Imitate Jesus' Humility and Tenderness

"Christ suffered for you, leaving a model for you to follow his steps closely." -1 PETER 2:21

WE TEND to imitate those whose personality and ways we admire. Of all the humans who have walked the earth, no one is more worthy than Jesus Christ.  Why is that? Jesus himself once said:  "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father  also." (John 14:9) Jesus reflects his Father's personality so perfectly that observing the Son is like seeing the Father. Therefore, as we imitate Jesus, we draw closer to Jehovah, the greatest Personage in the universe.  What  a reward for imitating the qualities and way of his Son!

How, though, can we know what Jesus is like? Thankfully, we have an inspired written portrait of Jesus, Jehovah provided that record, as found in the Christian Greek Scriptures,because he wants us to become acquainted with his Son so that we can imitate him. (Read 1 Peter 2:21) In the Bible, the example Jesus  left is compared to "steps," or footprints.  In effect, Jehovah is telling us to walk behind Jesus and match our steps to his. 

Of course, Jesus left a perfect example for us, and we are far from perfect.  But Jehovah does not expect  us to follow Jesus; steps perfectly. Rather, the Father expects us to imitate his Son to the best of our ability as imperfect humans. 

Let us, then, consider some of Jesus' appealing qualities.  In this article , we will discuss his humility and tenderness, in the next, we will examine his courage and discernment. Regarding each quality, we will answer three questions. What does it mean? How did Jesus exemplify it?  How can we imitate him?

Next time: Imitate Jesus' Humility and Tenderness -JESUS IS HUMBLE

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015