A reproduction of the Watchtower Society's article.
Superb example of love. The quality that predominates through all these aspects of Jesus’ personality is love—Jesus’ love for his Father above all and also for his fellow creatures. (Mt 22:37-39) Love was therefore to be the distinguishing mark identifying his disciples. (Joh 13:34, 35; compare 1Jo 3:14.) His love was not sentimentality. Though he expressed strong feeling, Jesus was always guided by principle (Heb 1:9); his Father’s will was his supreme concern. (Compare Mt 16:21-23.) He proved his love for God by keeping God’s commandments (Joh 14:30, 31; compare 1Jo 5:3) and by seeking to glorify his Father at all times. (Joh 17:1-4) On his final night with his disciples, he spoke of love and loving nearly thirty times, three times repeating the command that they “love one another.” (Joh 13:34; 15:12, 17) He told them: “No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends. You are my friends if you do what I am commanding you.”—Joh 15:13, 14; compare Joh 10:11-15.
In proof of his love for God and for imperfect mankind, he then let himself be “brought just like a sheep to the slaughtering,” submitting to trials, being slapped, hit with fists, spit on, scourged with a whip, and finally, nailed to a stake between criminals. (Isa 53:7; Mt 26:67, 68; 27:26-38; Mr 14:65; 15:15-20; Joh 19:1) By his sacrificial death he exemplified and expressed God’s love toward men (Ro 5:8-10; Eph 2:4, 5) and enabled men to have absolute belief in his own unbreakable love for his faithful disciples.—Ro 8:35-39; 1Jo 3:16-18.
Since the portrait of God’s Son obtainable through the written record, admittedly brief (Joh 21:25), is grand, the reality must have been far grander. His heartwarming example of humility and kindness, coupled with strength for righteousness and justice, gives assurance that his Kingdom government will be all that men of faith through the centuries have longed for, in fact, that it will surpass their highest expectations. (Ro 8:18-22) In all respects he exemplified the perfect standard for his disciples, one far different from that of worldly rulers. (Mt 20:25-28; 1Co 11:1; 1Pe 2:21) He, their Lord, washed their feet. Thus, he set the pattern of thoughtfulness, consideration, and humility that would characterize his congregation of anointed followers, not only on earth but also in heaven. (Joh 13:3-15) Though heaven-high on their thrones and sharing ‘all authority in heaven and earth’ with Jesus during Christ’s Thousand Year Reign, they must humbly care for and lovingly serve the needs of his subjects on earth.—Mt 28:18; Ro 8:17; 1Pe 2:9; Re 1:5, 6; 20:6; 21:2-4.
Declared Righteous and Worthy. By his entire life course of integrity to God, including his sacrifice, Jesus Christ accomplished the “one act of justification” that proved him qualified to serve as God’s anointed King-Priest in heaven. (Ro 5:17, 18) By his resurrection from the dead to life as a heavenly Son of God, he was “declared righteous in spirit.” (1Ti 3:16) Heavenly creatures proclaimed him “worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing,” as one who was both lionlike in behalf of justice and judgment and also lamblike in giving himself as a sacrifice for the saving of others. (Re 5:5-13) He had accomplished his primary purpose of sanctifying his Father’s name. (Mt 6:9; 22:36-38) This he did, not just by using that name, but by revealing the Person it represents, displaying his Father’s splendid qualities—his love, wisdom, justice, and power—enabling persons to know or experience what God’s name stands for. (Mt 11:27; Joh 1:14, 18; 17:6-12) And above all, he did it by upholding Jehovah’s universal sovereignty, showing that his own Kingdom government would be based solidly on that Supreme Source of authority. Therefore it could be said of him: “God is your throne forever.”—Heb 1:8.
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