One of the most intriguing verses for me is Luke 2:52. In this verse, I see Jesus, who is God in the flesh, presented as a real person. He grew in height, in wisdom, and in favor with God and man. For all the power and glory that was His, in the flesh He was just like us. Don’t misunderstand now, I know that Jesus is much more than a mere man, He is God with us, He is the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. But, in the flesh, He was made just like us.

He got tired, just like us. He became hungry and thirsty, just like us. He had to work, just like us. We know that He liked to talk with people. He enjoyed the fellowship of friends. He attended weddings and funerals. He was kind to little children. He loved His mother. Though He was called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6), Jesus did not exalt Himself. He did not expect people to come before Him bowing.

In fact, all kinds of people felt welcomed to come and talk to him and this included all walks of people. There were tax collectors like Zacchaeus, sinners like the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus, outsiders like the Syrophoenician and the Samaritan woman at the well, noblemen like Jairus and even rulers like Nicodemus. Jesus being who He was could have demanded honor and glory. But instead of exalting Himself, He knelt down and washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17).

Consider also the men that Jesus chooses to call disciples. What manner of people did He select? Did He go to the most prominent places in town to pick the very best society had to offer at the time? No, Jesus went to the common people, people like us, to pick His disciples. Jesus called fishermen and tax collectors. He chose Thomas, who was so skeptical that he did not believe anything until he saw it with his own eyes. He chose a man named James the son of Alpheus, a man so average that we don’t know anything about him except that he was a disciple and younger than the other James. The most amazing one that Jesus chose is Judas, knowing that he was a thief and His future betrayer, Jesus still chose him. Jesus chose the common people, those who are not extraordinary, to accomplish the extraordinary.

Remember what 1 Cor. 1:26-28 says, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:” (KJV).

Look around you. Those people you see are plain folks just like you. No one here is smarter than everyone in the world. We are not more powerful, and we are not richer. We are simply people, trying to go back to the Bible and do Christianity the way God wanted it to be done. My friend, Jesus was a real person, a person just like us. He wants us to follow His example, being open to those who would approach us, being kind and loving toward others who are not like us. Jesus wants us to be just like Him.