11 To be like Jesus

"To be like Jesus! This hope possesses me,
in every thought and deed, this is my aim, my creed;
to be like Jesus! This hope possesses me,
His Spirit helping me, like Him I'll be."

What a wish: To be like Jesus ! But what does that mean? In other words: what would Jesus do?

According to Wikipedia: "The phrase "What would Jesus do?" (often abbreviated to WWJD) became popular in the United States in the 1990s and as a personal motto for adherents of Evangelical Christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the actions of the adherents."

Well, what did Jesus do during His time on earth?

(Please keep in mind that although I use the past tense I am fully aware that Jesus, just as His Father, is Eternal and Unchangeable.)

1. Jesus loved His Father with whole of His heart, His soul and His mind.

Jesus and His Father are One, therefore the two commandments "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" and "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" are also one for Him. The Son of God had a constant contact with His Father and wanted to do whatever the Father asked Him to. Because of Their mutual love Jesus was obedient to the Father even when that meant: humiliation, pain and death. Our Saviour wasn't too proud to descent from heaven and to become human:
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7 KJ21)

He came from heaven and humiliated Himself by becoming human. The Son of God started helpless as a baby in a house in Bethlehem:
“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him...” (Matthew 2:11a KJ21)

and was laid in a manger to make sure that the shepherds would recognize Him:
“And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."” (Luke 2:12 KJ21)

Jesus teached us an important yet difficult lesson:
“For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."” (Luke 14:11 KJ21)

Just before His last Passover meal some disciples were arguing about which one of them was the most important one. Jesus then gave them the following example:
“And supper being ended, and the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, and took a towel and girded Himself. After that He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded. Then came He to Simon Peter, and Peter said unto Him, "Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said unto him, "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter."...“So after He had washed their feet and had taken His garments and had sat down again, He said unto them, "Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call Me Master and Lord; and ye say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:2-7 and 12-15 KJ21)

To my humble opinion our Redeemer was not proud. I truly believe there will always be friction between "proud" and "obedient". To be obedient requires from us to get rid of proudness and open our hearts for the concept "grateful".

Jesus came to earth to bear our punishment and to die for us. Just before He was captured He three times prayed the following words:
“..."O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt."” (Matthew 26:39b KJ21)

Despite His fear and sadness He did not refuse to obey our Father and therefore received a Name above all names:
“And being found in the fashion of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death—even the death of the cross. Therefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11 KJ21)

2. Jesus loved His neighbor as Himself.

Does obedience to the Father automatically include great love for us? For Jesus: YES ! :
“"As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. "This is My commandment: that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:9-13 KJ21)

He gave His life for us so we could be redeemed with the Father !

Jesus showed His compassion and sadness whenever He was confronted with the sufferings of mankind:
“Now when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And many people of the city were with her. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said unto her, "Weep not." And He came and touched the bier, and those who bore him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say unto thee, arise." And he that was dead sat up and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.” (Luke 7:12-15 KJ21)

The Saviour cried when His friend Lazarus had died:
“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled, and said, "Where have ye laid him?" They said unto Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, "Behold, how he loved him!"” (John 11:33-36 KJ21)

Our Lord had visible grief about the fate of Jerusalem:
“And when He had come near, He beheld the city and wept over it, saying, "If thou had known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which must be for thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee around, and keep thee in on every side. And they shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee; and they shalt not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."” (Luke 19:41-44 KJ21)

Jesus' love for His Father and for us can be found in the following characteristics, which are an example for every true Christian:

(ofcourse I cannot mention all Christ's characteristics, but to me these seem to be the most important ones)

I. Jesus sticked to Scripture.

When Satan three times tries to seduce Him (the last time with Scripture), Jesus uses the the Word of God as weapon to confront the devil with the truth:
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Get thee behind Me, Satan! For it is written...’"” (Luke 4:8a KJ21)

On many occasions our Saviour quoted Scripture, f.i. about his announced suffering:
“Then He took unto Him the twelve and said unto them, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished.” (Luke 18:31 KJ21)

After His resurrection He teached two disciples during their walk to the little village Emmaus about all that has happened after which He disappeared. When the two returned to the others in Jerusalem, Jesus suddenly appears in their midst:
“And He said unto them, "These are the words which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning Me." Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,” (Luke 24:44-46 KJ21)

Isn't it striking that the Son of God never criticises Scripture?

On the other hand He does criticize those who twist the Word of God:
“Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" He answered and said unto them, "Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Therefore, in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold to the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups, and many other like things ye do." And He said unto them, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor thy father and thy mother,’ and, ‘Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death.’ But ye say that if a man shall say to his father or mother, ‘It is Corban’ (that is to say, a gift of whatsoever thou mightest have profited from me), he shall be freed; and ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his mother, thus making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered. And many like things do ye."” (Mark 7:5-13 KJ21)

When, on the isle of Patmos , the Son of God appears to John no word of criticism regarding Scripture comes from His lips. Unfortunately He has to criticise the believers. Jesus trust John to write three letters and the book of Revelation. These are, together with the gospel by John, the youngest books in the Bible. Our Redeemer doesn't comment the other gospels nor the letters by Paul, Peter, James a.s.o. That the letters of Paul were meanto to be part of scripture was already confirmed by the apostle Peter:
“Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things. Therein are some things hard to understand, which those who are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:14-16 KJ21)

II. Jesus always told the truth.

The Son of God handled the truth in several ways, but He always made His point very clear:

a. He was mild and forgiving to the sinners like f.i. the woman of Samaria:
“Jesus said unto her, "Go, call thy husband, and come hither." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said unto her, "Thou hast well said, ‘I have no husband’; for thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband. In that thou saidst truly."” (John 4:16-18 KJ21)

Jesus, in a manner of speaking, congratulates her with the fact that she tells the truth. The woman doesn't get mad when He describes her love life. On the contrary, she went back into the city and informed her fellow citizens:
“"Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came unto Him.” (John 4:29-30 KJ21)

Regarding the adulterous wife Jesus isn't reproachful but forgiving:
“When Jesus had lifted Himself up and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?" She said, "No man, Lord." And Jesus said unto her, "Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more."” (John 8:10-11 KJ21)

Although He didn't condemn her, with only a few words He nevertheless made it very clear to the woman that she had sinned and had to stop it:
"...go, and sin no more."

Wow, we can learn a lot from this example!

b. Jesus showed no mercy on the hypocrites:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but are within full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness. Even so, ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Therefore ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye are the children of them that killed the prophets. Fill ye up, then, the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! How can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:27-33 KJ21)

Our Redeemer acted (and still acts) as was written in the second book of Samuel:
“And the afflicted people Thou wilt save; but Thine eyes are upon the haughty, that Thou mayest bring them down.” (2 Samuel 22:28 KJ21)

III. Jesus loved His enemies.

Jesus changed the old command:
“Ye have heard that it hath been said: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy.’” (Matthew 5:43 KJ21)

in a new one:
“But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you,” (Matthew 5:44 KJ21)

This command is for all who wish to follow Him. He gave us the perfect example when He was nailed to the cross:
“And when they had come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they parted His raiment and cast lots.” (Luke 23:33-34 KJ21)

We have to eliminate any sense of revenge from our thinking and start praying for our enemies. We have to do good to them and leave the judgement to our Father:
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written: "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Therefore: If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21 KJ21)

IV. Jesus was kind to the children.

When parents brought young children to Him, that He should bless them, His disciples tried to prevent that:
“But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased and said unto them, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.” (Mark 10:14-16 KJ21)

Jesus blessed the children in the presence of their parents and His disciples.

V. Jesus didn't come to send peace, but a sword.

What an odd behaviour for "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). So many times we want to avoid confrontations and try to cover things with our "love" while Jesus did the opposite:
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for My sake, shall find it. He that receiveth you, receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me.” (Matthew 10:34-40 KJ21)

Ofcourse our Lord didn't have the intention to turn people against each other but He knew that was going to happen because many would reject Him. They would (and still do) hate Him and His followers:
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you: ‘The servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they would not have sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth Me hateth My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they would not have had sin; but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law: ‘They hated Me without a cause.’” (John 15:18-25 KJ21)

No man will become popular by following Jesus Christ, especially when he confronts the world with their sins...


There is a lot more to write about the Son of God, as the beloved disciple John already wrote:
“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” (John 21:25 KJ21)

This article wouldn't have an end...


Back to the little song at the beginning:

it speaks of the hope "to be like Jesus". Alas, we still are in the mortal flesh with all its disadvantages:
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Galatians 5:17 KJ21)

Thank God we did receive the Holy Spirit to help us so we don't have to give in. We have to persevere in following our Redeemer.

Read what the apostle Paul wrote about our situation:
“Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction from sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. In striving against sin, ye have not yet resisted unto bloodshed. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children: "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not far rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:1-9 KJ21)

How I wish that every Christian (myself included) would resist sin unto bloodshed and aimed to be like Jesus. The world would be a so much better place. Think of families, schools, church congregations, companies, political parties, governments, presidents, kings and queens !

Jesus learned us that a tree would be known by its fruit:
“For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For from thorns men do not gather figs, nor from a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaketh.” (Luke 6:43-45 KJ21)

Do we bring forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit?:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJ21)

Or will there come a day when the Son of God will say to us:
“And why call ye Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46 KJ21)

Do we sincerly want to be like Jesus?

Unfortunately we will stumble and fail sometimes but, when it is our sincere intention to follow Him and live by His example, He will forgive us:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 KJ21)



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