Jesus: The Man and Perfect Example (A Portrait of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke)

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Reagan McClenny | Lufkin, Texas

What was Jesus like as a child? I’ve often thought about this question and once posed a similar question to a group of 5th-grade boys in a Bible study. I asked them, “What would Jesus be like if He was here and your age?” While the exercise was helpful, their answers revealed an (understandable) naivety and lack of understanding of who Jesus really was on earth. Their answers were a caricature of cliches about Jesus more than how He would have really behaved. They suggested, “He would only study his Bible all the time,” and “He might skip school to pray.” “Would He play games?” I asked. “Oh no!” they replied, “He wouldn’t have time for that!” It was difficult for them to imagine Jesus living a physical life as a man on earth.

Would our answers of who Jesus was on earth be any closer to reality?

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me, as I imitate Christ.” Even more, he says in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Paul is saying he imitates Christ to the point where he can say, “It’s not ME in me anymore, it’s CHRIST in me.”

Imitating Jesus, in large part, is what Christianity is all about. But we can only truly imitate Jesus if we know Him as He is. Too often, our perception of Jesus is hazy at best, and downright wrong at worst. We need to seek to see Him more clearly. This brings us to the gospels and their portraits of Jesus.

The 4 Gospel Portraits of Jesus
In all four gospels, we see great consistency in who Jesus was on earth: in character, in teaching, in attitude, and in power. However, we also see a different aspect of Jesus’ identity emphasized in each gospel. While our exact characterizations of these differences might differ, the reality of four different portraits is clear. What are these four different viewpoints? I believe Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the promised Messiah or Christ, while Mark emphasizes Jesus as a sacrificial servant. It appears that Luke emphasizes the humanity and perfect example of Jesus, and John emphasizes the deity of Jesus.

The four living creatures before the throne of God in Revelation 4:6-7 might be helpful to you in remembering these perspectives (see Table 1):

Revelation 4:6-7 “Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.”

Whether the Holy Spirit intended this in revealing this vision to John or not, I have found this passage to be a helpful mnemonic device. In order, the first living creature is like a lion. Matthew’s gospel presents Jesus as the “Lion of Judah.” Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament promises and prophesies for God’s anointed one (Messiah or Christ), who would be King over the Kingdom of God. The second living creature is like an ox or a calf. Just as the calf is an animal of sacrifice and the ox is a beast of burden, Mark presents Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for our sins and a patient servant of all people. The third living creature had a face like a man, and Luke’s gospel emphasizes humanity and the perfect example of Jesus on earth. The fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. In the Roman world, the Eagle symbolized divinity (it “flies” close to the gods), the Roman legions, and Imperial rule. “Worship the Emperor!” the Christians in Asian Minor were told, but John’s gospel shows that the emperor (or any other so-called “god”) is not divine—Jesus is!

(Table 1)

All four of the gospel accounts include all four of these facets of who Jesus was on earth, but each gospel seems to emphasize one more than the others.

The Gospel of Luke:
An examination of Jesus in Luke’s gospel brings us back to our initial question, “What was Jesus like as a child?” Furthermore, “What was Jesus like as a man?” The Gospel of Luke is the only inspired record we have to answer the first question and perhaps the best inspired record to answer the second.

The Hebrew writer reminds us that “…in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17) and “we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). Though still God and fully divine, Jesus was born of a woman and lived as a man. We see this clearly in the Gospel of Luke. From the beginning of his gospel, Luke’s unique material for us emphasizes Jesus as the Son of Man, born of the woman Mary (see Table 2). Luke introduces His physical family and His humble birth. Luke provides unique material about His infancy, childhood, and genealogy (likely on His mother’s side). Luke includes His rejection in Nazareth “where He had been brought up” (4:16), which reminds readers of Jesus’ humanity. I would encourage you to reread Luke from this perspective.

(Table 2) Adapted from Mark Allan Powell, Fortress Introduction to the Gospels (p. 86)

In living His life as a human being, Jesus provides us with the example of how we should live. Compared to the other gospels, the Gospel of Luke is filled with more practical teaching and illustrative accounts from Jesus’ own experience on day-to-day topics of Christian living like money, prayer, our priorities/counting the cost, and compassion towards the outcast (unclean, lepers, widows, Samaritans, etc.). Jesus’ example isn’t just for men, either, as women are featured more often and prominently in Luke’s account than in the other gospels.

Though many examples could be highlighted, notice specifically three areas where Jesus provides us with His example:

Jesus: An Example of Growth
Like imagining Jesus as a child, perhaps it is odd to think of Jesus growing. Still, Luke’s gospel (and only Luke’s gospel) says that the boy Jesus “increased” in four areas.

Luke 2:52 “Jesus increased in wisdom (Mentally—RM) and in stature (Physically—RM) and in favor with God (Spiritually—RM) and man (Socially—RM).”

God created human beings with all four of these aspects. Though the spiritual part of us is the MOST important, all four are important to God. The other three (Mental, Physical, and Social) are matters of stewardship, influence, and growth. What are we doing with this life that God has given us? Are we using this physical life to develop qualities that impact our spiritual life, like patience, common sense, sound reasoning, wisdom, strong relationships, and self-control? We should be because that’s what Jesus did, and we strive to imitate Him! We should learn from His example that “growth” should be something that happens in all parts of our lives.

Jesus: An Example in Teaching/Learning from Everyday Life
Parables were one of the primary teaching methods of the Master Teacher. Jesus often uses these simple stories from everyday life to draw spiritual applications in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

However, the Gospel of Luke has both the most parables recorded and the most unique parables recorded in any of the gospels. Jesus, the man, reminds us that the created world should point us to God. Scoffers look at the Bible and say we’ve made God like man. An easy response for the Christian: it only stands to reason that an all-powerful God would create a world that would teach us about Him! God created a world filled with examples, illustrations, and shadows of His true nature. We should learn from Jesus’ example to see God and the spiritual application in all things—even the material things of this life. Especially for those who are parents, we should use the illustrations around us to teach our children about God and His qualities.

Jesus: An Example of Forgiveness
There are several sayings of Jesus as He was crucified that are only found in Luke (23:28-31; 43, 46). Two of these unique sayings deal with His forgiveness.

To the mob, Jesus says in Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” To one of the robbers on the crosses beside Him, Jesus says in Luke 23:43 “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Matthew 27:44 tells us that both robbers reviled him, along with the chief priests, scribes, and elders. So, what changed in the second man recorded in Luke’s gospel? According to the combined texts of all four gospels, Jesus had only said one other thing on the cross, “Father forgive them; they know not what they are doing.” That statement, combined with the inscription above His head, must have turned the hard heart of this (by his own admission) guilty man. You can imagine him listening to the prayer of forgiveness and thinking, “Wow. I want that, too!” The good news—the gospel—has the power to change hearts!

Never underestimate the power of forgiveness: the power it can have in your heart when you forgive and move forward and the power it can have on others when they see that heart in you.

Never underestimate Jesus’ power to forgive. No sin is too great, and no life is too far from God to be out of reach of Jesus’ forgiveness. Even in the “eleventh hour” (Matthew 20:1-16), His forgiveness is available.

This was Christ’s desire and why He was willing to come and live as a man. He desires the rejoicing that comes when one who is “lost” is “found.” Luke 15 contains three parables unique to this gospel that describe the joy of finding “lost” things: finding a sheep, finding a coin, and finding a son. Twice Jesus emphasizes the joy in heaven “over one sinner who repents” (15:7, 10) before describing the willing forgiveness of a father (God) to his prodigal son (us). We should learn from Jesus’ example and be ready and willing to forgive.

What was Jesus like as a child? What was He like as a man? Luke’s gospel shows us that He was very much like us, experiencing the joys and pain and temptations of life, “yet without sin.” Having His beautiful and powerful example, let us strive to be like Him.

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October 2022 | GROW magazine