A Portrait of Jesus

As we read 1 Corinthians 13:4–7, we may feel frustrated at realizing that, to a lesser or greater degree, we fall short of displaying all those features of love. Likely, Paul had the person of Jesus in mind when writing 1 Corinthians 13. Indeed, only Christ perfectly revealed all those characteristics of love. Thus, ultimately, Paul’s portrayal of love is a portrait of Jesus.

God is love (1 John 4:8). He loves us so much that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). Jesus is the full expression of this love (Heb. 1:3). If we want to know how love expresses itself, we must take a long look at Jesus. If we pay close attention to the portrayal of Jesus in the New Testament, we will realize that all the positive features of love in 1 Corinthians 13 are seen in Him.

Jesus is patient. “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience [makrothymia]” (1 Tim. 1:16, NIV).

Jesus is kind. The Bible says that “the Lord is kind” (1 Pet. 2:3, LEB). The word “Lord” in this passage refers to Jesus. The term “kind” renders the Greek word chrēstos, which comes from the same root as the verb chrēsteuomai (“to show kindness”) in 1 Corinthians 13:4.

Jesus rejoices in the truth. Jesus experienced joy as He followed the will of the Father and felt His love for Him (John 15:9–11, John 17:12–14).

Jesus bears/endures all things. Hebrews 12:2, 3 says that Jesus “endured the cross. . . . [He] endured such hostility from sinners against Himself” (NKJV). Nobody has endured so much as Jesus (Phil. 2:8). He did this for the joy set before Him!

Jesus believes all things. When Ananias questioned the genuineness of Paul’s conversion (Acts 9:13, 14), Jesus answered, “He is a chosen instrument of mine” (Acts 9:15, ESV). Jesus sees people not only as they are but as they will become through His power.

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Additional Reading: Selected Quotes from Ellen G. White

The law of God, from its very nature, is unchangeable. It is a revelation of the will and the character of its Author. God is love, and His law is love. Its two great principles are love to God and love to man. . . . The character of God is righteousness and truth; such is the nature of His law. . . .
In the beginning, man was created in the image of God. He was in perfect harmony with the nature and the law of God; the principles of righteousness were written upon his heart. But sin alienated him from his Maker. He no longer reflected the divine image. His heart was at war with the principles of God’s law. . . . But “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,” that man might be reconciled to God. Through the merits of Christ he can be restored to harmony with his Maker. His heart must be renewed by divine grace; he must have a new life from above. This change is the new birth.—God’s Amazing Grace, p. 20.

“God is love.” His nature, His law, is love. It ever has been; it ever will be. . . . Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love.
It is through His power that summer and winter, seedtime and harvest, day and night, follow each other in their regular succession. It is by His word that vegetation flourishes, that leaves appear, and the flowers bloom. Every good thing we have, each ray of sunshine and shower of rain, every morsel of food, every moment of life, is a gift of love.
The history of the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it first began in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of sin, is also a demonstration of God’s unchanging love.
The gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart.
God made to our world the wonderful gift of His only-begotten Son. In the light of this act, it could never be said by the inhabitants of other worlds that God could have done more than He did to show His love for the children of men. He made a sacrifice that defies all computation.
Thousands have a false conception of God and His attributes. They are as verily serving a false god as were the servants of Baal. Are we worshiping the true God as He is revealed in His Word, in Christ, in nature, or are we adoring some philosophical idol enshrined in His place? God is a God of truth. Justice and mercy are the attributes of His throne. He is a God of love, of pity and tender compassion. Thus He is represented in His Son, our Saviour. He is a God of patience and long-suffering. If such is the being whom we adore and to whose character we are seeking to assimilate, we are worshiping the true God.—The Faith I Live By, p. 59.