By Mike Leno

What kind of person was Jesus of Nazareth? How might we describe his personality? We need not indulge in the dubious practice of psychobiography, especially with respect to biblical figures. But at a time of year when Jesus moves into the center of public consciousness—however twisted into the service of consumerism—those of us who call ourselves believers ought to know something about the kind of person we follow.

Perhaps it is convenient to start with who Jesus was not. And we can start with the fact that Jesus did not look like most of the pictures painted of him. Although it may be important for some people to have a picture of Jesus that resembles their particular ethnic group, the reality should be obvious. Jesus was a real human being (not just that but at least that) born into a particular family, tribe and nation. He had Mediterranean traits, to put it generally. And whatever physical and personality traits that might belong to that designation, they obviously belonged to him as well. The picture accompanying this article is a reconstruction based on evidence from archeology and forensic anthropology (see http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/forensics/1282186). Of course that only tells us what an average or typical Jewish male of the first century might have looked like. But one thing is obvious; it looks almost nothing like the traditional pictures of Jesus.

We can also say with certainty that Jesus was not a Christian. Although putting it that way may raise a few eyebrows, a moment’s reflection assures us that he was in fact Jewish. And even when later followers risked expulsion from the synagogue by confessing their loyalty to him, they remained a subset of Judaism.  Only when the make-up of “The Way” became dominantly Gentile did the term “Christian” designate something separate from Judaism.

By Mike Leno

“But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in. “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves! (Matt. 23:13-15 NET)

One popular interpretation of that text assumes that the Pharisees’ main problem was their legalistic approach to salvation. Their converts, according to this theory, would be just as legalistic, if not more so. But as I pointed out in a previous article, the charge of legalism against Pharisees is historically inaccurate. They did not keep the law in order to build up merit to qualify for salvation. They did believe, however, that they were establishing the kingdom of God.

Readers of my blog, “The Guest List in the Kingdom of Heaven,” (See http://mikeleno.net) might have wondered how a non-legalistic view of first century Judaism in general and of the Pharisees in particular, squares with the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 23. And I admit, that chapter, particularly the expression, “child of Hell (Hades),” remains one of the most disturbing sayings by Jesus ever recorded. But the reason it is so disturbing is precisely because Jesus is not talking to legalists, fringe elements, or wackos. He is talking to steady, mainstream, patriotic Jews who by their own claim were sitting “on Moses’ seat” (vs. 2).