When Jesus came to earth, He lived like other people lived during that time.
He didn’t come down looking like God or even like an angel.
Instead, Jesus came as a tiny baby and grew up into a man, just as every other man has done since the beginning of time. He became one of us by living life as a human.
Jesus also became like the Jewish people He lived among. He lived much like they did.
He ate the same type of food that others ate.
He wore the same type of clothing they wore.
He lived in the same type of house the people around Him lived in.
He spoke the same language that was spoken by the people in the country where He lived, which was Aramaic.
Jesus followed many of the local customs of the Jewish people.
Jesus didn’t look down on people for not being as good as He was. He showed them love, kindness, and patience.
(See John 4:5–42 for the story about Jesus meeting a woman at a well.)
Another example of Jesus’ humility and the respect He showed to others is seen in the story of when He washed the feet of His disciples. In Jesus’ day, people wore sandals, not shoes that fully covered their feet, so their feet got dirty. Washing the feet of important visitors was a way of honoring them and showing respect. (See John 13:4–5.)
Jesus wants us to also do things in ways that help people know that we respect them, their needs, their culture, their beliefs, and their views.
“Let us love one another, for love comes from God” (1 John 4:7 NIV).
Authored by Evan Kallen. Illustrations by Zeb. Design by Stefan Merour.
Copyright © 2013 by The Family International