The picture hanging in many churches and homes portrays a man with brown flowing hair and sparkling eyes with light flowing around His perfectly groomed beard. He seems like a guy who knows more about styling techniques than salvation. The Gospels, however, paint a completely different picture of the Son of Man.

The Manly Example

At the close of the Last Supper (see John 13), Jesus didn’t just finish off His wine in one big gulp, give each man a pat on the back, and swagger into the sunset. The manliest man of all time actually laid His robe aside, took up a towel, and tied it around Himself. He then washed His disciples’ feet, the job of the lowest slave. In that moment Jesus shows more than just His humility. He also shows meekness (power under control), a servant’s heart, limitless love, and ultimately, what a true man is—a servant. A man is not defined by cutting a rugged profile or filling up a movie screen but rather by serving others in humility.

Bottom Line

Let’s seek to be real men. We shouldn’t define manliness by our culture’s definition but by the example of Jesus.