Before reading the Bible and really digging deep into the Scriptures, my perspective of Jesus had been crafted by Hollywood and Renaissance paintings.
In the movies, I saw this slender, long haired, 1960s hippie who was soft spoken, monotone, and went around telling people to love one another…
In the arts, I saw a similar man, but this time he would have an aloof look on his face while he sat on a rock telling stories to the little children who surrounded him. Oh, and there would be a random lamb on his lap that he would be petting, or a golden circle around his head…
Unfortunately, this is the image of Jesus that many of us have. We’ve allowed other resources to shape our perspective of Jesus, rather than going back to the Word of God and seeing who he is for ourselves.
That said, we’re hoping this short Bible study will help you get to know the real Jesus!
Before we jump into the Scriptures, though, write down who you think Jesus is. What qualities does he have?
Once you have your thoughts down as to who you think Jesus is, go through the Scriptures below and see if your perception of him holds up!
Here are 5 Bible verses that show who Jesus really is:
1. He is relatable (Hebrews 4:14-15).
I used to have a hard time connecting with Jesus as a man because I saw him as a superhero who didn’t have any weaknesses. He had “super powers” like healing people and walking on water, and he was this omnipotent, royal-like figure who was too spiritual and too righteous to relate to our weaknesses and shortcomings as humans.
I was completely wrong.
In Hebrews 4:14-15, we see that Jesus actually empathized with others:
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
This Scripture changed my perspective of Jesus and showed me that he was very relatable. He wasn’t this “high and mighty” historical figure or even a superhero. He had emotions, feelings, and even temptations, and he was someone who could relate to how I think and feel.
The Scripture says that Jesus had been tempted in every way but did not have sin—which really just shows you the self control and self discipline that he had in his thoughts, feelings, emotions, moods, etc. He wasn’t one to make rash decisions or say things he would later regret. There was a steadfastness in his character.
It really changed my walk with God to recognize and fully embrace that Jesus was relatable. It makes him more personable and takes away that superhero complex that no one can relate to.
2. He is a prayer warrior (Luke 11:1-4)
I never realized just how much Jesus prayed until I started studying out his prayer life. That man prayed all the time! He prayed alone, with others, before making important decisions, after miracles… Jesus was a true prayer warrior!
What’s amazing about Jesus’ prayer life is that it impacted his disciples. In Luke 11:1-4, one of his disciples asks Jesus to teach them how to pray:
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
Most people have heard this prayer before and even say this prayer. What Jesus is teaching here is not that you have to say these same exact words every time you pray, but it should be a template for how you pray. That is, your prayers should adore God, confess your sins/ask for forgiveness, say what you’re thankful for, and ask for what you need.
What’s interesting is that these men had grown up in a theocracy, so it’s not like they had never prayed before or didn’t know how. It’s just that, when they saw how Jesus prayed, they saw that it was very different. When Jesus prayed, there was a more intimate connection with God than how they prayed.
The deep connection that Jesus had in his prayer life with God shows just how much he actually relied on God. While we may think of Jesus as being a “super hero” or powerful, he never did anything without relying on God and getting his strength from Him.
3. He is vulnerable (Matthew 26:36-38)
When we think of vulnerability, we often think of it as exposure or weakness. It’s an area where someone or something is not guarded and can be attacked or hurt.
We spend most of our lives guarded emotionally and not letting other people in because we’re fearful of being hurt. Perhaps we actually have been hurt and we refuse to feel that way ever again, so we come up with our own coping mechanisms, where we to put up invisible, impenetrable walls around our lives so we can feel safe and protected.
The problem with putting up walls it that it prevents you from truly being close and connected with other people. It’s hard for anyone to feel connected to someone who is guarded.
Vulnerability is the amazing gift where you are open, transparent, and raw with other people about how you truly think or feel.
Vulnerability is not the person who “keeps it real” but has a nasty attitude with you because you may have hurt their feelings. And it’s not the person who stuffs their emotions and puts on a “brave face” or gives you the cold shoulder. And it’s definitely not the person who vomits their emotions on you in an effort to manipulate your feelings.
Vulnerability is risky. It’s putting your thoughts and emotions out there. It’s authenticity.
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is one of the best examples of what it means to be vulnerable. In Matthew 26:36-38, we see that Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his three closest friends, along with him to pray before he went to the cross:
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
In verse 38 we see that Jesus told Peter, James, and John, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Here was the Son of God, the man that spoke with authority, who had the power to heal people and exorcise demons, admit that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.
It was in these moments before going to the cross that Jesus was vulnerable (and when you read the rest of the account of the cross, you see Jesus’ continued vulnerability throughout it).
As someone who used to see Jesus as that almighty superhero, seeing his level of vulnerability with others has always challenged me to grow in my own vulnerability. I believe that Jesus was vulnerable with Peter, James, and John not because he had to be, but because he wanted to strengthen his relationship with them. While those men ended up falling asleep while Jesus prayed, I can only imagine how they looked back on this moment with their Lord and felt eternally connected and bonded to him and each other.
4. He is a true friend (John 11:35)
Most people are familiar with John 11:35 from the perspective that it’s the shortest verse and full sentence in the Bible. But what makes this Scripture absolutely amazing is that it actually shows how much of a true friend Jesus actually was.
John 11 is the account of Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, being raised from the dead by Jesus. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were close friends to Jesus, as is evidenced through Jesus spending time in their home (Luke 10:38) and the fact that the Scriptures say that Jesus loved them (John 11:5).
The Scriptures say that Lazarus had become ill and Martha and Mary had sent word to Jesus that he had died. Jesus then set out to go see Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, where he would eventually raise Lazarus from the dead.
The Scriptures then say that when Jesus went to see Lazarus’ body, “He wept” (John 11:35). Even though he knew Lazarus was going to be raised from the dead and that this family would be reunited again, Jesus still wept with Martha and Mary.
Jesus still wept because he was a friend. The Scriptures talk about mourning with those who mourn (Romans 12:15), and that’s exactly what Jesus did. He had compassion on Martha and Mary and could feel their pain. He didn’t rush through the grieving process and prevented others from feeling pain—he experienced the grief along with them.
Jesus was a true friend. He was the type of friend that would cry with you when you were hurting. That’s a lifetime friend.
5. He is a revolutionary (Luke 2:33-35)
According to Merriam-Webster, a revolutionary is someone who brings about major or fundamental change. This was Jesus! In Luke 2:33-35, Simeon, a righteous and devout man, tells Jesus’ mother just how special Jesus was:
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Jesus was someone who was going to “cause the falling and rising of many in Israel” and he would “be a sign that will be spoken against”—that doesn’t seem encouraging! Could you imagine someone telling you that about your child?! I could only imagine what Mary must have thought when she heard that!
Sometimes our perspective of Jesus is that he was loved by everyone except only the really “wicked” people that ended up crucifying him. We see Jesus as only this meek, gentle, humble man—which he totally was. But that wasn’t only who he was.
Jesus was a man with deep convictions who always sided with truth. His teachings divided the crowds (John 7:43, John 9:16, John 10:19) to the point that he was sentenced to death via crucifixion. Jesus was a revolutionary.
CONCLUSION
Jesus was a relatable, prayer-filled, vulnerable friend that also became the greatest revolutionary of his time. The five verses in this Bible study only scratch the surface of who Jesus was, and we’ll have to dive deeper into some other traits in another blog post!
What has your perspective of Jesus been? Are there any qualities of him that you’re surprised about? Feel free to comment below with what you love about who Jesus is!
