Do you remember the term “macho man” from a few decades ago? The word, macho, is not in my dictionary….which is over 60 years old….but it is a Spanish word meaning “male” and was used to describe what were considered manly men. To me it means strong, muscular and disciplined….self-controlled strength. Who comes to mind when you hear this term? My first thought is Tom Selleck or John Wayne, or maybe….
Jesus Christ was very much what I would call a macho man. He didn’t argue with those who found fault with Him and questioned His every move. When questioned, He often answered with a question of His own. He spoke often in parables which only those inclined to believe could understand.
Jesus was a man on a mission….to save the world, which His Father had created, from the power of sin. Every detail of His life, from where He went to the people He met and the words He spoke, were very carefully planned. Many times in the Bible we find the explanation that certain things happened in order that a prophecy or scripture might be fulfilled…. These are proof of the planning. One example can be found in Matthew 1:22.
Jesus never strayed from His mission and knew, even as a child, that He must be about His Father’s business. At the age of twelve, He felt ready to teach, though His ministry didn’t actually start until He was thirty years old. In the meantime, Jesus learned the carpentry trade and worked alongside Joseph, his earthly father. The family was well known and liked in the small community of Galilee.
Once His ministry started, Jesus was, as some celebrities are today, followed and sought after by huge crowds of people….anxious to see and hear this man whom they had heard could save their souls, heal their bodies and perform all kinds of miracles. I imagine Jesus went cheerfully about His Father’s work, curing the blind and healing the crippled, even raising the dead. I’m sure He rejoiced along with them and their families.
Jesus must have been lonely at times too, once the crowds began to gather. He often had to escape into the hills in order to rest. Much of His solitary time was spent conversing with the Lord, refreshing His spirit and preparing Himself mentally for what He knew His purpose was….to die for the sins of all mankind and become a pathway to heaven for those who chose to believe.
Jesus chose twelve men, his disciples, to travel with Him and to help in meeting the needs of so many. These men were given the power to cast out demons and heal the sick while giving the glory to God alone. Much time was spent in teaching them the ways of God and giving them insight into what was about to take place….though none of them fully understood everything He told them, they faithfully followed Jesus and His commands.
Seeing the people’s reaction to Jesus wherever he went made the Roman government and the Jews (the Sadducees and Pharisees) nervous and angry….especially when they heard that He claimed to be the Son of God. They tried constantly to catch Him breaking the law in order to arrest Him. He was ordered to leave some communities and warned not to return. But the people followed wherever He went, hungry to hear His words and anxious to be healed.
Besides His disciples, Jesus had a family of close friends….Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, who were always glad to welcome Him into their home and spend time with Him, but I’m sure He missed His real family at times. Time for Him was running out however, and there were so many in need of a shepherd. Jesus wept over the crowds of those in need. “The harvest,” He said, “is plentiful, but laborers are few.”
As the crowds grew and the Jews got more anxious, the pressure on Jesus increased. Only twice, as His time grew close, did Jesus allow Himself to strike out: once at a fig tree…. and seeing that the money changers had turned the Temple into a place of business, He angrily turned the tables over and chased them from the building. How many of us strike back when someone simply dislikes a comment we made on Facebook? Jesus overall was the epitome of self-control and grace under fire.
Who else do you know who would give up their life for you? Jesus knew His mission was to die for the sins of all the world so that we could share everlasting life. The human part of Him prayed it wouldn’t happen, but the God side of Him knew it had to be. He willingly took the punishment and suffered in our place so that we might be saved. He carried His cross with dignity and the earth shook when He gave up the ghost….then He rose again and left His Holy Spirit to live in our hearts.
Yes, macho I think is a good word to describe Jesus. Men today…. and women too, need to model our lives after Him and seek His face. As our sons become men, husbands and fathers, may they each be like Jesus and be a “macho man.”
