Meet The Most Magnetic Personality Of All Time!

Meet The Most Magnetic Personality Of All Time!
John R. Petrilli

What makes a person attractive? Is it their wardrobe? Their good looks? Their level of influence? Their appearance of success? Why are we drawn to some and not drawn to others? Believe it or not, most of us are drawn to those who consistently exhibit the intangibles of life. Love, patience, tolerance, humility, courage, wisdom. These are the inner qualities that really attract us to others, that draw us to them, and cause us to want to be around them. Who have you felt most attracted to in your life circle? As I thought about my answer to that question, I concluded that someone I never met in Person was that individual. Come with me and I’ll introduce you to him, the most magnetic personality who ever lived!

PEOPLE WERE IRRESISTABLY DRAWN TO JESUS BECAUSE OF HIS WELL-EARNED REPUTATION!

We see them on TV, read about them in magazines and newspapers, and watch then receive all kinds of awards for their professional accomplishments. They live in gorgeous, multi-million dollar homes, dress in the latest fashions, and sport high-end jewelry most of us wouldn’t think of even wearing, much less purchasing. These are the “celebrities”. Our most common conception of a celebrity in America is of the Hollywood stripe. But before judging this point, consider what a celebrity actually is. The word itself comes from the Latin “celebritas”, which translates into “multitude, fame”. Webster’s Dictionary elaborates with, “fame, reknown, wide recognition; a famous or well-publicized person”. Okay, but wouldn’t it be quite a stretch to describe Jesus as celebrity? A quick comparison of the dictionary description to a passage in Mark 1:21-28 yields the answer to that question. The passage records Jesus’ first days of ministry as He visits the town of Capernaum. The content and delivery of His message stunned the synagogue crowd there. They were taken aback, not only by what He said but how He said it. Add to this His powerful exorcism of a demon in such an efficient manner, and it isn’t any wonder why His popularity skyrocketed in no time. The passage ends on this note:“And His [Jesus’] reputation spread like wildfire through the whole Galilean district” (Mark 1:28, Phillips). From there His fame continued to spread out in scope from local to regional to national (Luke 5:15 ; Matt. 9:26). Jesus was a “hot item”. Everyone wanted a piece of Him. They couldn’t get enough of His teaching or His miracles! He was pulling off healings by the scores and frequently making controversial public statements that challenged the status quo. There wasn’t a teacher around who came close to Him. If they had a celebrity magazine back then, His face would have been splashed all over the cover every month!

PEOPLE WERE IRRESISTABLY DRAWN TO JESUS BECAUSE HE WAS REFRESHINGLY REAL!

When anyone gets as popular as Jesus was, there’s always detractors who make it their business to find something bad to say about the person. Whatever they may have said, one thing they couldn’t accuse Jesus of was that of being a phony. To the contrary, Jesus had no stomach for phoniness or hypocrisy. He made it a point to expose and condemn it whenever and wherever He encountered it. Jesus was refreshingly transparent in His interactions with others. He said what He meant, and meant what He said. No innuendo, double-speak, or carefully calculated rhetoric that skirted around issues. Jesus met the topics of the day head on with great clarity and sometimes shocking transparency. His interpersonal relationships were always characterized by absolute transparency. Whether speaking to His disciples in private or talking to complete strangers, our Lord spoke what was true and right and fitting for each occasion. He didn’t utilize deceptive means of communication, but chose to relate to others with absolute honesty, whether the content was instructive, complimentary or corrective in nature. Even in circumstances where He baffled His audience with word pictures and word play He always clarified His message with a straightforward statement of fact. He saw it like it was, and told it like it is. No beating around the bush with Him. And no punch-pulling either. It was that way right from the get go, as evidenced by Nathaniel’s highly favorable first impression of Jesus as a man who had no ulterior motives, deceptive intentions, or self-interest (“When he [Nathaniel] saw Jesus coming he said, ‘There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in His body’ ” - John 1:47, Message). His integrity shone through every thing He said and did. His persona was squeaky clean. He was the original “real deal”!

PEOPLE WERE IRRESISTABLY DRAWN TO JESUS BECAUSE HE CONNECTED WITH WHERE THEY WERE AT!

Like our day, Jesus’ era had its share of trained orators and public speakers. They knew how to argue a point, win a debate, or persuade a crowd. But here again, Jesus was so different. He used language that was understandable and addressed issues that were on the minds of the people. He said the things that a lot of people wanted to say, but lacked the courage or skill to address. Jesus was so winsome in this way because He was the champion of the average guy on the street. As Mark editorializes, “The common [everyday] people heard Him gladly” (12:37 KJV). His communications were characterized by truth, transparency and openness.
While the religious intelligentsia was galled at Jesus’ repeated challenges to their hypocritical attitudes and practices, the everyday people thoroughly enjoyed His teaching and hung on His every word. He spoke about things like, friendships, finances, forgiveness and family. Unlike His Pharisaical contemporaries, Jesus was in touch with real life, and His teaching reflected His understanding of what was really important. His messages were supremely practical, and were often sprinkled with just the right amounts of anecdotal humor.

PEOPLE WERE IRRESISTABLY DRAWN TO JESUS BY HIS INNOVATIVE TEACHING!

Professional educators are always looking for more effective ways to school those in their charge. In the 1970’s progressive educators thought they came up with something new when they introduced the concept of the “open classroom”. Little did they realize, Jesus utilized the outdoor classroom model a full 20 centuries before their ‘novel’ idea. In a day when instruction was primarily reserved to the indoor environs of synagogue schools and the Temple, Christ took His game into the great outdoors. There it was that He made abundant use of natural phenomenon to illustrate many of His salient points. To illustrate trust in God He directed His audience to the birds flying overhead and flowers growing under their feet. When it came to creativity, Jesus was tops. He was the Teacher extraordinaire! His stories were nothing short of spellbinding. Recall the heart warming episode of the heart broken parent longing for the return of hi wayward teenage son? Then there was the surprising story of the poor widow’s last two pennies amounting to far more than the large offerings given by the well-to-do. Another way in which Jesus’ teaching was innovative was in its power. The existing teachers recited the theology they had learned in an institution, but here we had a Man sent directly from God Who was Himself God. He gave them truth as it was meant to be taught, in all its weight and divine impact. Jesus was so down to earth with His audience. No props, no pretense, just great stories and parables guaranteed to inspire, inform and improve the lives of those who heard Him.

PEOPLE WERE IRRESISTABLY DRAWN TO JESUS BECAUSE OF HIS GENUINE COMPASSION!

This could well be the crowning quality of Jesus’ magnetic power. People are broken, hurt, and in dire need of understanding, gentleness and empathy. Christ offered the folks of His day all of the above and much more. See Him weeping openly over the loss of His dear friend Lazarus. Follow Him to Mount Olivet where He spends the predawn hours weeping intensively over a city gone astray. Climb with Him atop the Mount where He delivered His greatest sermon only to be moved with heartbroken compassion over the lostness and lack of direction He sees in the lives of the thousands before Him. Watch Him bless and break the loaves to relieve the pangs of hunger among the throngs. See the yearning in His face as He looks deep into the eyes and heart of a rich young ruler who is at the spiritual crossroads of his life. If I had to reduce Jesus down to one word, it would have to be the word “compassion”. Yes, He was holy and uncompromising with sin and hypocrisy, but underneath was a heart of pure gold graced with a velveteen coating of great compassion. He cared for the people of His day, and He still cares for each of us today. Don’t go a step farther trying to bear alone your overbearing load. Come to Him, He understands perfectly where you’re at and what you most need.

PEOPLE WERE IRRESISTABLY DRAWN TO JESUS BECAUSE HE WAS JUST PLAIN FUN TO BE AROUND!

We seldom run into individuals who have the ability to attract all age groups and social groups to them. But here is where Jesus, once again, is such an incredible exception. I believe part of this is due to the fact that He was actually a very enjoyable individual to be around. He always had the uplifting word for the weakened heart, an insightful comment for the curious and the uncanny ability to put a humorous slant on otherwise ordinary topics. Though He was a man well acquainted with tragedy and disappointment, this by no means implies that He didn’t enjoy a good laugh and the bantering that friends delight in. From religious elites like curious Nicodemus to social riff-raff like Mary Magdalene, Jesus drew all kinds of people to Himself. Look at His disciples if you want diversity of drawing power. A couple of fishermen, an accountant, a social activist, a political zealot, just to name a few. I can’t think of anyone who was ever so capable of attracting people from such diverse backgrounds, and it was because He was a perfectly well-balanced person who knew how and when to have fun. Children stay away from somber, serious adults but just look at how they flocked to Jesus’ side. Kids just plain loved being around Him! When I read between the lines of Sacred Writ, I can see Jesus down on all fours playing with those kids, and having a ball! Contrary to the opinion of some, it is not only possible but necessary to experience life at all levels of emotion, and my Bible describes the Christian life as a journey of joy. Let’s not rob Jesus of His humanity by erroneously concluding that He was a bore to be around.
That doesn’t do Him justice. Christ spiced up life with His uncanny wit and unerring wisdom. Hanging out with Him made life exciting and dynamic. Plain and simple, Jesus was fun to be around. And we can still experience that excitement and adventure as we follow Him in our daily walk of faith. He’ll keep us singing every day, and will surely tickle our funny bone every now and then … even finding ourselves laughing at … ourselves!