Last year made me do something strange: A character study of Jesus.
I write stage plays and musicals. When I embark on a new project, character studies are the first things I do.
Who is this character?
What’s the character’s motivation?
What are the character’s tendencies and quirks?
When I figure out who the person is, the story will, at some point, begin to write itself.
In all the noise, chaos, and uncertainty of late, I felt like I started losing who Jesus was.
Him.
Not politics.
Not religion.
Not good Christian work.
Him.
So I started reading The Gospels. I wanted to see Jesus.
With every story, interaction, miracle, and parable, I began to write one sentence about what Jesus is like based on what I read.
As my list grew, my eyes filled with tears. My heart was filled with joy and thankfulness.
HE’S AMAZING.
A few reoccurring characteristics of this Beautiful Savior:
He Sees
Over and over, it mentions how Jesus SAW people. They weren’t invisible to Him. He took time to gaze at them. Notice them. I had to remind myself no matter what I was facing, He was looking right at me. Always. He sees me.
He Touches
There were times He spoke ‘a word’, and people were healed. But far more often, ‘He touched.’ He’s so personal. He wants connection with me. I’m not alone in this.
He Was Moved
This is a characteristic I hadn’t really ever picked up on before. There were so many times when He was moved with compassion. He saw people hungry and was moved to feed them. He saw people walking aimlessly, and he was moved to teach them. I had to remind myself that His heart is filled with compassion when He sees me, and it moves Him to action.
One interaction Jesus had summarized all these things:
Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed.
“Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. – Luke 5:12-13
He’s willing: To see me. To touch me. To move on my behalf. I’m so thankful for who He is and who He longs to be to me.
I’m still reading. I should probably be done by now, but I’m trying to take it slowly. The air of this culture is so polluted. It’s filled with fear, anxiety, and hate. So I’m doing my best to breathe Jesus in.
My grandma had a saying: “If you think, you’ll thank.”
So I’m purposely thinking more about Jesus, and I’m thankful. Gram was right.
In these times of uncertainty, it’s His character that is bringing me peace. With every word I read of Him and from Him, I am reminded: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8
Sherri Lynn
The Brant Hansen Show
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Wow! Beautiful! And very true!
Thank you for taking the time to read & comment!
This is Extremely Well Done! Thank you for sharing. THANK YOU JESUS FOR BEING OUR LORD, OUR SAVIOR, OUR GOD, OUR OLDER BROTHER, OUR ADVOCATE, OUR SUBSTITUTION, AND OUR FRIEND❤️🙏
YES!! Blessings on blessings!
I appreciate this post. We need to know who Jesus is.
Appreciate you taking the time to read & respond!
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing
You’re very welcome!
Thank you so much Sherri! I was going through the same struggle – that life keeps me from really reflecting on WHO Jesus is. I know the what and the how…but have forgotten who he is. What he has done for me, to me, and through me. This was such a beautiful reminder that I MUST take the time to be still and just think about his character. What he means to me. Thank you again for this honest and humble revelation.
So glad this blessed you! We all have to be reminded sometimes to be still and truly think about the person of Jesus.
Thank you Sherri. Your story gave me new hope and peace.
Awww, I’m thankful for how God used my experience to bless you.
So wonderful to be pointed to Jesus! Thanks
You’re very welcome!
AMEN and AMEN! He is all that and more! And the best part is, He graces us with Himself!!
Right?! Yes, that IS the best part! Thank you!
Thank you for your insightful words and the reminder to look to Jesus during these times of such evil. Thank you for sharing this good news.
Appreciate your feedback! Thank you!
It’s interesting to hear you going through this journey. I feel like I going on it every day, in every situation. How can I be more like Jesus? is always at the back of my mind. I was hospitalized a few weeks ago, and I made an effort to “see” every person that cared for me, to ask their names and to call them by name. One health care worker said no one had asked her name before (just her title). After I was discharged I wrote a long letter of thanks and sent it to the hospital, thanking each person by name, and including what they did, with special praise for those that really went above and beyond. I think “seeing” people is so important, and I continue to make an effort to do it whenever I can. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that’s inspiring! You may never know this side of heaven how much your words meant to that person. Thank you for being Jesus to them!
Thank you Sherri for doing this. It is such a good reminder.
I’m glad it resonated with you! Thank you for your feedback.
Wow the way you break it down and explain it has helped me not only to see Jesus’ characteristics and who He is to me but also who I am to Him and in Him. This truly blessed me thank you so much for this.
Absolutely beautiful and thank you for sharing this reminder . If anyone is reading this comment , please pray for my sister in Law Raquel . She is going through so much with kidney disease and the complications and has been hospitalized for two weeks with so much pain . Thank you . God bless you all ❤️
Dear Sara: You may never see this since it is 3 years later, but I hope and pray that your sister is doing much better. I pray for healing for her. I have a hereditary kidney disease and have been on dialysis and am on my second cadaver kidney transplant in 47 years (I’m in my mid-60s). I hope that she is a candidate for one or already has one. There is always hope. With peace, Cindy
I love your perspective here, thank you for sharing with us.
Christians without Jesus cannot truly love. It’s impossible. I attended a Women’s event few years ago, and I immediately felt the absence of Jesus’s Love . I wanted to leave the place, but suddenly I felt Jesus presence. He was with me sitting there . I felt It deep in my soul. He was with me before I got to the event. Jesus drove almost 2 hrs with me and protected me . I got lost too and I paid to be at that event. I was hungry for the word of God , God Knew how much I needed his love and wisdom. Jesus is the soul doctor for men and women. Jesus knows about women’s issues. On that day,
I received the word of God from Jesus himself . It was the most beautiful feeling . On that day , I became love and I had the opportunity to talk about it with few people and some teenagers.
Amen. On that day, I had an encounter with my Jesus. I know Jesus is Love ❤️ ..
I love reading about Jesus’s character. His beautiful persona and faithful love for humanity.
God bless You !
Hi Sherri!
Your Gram was so right! Gratitude and praise are powerful and so is studying the Lord in the Gospels. So many years of my life- I loved Jesus, I loved what people said about Him, what I read about Him. However, I didn’t know that I could have a personal relationship with Him. I thought He loved me at a distance, like vaguely. But, I learned through scripture reading and prayer that He really does want to know me. He actually wants to help me, my family, my little life, and on a big scale too- our world, all of it. I feel His love embracing me through Biblical reading now, and I want to share that blessing with everyone. He is just a loving, involved parent. It’s such a cool idea to do a character study! I’ll lean on that if I ever need to feel grounded. I really enjoyed your article!
Have a good day,
Love, your sister in Christ,
Elizabeth
I love what you are saying here, Sherri!!!! Yes, looking at the character of Jesus – helps us connect to Him. There’s something of the “common man,” there – and the simple, yet magnificent acts of kindness – and forgiveness – that he performed make us try to be more like Him. We can trade hate, jealousy, competitiveness, power and control – for love, empathy, cooperation, humility, and connectedness – to knit us all together – as He would have us do. Thank You, Sherri, for this great perspective you’ve brought to us!!!!