as love, kindness, confidence, strength and compassion. Since thousands sat on the hillsides capturing his every word, I believe he was creative in presentation which included humor, timing and authenticity. Certainly, people had not encountered such a man as Jesus before. While this was mostly due to the fact that he was God, I also believe it was due to his unique personality that arose out of whom his Father had created him to be.

[Macatawa]

I agree with this posting because Christ did show a total range of emotion when he walked this earth. Even though this is the case, he showed proper emotion to a situation without sinning. By doing so, he showed us how we can become angry without sinning or how we can show proper love to someone without sinning. Certainly, Christ's personality was displayed through his emotions as they are both intertwined. This should be our model for how we should live, how we should love and how we should impact the world.

[Macatawa]

It seems near impossible to describe the personality of the Savior of the Universe. However, Jesus is God and being God He created all emotions. So I would guess that Christ had a perfect balance of all emotions. He was completely loving, yet He also showed anger towards evil. He was completely joyful, yet mourned when mourning was appropriate. He was outgoing, yet reserved when He needed to be. So I think it would be safe to assume that Jesus had a perfect balance between all emotions, to form a personality that is in control of every situation.

As followers of Christ we must strive to do the same - a perfect balance between all emotions, thus forming the perfect personality.

I believe these words are an accurate depiction of how Christ's personality was displayed through his emotions. Jesus served as a model for us of how to properly balance our emotions without sinning. Our emotions are a critical component of our personality. We all have the same emotions but these are not displayed in the same manner due to how God has created us. Therefore, Jesus gave us an incredible example of how our personality, combined with our emotions, can be displayed in ways that are not sinful. At times it might seem contradictory to have such differing emotions (anger with love, joy with sadness), but Christ showed us how this was possible. As followers of Christ we can take the personalities God has given us, combined with the unique expressions of our emotions, and glorify him with our lives.

[dpkeaton]

Humility seemed to mark Jesus' personality and temperament. This is obviously a characteristic that we as His followers should try and emulate. As you read through the gospels another characteristic that seemed to define Jesus was careful reflection. Jesus obviously knew the severity and importance of His life and mission. At times, He could be found reflecting or speaking on issues that were way over His audience's head. So, careful reflection on the brevity of life and importance of the gospel should be a characteristic that marks us as Jesus followers. We need to be careful that this doesn't lead us to stoicism though. I'm sure Jesus laughed and liked to have fun.

[dpkeaton]

These are good thoughts. I liked how you brought out Jesus being creative in His presentations. He was a common man's man, able to relate to peasants farmers, and even prostitutes. They all loved Him. Yet, Jesus was capable enough to dialogue and debate with the higher-up's of society. They all found Jesus captivating as well (even if many of them did bring about His death). Jesus' personality was such that everywhere He went, people noticed Him. His imapct on them was huge.

[bassworks]

As Dr. Hulbert said, Jesus was in control at all times. He knew why this was happening. He also knew the "whens" before they would happen, as well. He applied ultimate wisdom as his reactions and body language would be instructive to His followers. He applied emotion appropriately and soberly.

[bassworks]

I agree that Jesus was in complete control. However, it seems that if God was in control of the disciples in the time of the new church, that would be a real plus, a preferred situation. How would that leave the disciples in a quandry on how to handle people? How would that be a factor in them being "too zealous"?

[SWORDBEARER4HIM]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

Perhaps the most amazing part of Christ’s personality to me is His forgiveness. I have always been astounded at the fact that His love is so great that He could love such unholy creatures as us. While on this earth, Christ didn’t spend much time with the “righteous,” but with the spiritually needy. This is a characteristic that we often forget when we think of Christ the Savior, Christ the Lord, Christ the Redeemer, etc. We need to take time to also remember Christ the man that dwelt among those that needed Him most. Christ ministered to those that were in desperate need of spiritual healing. This is one of the greatest aspects of Christ’s character that we FAIL to emulate. We often find ourselves in a “holier than thou” place that shuts out those that desperately need the Lord. It IS NOT normative for many of His followers to mimic this part of His character/personality, but it should be!

[SWORDBEARER4HIM]

The aspect of Jesus' personality and temperment that is absolutely foriegn to me is the fact that he was/is all-knowing. Nothing ever caught him by surprise, nor was he ever unprepared for a challenge.

I am daily challenged and at a loss for how to handle various situations. Although we should strive to emulate his personality and temperment, I know I will always fall far short. Part of this lies in the fact that Jesus embodied every spiritual gift.

Although I beilieve I have the gift of evangelism, I also feel that I don't have the gift of encouragement, so that is a very difficult part of his temperment for me to emulate. And I definitely don't think it is the norm.


One of the greatest paradoxes that come with being a follower of Christ is desiring to be like Him, but knowing that it is impossible to truly be like Him in personality. I am ever challenged with following a man that was God, and perfect. We must simply understand that while He is/was perfect and all-knowing. He also chose to “take on” flesh and dwell among us. Though we will never have the gifts that He has, we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us to help us daily become more and more like Him. Praise God for the great power of the Holy Spirit that allows us to strive to become more and more like Christ!

[JonF]

Jesus, being fully man and fully God had the temperment of God that we will find hard to perfectly emulate. That being said, our goal is to be like Christ like. I would have to assume that the temperment of Christ, while He was fully man, is more God-like in character than we will be able to achieve.

Too often I find mysef responding out of my own self and not taking the time to examine how Jesus would have responded.

[deb3]

When I think of Jesus' personality, one word comes to mind--selfless. His focus was on attending to others. He was always available, never putting Himself first. He was never heard saying "Gosh, I'm really to tired right now." Or, "I'm sorry, but I've been doing this all day and now is really not a good time for me." No, He was there for one and all--disciples, the sick, the needy. No questions asked. Is this normative for His followers? I wish it were, but we do not have His ability to do that. And that is why we must be vigilant everyday to be more like Him.

[deb3]

Perhaps the most amazing part of Christ’s personality to me is His forgiveness. I have always been astounded at the fact that His love is so great that He could love such unholy creatures as us. While on this earth, Christ didn’t spend much time with the “righteous,” but with the spiritually needy. This is a characteristic that we often forget when we think of Christ the Savior, Christ the Lord, Christ the Redeemer, etc. We need to take time to also remember Christ the man that dwelt among those that needed Him most. Christ ministered to those that were in desperate need of spiritual healing. This is one of the greatest aspects of Christ’s character that we FAIL to emulate. We often find ourselves in a “holier than thou” place that shuts out those that desperately need the Lord. It IS NOT normative for many of His followers to mimic this part of His character/personality, but it should be!

I agree that Jesus spent His time with the needy, something we don't do enough of. I have seen that "holier than thou" attitude too many times. Perhaps it comes from our fear of getting too invested. But isn't that what it is all about--becoming a willing participant in our quest to be more Christ-like?

[jakefair]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

I believe that Jesus was perfect in everyway. He was fully God and man. We can see how he responded to people in good times and really hard times. He was perfect in the way that he talked and responded to people. I do not believe that that is normative for us as Christians. Many times we do not have solid temperaments and our personality flaws cause pain. I do though see an example in Christ that we can model after. We need that measuring stick to hold up our lives to and make sure we are on the right path.

[jakefair]

I agree with what you said about the fact that we are given the spirit of Christ we do have the power of the Holy Spirit. This can make us more like Christ. But the problem that I see is that the Jesus that I know from reading scripture is not the temperaments that I see in church today. To become like Christ we must search him and grow in that spirit.

[jakefair]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His followers?

Although Jesus was God, He was also fully human. He reacted to every situation in a way that was completely human and yet truly divine.
For instance, when He heard of Lazarus' death, Jesus wept. He
exhibited perfectly natural human emotions. As God, He took
action to raise Lazarus from the dead. This action was true to
His Divinity, and was given as a sign that He was the One, the
Messiah.

While, we are still fully human men and women, Romans 8 tells
us that we are also given the Spirit of Christ. We are made into
the image of Christ so that we can respond as He did, with human emotions and Godly compassion.




I agree with what you said about the fact that we are given the spirit of Christ we do have the power of the Holy Spirit. This can make us more like Christ. But the problem that I see is that the Jesus that I know from reading scripture is not the temperaments that I see in church today. To become like Christ we must search him and grow in that spirit.

[gwoodrum]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

When I think about the life of Christ the word intentional comes to mind. Yes, he was God and totally human at the same time, but he was always intentional in his responses and in total control of every situation. His anger was righteous anger when he cleanses the temple, and His personality and temperment were always appropraite for every situation. He did feel human emotion but nothing ever caught him off gaurd. He always responded divinely. He was always in control.

I think as believers, our calling is to be Christ like. Although we will never reach perfection, our lives should emulate that of Christ. We should strive to respond to a situation instead of react. Responding requires wisdom and reacting shows a lack of self control. Jesus always used wisdom.

[gwoodrum]

When I think about Jesus' personality the first thing that comes to my mind to describe him is His joy. By this I don't mean happiness but that inner joy that we can have regardless of our circumstances when we are walking in the spirit. He endured the cross for the "joy set before Him".

I see his personality as covering a wide range of emotion which was an expression of His deep love for people. Though he was emotional, he did not allow His emotions to control Him like we often do. Instead,he had amazing self-control.

It is mentioned in the Word that he spoke with authority. People are drawn to others who speak with authority, especially when it is combined with humility and compassion, as Jesus portrayed.

There is a bit of mystery to His personality that cannot be put into words. Afterall, he is the Son of God.


What you are saying is so true, there is somewhat of a mystery about Jesus' personality; that is one of the things that drives me to want my life to be like His. I want people to know there is something different about my life and be intrigued to what it may be. That then will open doors for me to share the Gospel with those around me.
I hope that I can live a life that is full of "Joy". I know we're not always on the mountain top, but we can have joy knowing Jesus is in control.

[abarber]

Jesus always treated people in ways that showed them God’s love. He exercised wisdom in and knowledge in everything He did. He was never surprised and always submissive to, and at peace with, the Father’s will. I can’t know everything like Jesus, but with the power of the Holy Spirit in me I can strive to submit to God’s will for my life. A clear way I can try to do this as his follower is to try to treat people in ways that show them that I love them, and more importantly that God loves them. In that way, Jesus’ personality and temperament should be normative for His followers’ lives.

[abarber]

Response
Jesus was a man who operated in the plans and purposes of God every day of His life at every moment. In John 4:34 we are told that Jesus was intent on finishing the work He had been sent to accomplish. One of these works was to reveal to man what life was to be like. In other words the life of Jesus reveals to us what God wants our life to be like. With that in mind, the reactions He displayed at various times in His ministry were proper because He sought to do the will of the Father at all times.
I agree that Jesus' temperament was one of seeking consistently to do the will of the Father at all times. I always like to think that the temperament and personality of Jesus always caused the Father to smile. If I stop and reflect on something before I do it, and if I can ask myself "What will make God smile?" I think the answer is very often the right way for me to behave. Those are the reactions to people I want to have (not necessarily to make them smile, but definitely to please God in what I do).

[alancullen]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for his followers?

All that Jesus thought, spoke or did was motivated by love and was in obedience to His Father. This includes the times where had the little children come to him, he placed his hands on them and blessed them. This also includes the contentious interactions with Pharisees, cleansing the temple and suffering the cross. I believe that he displayed the fruit of the Spirit on all occasions and modeled for us appropriate/perfect manner in which to conduct relationships and mission.

Christ displayed all the qualities of a servant in his personality and temperament. He did this despite being tired, hungry and sought after by the crowds. He continued to display this even while weeping over Jerusalem, training the disciples or sharing a feast with sinners.

I have yet to meet a follower of Christ that mirrors what I have described in Christ consistently. We are a 'work in progress'. Thankfully God is committed to completing the work he has begun in us.

[alancullen]

I agree completely with the comment regarding the Holy Spirit. God sent his Holy Spirit to indwell and influence our lives. It is through the Holy Spirit that God transforms and changes our very temperaments.

I am not the same man I was a year ago or 10 years ago for that matter. I believe this is a direct result of the influence and power of the Holy Spirit in my life. I am moving toward a life that reflects Christ. (I still have a ways to go!)

The other comment that resonates with me is a focus on others. by nature, we are self centered, self oriented and self focused. It is only when we take our eyes off ourselves that we begin to see the lonely person, the lost person or the neighbor we have commissioned to love.

[ajedwards]

Jesus was a complex personality. His famous words in the Sermon on the Mount (“turn the other check, etc) and his silent suffering at Calvary testify to his status as the Prince of Peace. None would argue that the humility and peace of Christ ought to be normative for his followers.
But Jesus was also incredibly offensive. He called people names, damned entire cities to hell, and even used a whip on a crowd. In all of this, Jesus had a great advantage that we do not share: he was God! He knew what was in the hearts of all men. His response could be rightly measured, and he was never in danger of misinterpreting a situation and going too far. His followers must understand the difficulties associated with following his most offensive displays. We are more likely to misjudge, and thereby bring shame on the name we mean to emulate. For example, although there may be many pastors today that Jesus would like to drive from their pulpits with a whip, I do not recommend acting on his behalf in this area. It would be pure hubris to assume to understand the mind of God and the heart of man well enough to imitate the more offensive acts of Jesus. Our status as fallen and limited disallow us from adopting this aspect of Jesus’ temperament as normative.

[ajedwards]

[I am not attaching my “response paragraph” to another student’s comment because I do not want to seem contrary or confrontational, although in a sense, this is a response to many in the group] As I read through the comments of previous students, I was shocked to find a nearly universal conviction that Jesus’ temperament should be considered as normative for his followers. I wonder if I read the same gospel accounts as the others? The Jesus that I found in the gospels had an extremely offensive aspect to his temperament (which he used in perfection because of his perfect wisdom) which would be dangerous for us to emulate today (I explain why in my original answer). I do not believe that any of those who wrote glowingly of the need to emulate Jesus in every way actually follow the implications of this position. I doubt they go around damning people, whipping them, or calling them foul names all the while thinking they are doing the will of God. This is a well meant, but overly simplistic assessment, which does not take into consideration Jesus’ omniscience contrasted with man’s fallibility. I am all for asking “WWJD?” but to emulate some of his more offensive acts would be dangerous because we simply do not have the capacity to understand the mind of God and the heart of man enough to act appropriately in a highly offensive manner, as Jesus so often did.

[Ted Duncan]

I think Jesus had a personality that was full of grace and truth. People marvelled at the authority with which He spoke, yet they also felt very comforable around Him. He was mysterious, but not aloof. Children adored Him, yet He was able to astound scholars. He spent time in the homes of pharisees and tax collectors. He was intense without making people tense. Since is the "Son of Man" I think it's appropriate that He is the most balanced human who ever lived.

[JSpelman]

What is "normal"? It occurs to me that all of us, with the exception of Jesus only, operate within our own perceived parameters for "normalness." What is normal for me may be weird for you and vice versa. We tend to attract like-minded people and repel those who are extremely different (generally speaking).

What was Adam like? I am speculating that he was the only perfectly normal man who ever lived (although his "normalness" would have begun to fade after the Fall he arguably would have carried a high degree of his perfect character through his life).

But Jesus, unlike Adam, was perfectly man and perfectly God. Not half and half but both fully. This means He lacked no characteristic that is indicative of His Divinity nor His humanity. But unlike us, Jesus possessed perfect humanity - a perfect image and not a warped and distorted one. I think Jesus, without having to think about it, automatically acted in the perfect way all the time. But I do not believe Jesus was always serious. I like to imagine Jesus laughing and joking with His disciples, even making others laugh. Perhaps he took a break in the summer and played in a cool stream and splashed his friends. At the same time, though, I wonder what Peter experienced Jesus looked him in the eye and said, "...from now on you will catch men." (Luke 5:10) What did people feel when Jesus looked them in the eye? Did some tremble? I will never have that effect on people.

Jesus was voluntarily subordinate to the Father, even to the Cross, however He was ontologically equal to the Father. Therefore I must conclude that we can never achieve the degree of "normalness" that Jesus possessed. In perfection we will reach it but on earth we will always be, to some extent, weird.

I am not opposed to the trendy "WWJD?" slogan but I think a better question to ask is "What should I do in this situation as a follower of Jesus?"

In conclusion, we must always strive to walk in fellowship with our Savior and follow His lead. We will fall short at times (hopefully with decreasing frequency) but the wonderful Grace of Jesus makes us whole! So to all you fellow "weirdos" out there, press on in following the One who is Normal!

[adamsjb@grace.edu]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

Having completed the Gospels/Life of Christ by Dr Hulbert, my impression of Jesus' personality and temperment is: gentle; loving; easy to entreat; authentic; courageous; strong; in control; a natural leader. No, these attributes are not normative for His followers. His followers (like me) are sinners damaged in the fall. His attributes were perfect in every way.

[adamsjb@grace.edu]

I think Jesus had a personality that was full of grace and truth. People marvelled at the authority with which He spoke, yet they also felt very comforable around Him. He was mysterious, but not aloof. Children adored Him, yet He was able to astound scholars. He spent time in the homes of pharisees and tax collectors. He was intense without making people tense. Since is the "Son of Man" I think it's appropriate that He is the most balanced human who ever lived.

Great insights Ted. You paint a beautiful portrait of Christ. I especially liked your statement, "full of grace and truth." I wonder if all of those other wonderful qualities you mentioned are but sub attributes of grace and truth. Would it be correct to say, that if you want to know what grace and truth look like, just look at Jesus? Thanks again, Jesse.

[ianth]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

Jesus' personality was engaging. Outsiders felt comfortable talking with him, his opponents stepped into the ring, children approached him, and his disciples asked him all kinds of questions. I guess this is unconditional love for all people, friends and enemies; the compassion to listen and respond with truth for their benefit.

Jesus' temperament was wise. He responded to "thieves" in the temple with outrage and whips, and to prostitutes with gentle words. His temperament was under his control, responding rightly to each situation.

Jesus was unique. I don't think his followers are supposed to go about pretending they have his wisdom or approachability. We need the accountability and advice and help of other followers to guide us in right uses of our personalities and temperaments that are bent in places and rusty because of sin and hurts.

We ought to pursue those grand principles though, of engaging (loving) and wise. But those will fit us uniquely, too.

[ianth]

Response
Jesus was a man who operated in the plans and purposes of God every day of His life at every moment. In John 4:34 we are told that Jesus was intent on finishing the work He had been sent to accomplish. One of these works was to reveal to man what life was to be like. In other words the life of Jesus reveals to us what God wants our life to be like. With that in mind, the reactions He displayed at various times in His ministry were proper because He sought to do the will of the Father at all times.

Let's pick the cleansing of the temple as an example because it was a radical reaction, perhaps unexpected, to the wrongful use of the outer courts. And let's pretend that instead of Jesus arriving that day, it was you or I, as a follower of Jesus. If we had not responded to the "den of thieves" before our eyes the way Jesus had (with whips and yelling), and instead sought out peaceful discussion over a number of weeks with the Sanhedrin, maybe getting a petition signed by 1000 Jewish fathers for the moneychangers to leave, and holding teaching sessions on the proper use of the temple courts; would we still be obedient to God's will when we obviously strayed from the "proper" example of Jesus in the same situation?

Jesus did not sin, he always acted in ways loving and wise in obedience to his father. But I acknowledge a difference between Jesus' ministry/goals/purpose/person and my own. Christians ought not always go into the temples invaded by "thieves" and clear them the way Jesus did - he was Messiah, that was his Father's house, he had authority as Master of the house. We lack that authority, and so, at times, although we follow his example of obedience, we must go about being loving and wise in dissimilar ways (ways that are encouraged in Paul's letters, I'd argue).

[JSpelman]

Let's pick the cleansing of the temple as an example because it was a radical reaction, perhaps unexpected, to the wrongful use of the outer courts. And let's pretend that instead of Jesus arriving that day, it was you or I, as a follower of Jesus. If we had not responded to the "den of thieves" before our eyes the way Jesus had (with whips and yelling), and instead sought out peaceful discussion over a number of weeks with the Sanhedrin, maybe getting a petition signed by 1000 Jewish fathers for the moneychangers to leave, and holding teaching sessions on the proper use of the temple courts; would we still be obedient to God's will when we obviously strayed from the "proper" example of Jesus in the same situation?

Jesus did not sin, he always acted in ways loving and wise in obedience to his father. But I acknowledge a difference between Jesus' ministry/goals/purpose/person and my own. Christians ought not always go into the temples invaded by "thieves" and clear them the way Jesus did - he was Messiah, that was his Father's house, he had authority as Master of the house. We lack that authority, and so, at times, although we follow his example of obedience, we must go about being loving and wise in dissimilar ways (ways that are encouraged in Paul's letters, I'd argue).


I understand where you are coming from and do not fully disagree however I feel it is important to point a couple things:

1) Our goal should be the same as Jesus and that is to bring glory to God the Father. Every action and motive should point to the Glory of God! (1 Cor 10:31)

2) We are given authority in Christ to carry out this Mission that Jesus left us with, the mission to bring glory to the Father! (Matt 28:18-20)

I do not want to over-spiritualize the whole Temple-cleansing event, but if we look at the context in which we live today, in the Church Age, then we are Christ's representatives (with His authority through the Word) and the Church body is His "temple" through which Jesus operates corporately. The devil is using the world to bring sin into the Church to make it lethargic and powerless. The Enemy is bringing his vendors into the Church in the form of worldliness, desire for entertainment, love for leisure, and love for money. The Enemy cannot be negotiated with. If there is sin in the Church or in your life or mine, we should get angry. I got my wake-up call a few years ago when I realized the devil was trying to steal my marriage. I got mad. Really mad. And I threw the "vendors" out of my own life.

Maybe I am going to far with this but as we discuss "personality and temperment" let us remember the Mission.

[revlaing]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His followers?As I think on the Lord of all creation and His personality makeup, I have to think that He was and is the most balanced person of all time. Many personality studies have been done over the years, including the four temperaments and the DISC study. Looking at those studies, we know that each person has a blend of at least two of the major personality types. Looking at the Gospels, we see a blend of all the personalities and what I would call a completed circle in the DISC model. Jesus knew how to react in any and every situation. He knew when to be quiet and when to speak up. He knew when to take charge and when to submit. He exhibited a range of emotions including tears, anger (righteous), sympathy and humor. As His disciples, we may not be “wired” to have a “complete circle” in the DISC model, but we strive to have the balance in personality that Jesus did through the power of the Holy Spirit.

[revlaing]

I understand where you are coming from and do not fully disagree however I feel it is important to point a couple things:

1) Our goal should be the same as Jesus and that is to bring glory to God the Father. Every action and motive should point to the Glory of God! (1 Cor 10:31)

2) We are given authority in Christ to carry out this Mission that Jesus left us with, the mission to bring glory to the Father! (Matt 28:18-20)

I do not want to over-spiritualize the whole Temple-cleansing event, but if we look at the context in which we live today, in the Church Age, then we are Christ's representatives (with His authority through the Word) and the Church body is His "temple" through which Jesus operates corporately. The devil is using the world to bring sin into the Church to make it lethargic and powerless. The Enemy is bringing his vendors into the Church in the form of worldliness, desire for entertainment, love for leisure, and love for money. The Enemy cannot be negotiated with. If there is sin in the Church or in your life or mine, we should get angry. I got my wake-up call a few years ago when I realized the devil was trying to steal my marriage. I got mad. Really mad. And I threw the "vendors" out of my own life.

Maybe I am going to far with this but as we discuss "personality and temperment" let us remember the Mission.

We are indeed to model Christ in all areas of our lives. I agree that we should be angry at sin. However, there is one distinct difference between Jesus and us when reacting to the unrighteous acts of men: He is God and Messiah and we are not. We are not capable of understanding the hearts and motives of men. Surely we can make judgment calls based on external actions and outward sins, but we cannot know the thought process of the erring individual. Certainly we need to confront a sinning brother as per Matthew 18, but we cannot confront the unregenerate the same way. We must know our boundaries and limitations. We need to let God be God and we need to approach this and other kind of sins in the spirit of Galatians 6:1 “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” (to do the same thing- emphasis mine).

[Dave Herbster]

If I was to describe Jesus' personallity and temperment I would have to say He was focused. He was focused on His purpose to save that which was lost. Jesus was focused on His mission of equipping His disciples for the ministry ahead. As He was focused on these elements, Jesus was focused on His relationship with the Father.

Along with His incredible focus, Jesus was a person of great emotion. He was constantly showing tears and His compassion. I beleive He also enjoyed His times of fellowship with people. The Bible never states that He laughed, but I imagine Him laughing as He would interact with those He loved.

As a follower of Jesus, we are called to be like Him. We should be people who, like Jesus, have great focus on the ministry Christ has called us to. Just like Jesus we need to be real. We should not act like something we are not, we should laugh and cry with the poeple God has placed around us.

[Dave Herbster]

If I was to describe Jesus' personallity and temperment I would have to say He was focused. He was focused on His purpose to save that which was lost. Jesus was focused on His mission of equipping His disciples for the ministry ahead. As He was focused on these elements, Jesus was focused on His relationship with the Father.

Along with His incredible focus, Jesus was a person of great emotion. He was constantly showing tears and His compassion. I beleive He also enjoyed His times of fellowship with people. The Bible never states that He laughed, but I imagine Him laughing as He would interact with those He loved.

As a follower of Jesus, we are called to be like Him. We should be people who, like Jesus, have great focus on the ministry Christ has called us to. Just like Jesus we need to be real. We should not act like something we are not, we should laugh and cry with the poeple God has placed around us.

[JND]

How would you describe Jesus' personality and temperament? Is this normative for His follwers?

I would describe Jesus’ personality and temperament as remarkable. Having been sent to Earth for such a purpose, knowing the hearts of men, knowing what He must accomplish, He always conducted Himself in a manner perfect for every situation. His emotional responses to whatever he faced were correct and appropriate. Yes, this is normative for His followers. We are to aspire to be like Him. But we can only be like Him due to the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit who transforms us into His likeness. We become like Him, but do so progressively, as we become sanctified.

[JND]

If I was to describe Jesus' personallity and temperment I would have to say He was focused. He was focused on His purpose to save that which was lost. Jesus was focused on His mission of equipping His disciples for the ministry ahead. As He was focused on these elements, Jesus was focused on His relationship with the Father.

Along with His incredible focus, Jesus was a person of great emotion. He was constantly showing tears and His compassion. I beleive He also enjoyed His times of fellowship with people. The Bible never states that He laughed, but I imagine Him laughing as He would interact with those He loved.

As a follower of Jesus, we are called to be like Him. We should be people who, like Jesus, have great focus on the ministry Christ has called us to. Just like Jesus we need to be real. We should not act like something we are not, we should laugh and cry with the poeple God has placed around us.

I agree that Jesus was very focused. I suggest He needed to be so, in light of the scope and “time-sensitive” nature of His mission. His personality and temperament were as they were due to His circumstances on Earth. Perhaps because of His keen focus and the intensity of His ministry, He indeed displayed a full range of human emotion, yet it was always appropriate, whether it was anger or sorrow. And yes, there is much reason to assume that Jesus experienced joy and laughter; and that He inspired a like response from others. He established close relationships with many people, and joy and laughter would be part of a full range of emotions.