OPINION —
There is much to admire about Jesus. He “went about doing good.” His compassion for the sick and helpless was extraordinary. He healed the sick and caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk — without expecting anything in return from them. While others kept their distance from lepers, Jesus touched them, loved them and healed them.
His courage was exemplary. Criticized and hated by the Pharisees, he ignored their demand that he refrain from healing the sick on the Sabbath. He was not afraid of the Pharisees even though their hatred for him led them to demand his death upon the cross. They had no idea the crucifixion of Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s plan for Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of humanity.
His perseverance was remarkable. When some of his disciples feared for their lives and turned away from following Jesus, he did not give up and quit. His “hiding place” was the will of His Father so he continued to obey His Father. Though there was a moment when he dreaded drinking the cup of suffering on the cross, he summoned the courage to say, “Not my will, Father, but Thine!”
Jesus never succumbed to the desire to provide a comfortable life for himself. Materialism had no hold on Jesus. He never bought a nice cabin on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He never thought he deserved a two-week vacation to escape the demands of his ministry.
Jesus never owned a nice horse or donkey. He walked wherever he went to share the good news of the Kingdom. Some rulers arranged for four of their servants to carry them so they did have to walk. Jesus never did that. He practiced what he preached, for he had said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed: a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).
The teachings of Jesus are amazing. Millions of people respect the teachings of Socrates and Aristotle, and the incredible writing of Shakespeare, but millions more adore and practice the teachings of Jesus. Jesus made us aware that we should live in the Kingdom of God; that was his favorite theme. He opened our eyes to understand the nature of God, teaching us that God is a Father who loves us. He never called God “God”; he called him Father and counseled us to do the same. He taught us the Father’s mercies are new every morning. He invited sinners to repent and live in the Kingdom as children who love and obey their heavenly Father.
Study the life of Jesus and you cannot help but admire the forgiving spirit of Jesus. While suffering and dying on the cross, he forgave those who had nailed him to the cross. It is impossible to imagine you or I could have said what Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” When Jesus was taken from the garden to be tried and crucified, his disciples cut and ran. Only John was present at the cross when Jesus was crucified. The other disciples were in hiding. Yet, after his resurrection, Jesus did not chastise them for their cowardice. His faith in them never wavered. Instead of reprimanding his disciples, Jesus lovingly commissioned them to go into all the world and make disciples. His willingness to forgive was simply incredible.
Yes, there are so many reasons to admire Jesus. Many non-Christians have great admiration for Jesus. But nowhere in the Bible are we counseled to admire Jesus. Admiring Jesus is not a pathway to salvation. Jesus, the living Christ, does not invite us to admire him but to surrender to him and obey him. Once we are saved from our sins by repenting and turning to Jesus, our heavenly Father begins the lifelong process of shaping us into the likeness of Jesus.
Jesus never said, “If you love me, you will admire me.” No, he said, “If you love me, you will obey me.” That is not difficult to understand. Obedience is clearly the pathway to pleasing God. Then, should not this be our prayer at the beginning of each new day: “Loving Father, I praise you for forgiving my sins. I love you, Father. Please give me the willingness and strength to obey you in all things today. Thank you. In the name of your Son, my Lord Jesus, Amen.”
