When you think of Jesus, what exactly do you think about? Words like Savior, Lord, High Priest, Shepherd, Servant and King of Kings come to mind. While those are all very appropriate ways to think about Jesus Christ, none of them really tells us much about what He was like as a person. Was He interesting? Was He kind? Was He mean? Could you count on Him to lend a hand if you needed help moving?

The answer to all of those questions can be found in your Bible. Well, maybe not the one about helping you move exactly, but I think we’ll see that He is definitely someone you could count on if you needed help!

Was Jesus an interesting person? He chose a compelling and beautiful setting to speak to His disciples, on a mountaintop high above the beautiful Sea of Galilee, to give the Sermon on the Mount. Here, in one of His first public messages, Jesus expounded on many biblical teachings (Matthew 5-7). He explained that being popular and rich wasn’t really what life was all about. Instead, it was better to be meek, merciful and a peacemaker (Matthew 5:3-10). He also went on to explain that it wasn’t just about the physical keeping of the Commandments, like not murdering or committing adultery; it mattered how we thought about people (Matthew 5:21-30).  
He taught many other things that day as well: “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law” (Matthew 7:28-29, New Living Translation). People were amazed at what and how He taught. It was in sharp contrast to the traditional teachers of the day.  

He did a lot of other interesting things as well, like healing the sick, feeding thousands at a time and revealing Himself as the “i am” (Matthew 9:32-34; 12:9-14; John 6; 8:48-59). He angered the religious leaders of His day and was eventually killed for it. By anyone’s standards, it’s safe to say that Jesus led a unique and exciting life.
People can be interesting, yet not be very nice. History books are full of people like Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot who, while memorable and noteworthy, weren’t really people you’d want to hang around with. But what about Jesus? Was He a nice guy?

We read about Jesus and His friends and family attending a wedding. Weddings back then were multi-day festivals and involved a lot of meals together as a community. After three days, they began to run out of wine. Jesus’ mom asked Him to help. Out of kindness to the wedding party, Jesus turned the water into wine. He could have told them to go buy more, or just left them to figure it out on their own. Being the nice guy He was, He performed this miracle.

Jesus healed many people. But notice the reason why: “A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. ‘If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,’ he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’ Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed” (Mark 1:40-42 NLT, emphasis added). Jesus was moved with compassion—a feeling of sympathy or pity for someone who is enduring a trial of some sort. Jesus could have said “No” or “Not right now” and just moved along. But out of compassion and kindness, He was moved to heal.

Okay, so Jesus was a nice guy—a kind and caring person. But did He ever get sick and tired of things and lose His cool? While it might be a stretch to say He lost His cool, He did at times show a righteous sort of anger. Perhaps the most famous example occurred just before the Passover when many people were going to the temple to make sacrifices. Local merchants took advantage of this and set up shops to sell various things needed for temple worship. They often charged exorbitant prices to rack up a huge profit. 

This didn’t sit well with Jesus: “In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, ‘Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!’ Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: ‘Passion for God’s house will consume me’” (John 2:14-17, NLT).

Jesus didn’t mess around! He made a whip and broke up the merchants’ businesses, literally driving away their profits. While this was an act of zeal and not anger in the way you and I think about it, He certainly wasn’t Mr. Nice Guy at the moment.

Okay, so Jesus was interesting. He was nice, and He could be not-so-nice when He needed to be. But what about helping you move? Would He do that? Bear with me on this one, but I think we can prove that He would!

In John 11:1-3, we read about a friend of Jesus: “A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, ‘Lord, your dear friend is very sick.’” Notice that Lazarus wasn’t just a friend, but a dear friend. 

As you read through the story, we see that Lazarus actually died. His family was upset that Jesus didn’t save him. Jesus’ disciples even showed a bit of doubt as to His abilities. But in the end, Jesus reveals that it all happened so they could see God’s glory. The story concludes: “Then Jesus shouted, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, ‘Unwrap him and let him go!’” (John 11:43-44, NLT).

I’ve had a lot of friends help me move over the years. But I only have one that can move me from being dead to being alive as He did for Lazarus. That friend is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

It’s especially encouraging to know that He even calls us His friends: “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command . . . Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (John 15:12-15, NLT). 

Jesus Christ was and is eternal with God the Father. He is returning to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God as the King of Kings. He was, is and will always be divine. But beyond that, He was an interesting man; one who was very kind and compassionate, showed emotion and was passionate about His work. He is a friend of yours and mine!