Scripture Reading
Luke 2:7; Luke 2:40, 52; John 19:28; Matthew 4:2; John 4:6; Mark 10:14; John 11:35; Luke 19:41; John 19:30–34
If we had the opportunity to go back to 1st-century Palestine and observe Jesus, what would we notice about Him? How would we describe Him? Would we believe He is the Messiah? How about God? In his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey poses this general question: “What Would I Have Noticed?” In this post, we’ll explore Jesus in the Gospels—what people noticed, how they reacted, and why it still matters.
Maybe we can’t go back to 1st-century Palestine, but we can certainly observe Jesus through the eyes of the Gospels’ authors. But first, let’s talk about the Gospels.
Getting to Know Jesus through the Gospels
The Gospels provide us with a record of what Jesus said and did. They tell the story of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels because of their similarity in content.
Matthew
Matthew, a tax collector and disciple of Jesus, wrote the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew knew Jesus intimately and was an eyewitness to His ministry.
Mark
Mark, a close companion of the disciple Peter, wrote the Gospel of Mark. It is commonly believed that Mark’s Gospel is the Apostle Peter’s memoir of Jesus.
Luke
Luke, thought to be a Gentile, the only Gentile author in the New Testament, wrote the Gospel of Luke. Luke was a physician and a frequent companion to the Apostle Paul.
John
Finally, the Gospel of John was written by John, Jesus’ disciple and one of His most intimate friends. John gives us another look at the life of Jesus. With all four Gospels as our source of information, we can find out a lot about Jesus.
Finding Jesus in First-Century Palestine
If we were to be transported back to first-century Palestine, how would we find Jesus? We couldn’t hold up a picture and ask if anyone recognized Him because the Gospels don’t describe His physical appearance. A credible description of Jesus has not been found. The images of Jesus that exist are created on assumptions; every culture tends to have its ideas about Jesus’ physical appearance grounded in their religious background and cultural norms.
Some of us may find these depictions offensive because we tend to picture Jesus differently based on our own culture and beliefs. The truth is that we don’t know what Jesus looks like. Yancey argues, “that is a good thing…our glamorized representation of Jesus says more about us than about him.” (p. 87)
Ok, then. If we don’t have a physical description of Jesus, how do we find Him? According to the Gospel writers, we know that large crowds flocked to Jesus wherever He went. Mark described His popularity like this:
“Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him”( Mark 3:7-8 NLT).
Matthew recalled that on one occasion, “large crowds followed Jesus as He came down from the mountainside” (Matthew 8:1) and Mark recounted that on another occasion there was a “crowd sitting around Jesus” (Mark 3:32).
Although we won’t be able to find Jesus through a physical description, we can be assured that with the large crowds He attracts, someone will be able to tell us where He is.
The Magnetism of Jesus in the Gospels
We know from the Gospels’ accounts that Jesus was magnetic, drawing crowds to Him by His teaching and His miracles. We know that as His popularity grew among the people, He also attracted increasing resistance from those in power. When we find Jesus in 1st-century Palestine, how will we react? Will He amaze, astound, and surprise us like He did so many, or will He offend us as He did the Pharisees and the teachers of religious law?
Stories found in the Gospels describe Jesus’ magnetic personality drawing various reactions from people He encountered as He traveled from place to place in the Palestinian countryside. Matthew describes people who listened to Jesus’ teaching as being amazed and astounded “for he taught with real authority – quite unlike their teachers of the religious law” (Matthew 7:28-29 NLT; Matthew 22:33 ). He recalls that on one occasion, “everyone was amazed and asked, ‘Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?'” (Matthew 13:54). Luke tells us that “everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips” (Luke 4:22). John relays that people were “surprised when they heard him.” ‘How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?’ they asked” (John 7:15).
Resisting Jesus
With Jesus’ growing popularity and His outspokenness came resistance. Jesus was not afraid to confront those with whom He disagreed, and eventually, His unrelenting stand would result in His death on the cross. Luke informs us that after one such confrontation, the enemies of Jesus “were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him” (Luke 6:11). Matthew tells us that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law argued with Jesus and tried to test Him and trap Him (Matthew 16:1-4, Matthew 19:3-9, Matthew 22:15-22, Matthew 22:34-40). Mark describes the time when Jesus entered the Temple and drove out those buying and selling there and overturned the money changers’ tables. He goes on to say that “when the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching” (Mark 11:15-19).
Jesus’ magnetism either drew people in or offended them. Some drawn to Him became true disciples because they held to his teaching (John 8:31). Others “turned back and no longer followed him” because His teaching was “hard” and offended them (John 6:60-66 NIV). Still, others like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law actively worked against Him from the beginning. As Jesus declared in Matthew 12:30 NLT, “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.”
The Overwhelming Love of Jesus
When we find Jesus, regardless of whether we are drawn to Him or offended by Him, it will be impossible to ignore His overwhelming love for people. The Gospels are overflowing with accounts of the kindness and love Jesus displayed to those He encountered:
- Healing the Centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13)
- Bringing a dead girl to life (Matthew 9:25)
- Feeding 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:13-21)
- Driving out evil spirits (Mark 1:23-27, 9:14-28)
- Healing the blind (Mark 10:46-52)
Add to that Jesus’ displays of kindness to tax collectors (Luke 19:1-9), Samaritans (John 4:1-26), His own disciples (John 13:1-17), and the disreputable in general (Mark 2:15-16, The Message).
Conclusion: How Will You Respond to Jesus?
The Jesus we encounter will no doubt overwhelm us. He will amaze us with His ability to draw so many to His side and, at the same time, make us uncomfortable with His difficult teachings and His ability to draw the ire of those in power. When we encounter Jesus, we must choose whether we will allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by His teachings, His miracles, and His love or whether we will choose to be offended by Him and the truth He offers.
Questions for Reflection
When you read the Gospels, which reaction to Jesus do you identify with most—amazement, offense, or resistance?
How does the magnetism of Jesus challenge the way you respond to Him today?
Where in your life have you experienced His overwhelming love in action?
Prayer Focus
Lord Jesus, You amazed crowds with Your teaching, miracles, and compassion. Help me not to resist You when Your words challenge me, but instead to trust in Your love. Open my heart to follow You fully, no matter how difficult the path may seem. In Your name I pray, Amen.
Series Navigation
Previous in the Series: The Humble Birth of a King
Next in the Series: Unbelief Shuts Out the Supernatural
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Making Him Known August 13, 2025 4:20 pm