The Unity of the Character of Christ

The Gospels were clearly written with a primary goal of relating all the authors had seen and heard. Jesus is the narrative, and the consistency of his character and all the implications that flow from it, are the life-giving spring of the Gospels. In their effort to directly account for Jesus’s actions and teaching, the Gospels indirectly depict a consistent and perfect character in the person of Jesus Christ. The inference created from these four individual authors and their accounts is that there must be an explanation for the uniqueness and unity of the character of Jesus.

Let’s look first at the unity of Christ’s character and the importance of it. Any single experienced author may manufacture a hero. As the sole creator of this character, the author would strive to depict a consistent, if not somewhat predictable, personality. This makes the hero familiar and believable to his readers. Hours might be spent deciding how he speaks, what his instincts are, what his weaknesses might be, how his childhood affected him, and many, many more carefully crafted indicators and influences which would come together to make this hero who he currently is in the story.

Now, what if the task of creating this believable, consistent hero was given to four separate authors? How many coincidences would it take for a completely unified character to emerge among them? It would be nothing short of miraculous! And yet, this is what we find in the Gospels. The same Jesus, as uncommon a character as the world has ever seen, is portrayed throughout dozens of interactions and encounters. This unity of character brings with it a reasonable assurance of truth based on the absolute impossibility of it being the result of a countless series of coincidences.

The foundation of the unity of Christ’s character allows for an even greater truth, and that is the absolute uniqueness of it. Horace Bushnell in his work, The Character of Jesus, writes, “A simple inspection of his life and character will suffice to show that he cannot be classified with mankind (man though he be).” And we find that all four Gospels paint this same consistent and distinctive personality.

Throughout the Gospels, we see many events which amplify the remarkable marrying of total humanity and total divinity. It is a person so unique that it could not be the fabrication of a human mind. Despite Christ’s bold and unwavering assertion as the Son of God, he exhibits perfect humility, gentleness, and lowliness. We find him completely unconcerned with tradition, instead driven by compassion. He went to the people, especially those rejected and despised, devoid of all formalities. He was specific and intentional in his interactions, using contexts and subjects most relatable to his listeners. He entered into their pain and hurt, revealed the workings of their hearts and offered hope and new life as the Son of God. Despite his mission, he is perfectly consistent in all his responses. He is never selfish, never pre-occupied, never faltering. He is faultless in every reaction, in every response to hardship and circumstance.

We see in these four historical records, a singular depiction of a man unlike any other the world has ever seen. One who not only presents the ideal moral standard but executes it perfectly. These different authors shared what they knew of Jesus to be true and the natural and unavoidable result was a consistent, unified portrait of his character. The necessary conclusion for such effortless unity surrounding so unique a character is simple; it must be firmly rooted in truth.