Class #2 The Character of Jesus equals the Character of God!

This week we started out with the newspaper article from USA Today from Sept 12th, 2006 tittled: "View of God can reveal your values and politics." This article summarized an extensive Baylor University survey that asked people in depth questions about their view of God and came up with 4 categories:

1. The Authoritarian God "is angry at humanity's sins and engaged in every creature's life and world affairs. He is ready to throw the thunderbolt of judgment down on "the unfaithful or ungodly."
2. The Benevolent God "still sets absolute standards for mankind in the Bible... [but] a forgiving God, more like the father who embraces his repentant prodigal son."
3. The Critical God "has his judgmental eye on the world, but he's not going to intervene, either to punish or to comfort."
4. The Distant God "is no bearded old man in the sky raining down opinions on us... [but] a cosmic force that launched the world, then left it spinning on its own."

We talked about our personal views of God and how they were similar to one of these 4 groups, different or a combination of these four views. Then we reviewed the foundation verses of the class to give us a Biblical method to define God's character: John 14:9

• "If you have seen Me [Jesus], you have seen the Father [God]."

We looked at verse that gave us a picture of Jesus' tenderness or compassion. Then we contrasted this with a verse regarding Jesus' fierceness or anger. Lastly we looked at a verse that demonstrates Jesus' patience.

1. Jesus' tenderness or compassion: Mark 10:13-16

• "People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them.... And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them"

Jesus wasn't in a rush - He enjoyed blessing the children. He even 'takes them in His arms' and prays for them. He isn't annoyed by them. He isn't worrying about all the important business of training the disciples. He is focused on the children He brought into existence. Luke 18:15 says that "babies" were brought to him. If Jesus' has compassion on the children and enjoys them, that means God has compassion on the children and enjoys them!

2. Jesus' fierceness or anger: Luke 13:10-17

• "Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, 'There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.' The Lord answered him, 'You hypocrites!....' When He said this, all His opponents were humiliated."

Jesus heals this lady who had been bent over and crippled by a spirit for 18 years on a Sabbath (Saturday). The leader is indignant. Then Jesus is indignant and calls the leader a hypocrite in front of all the people and humiliates Him! Jesus' anger and indignation result in protecting the woman! Who knows what would have happened to her without Jesus standing up for her! If Jesus' anger results in protection then God's anger in the Old and New Testament results in protection.

3. Jesus' patience as the disciples argue over 'who is the greatest': Mark 10:35

There are 3 times that the disciples argue over who is the greatest. The first is right after the Mount of Transfiguration. Mark 9:33 indicates that the disciples fight or argue about who is the greatest the day after Peter, James and John see Jesus in His Kingly glory on the mountain.

Later in Mark 10:35 James and John try to get the seats at Jesus' right and left hand in His eternal kingdom. When the other 10 hear about this they are furious or indignant.

Lastly, right during or after the last supper, the disciple again wrestle and argue over who is the greatest. (Luke 22:24)

• Mark 10:35 "They replied, 'Let one of us sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.'... When the ten heard about this they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said... 'whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,...'

The disciples are struggling with gross envy and desire for recognition. Jesus isn't upset about this. He doesn't get angry. In fact, He doesn't criticize the desire to be great. Desiring to be great is not the issue, it is just important how you go about it. Jesus is patient and merely teaches the disciples pulling in a child to help with a word picture about how to serve one another. Jesus isn't moody or frustrated... therefore neither is God.