Jesus is the perfect man who set the standard for men to seek Christlike masculinity through humility, strength, and faithful service.
These are only preliminary, unedited outlines and may differ from Andy’s final message.
Key question: What does it mean for me to be a man and not a woman?
Bible’s answer: Look to Christ as your role model!
Central concept: Jesus Christ is the perfect man… certainly the perfect human, but for our purposes, the perfect male. It is much more important that Jesus was human, but his masculinity was also an essential part of his role in salvation.
I. What Is “Toxic Masculinity?”
A. Last Time: A Cultural Confusion on Gender
B. God’s Timeless, Unchanging Word
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
C. Attack on Masculinity: New Phrase “Toxic Masculinity”
AI Generated answer to query “What is toxic masculinity?”
Toxic masculinity is a set of harmful beliefs and behaviors that are often associated with masculinity. It’s characterized by three main ideas:
· Toughness: Men should be physically strong, emotionally hardened, and aggressive
· Anti-femininity: Men should reject feminine traits, such as showing emotion, asking for help, and being domestic
· Power: Men should have money, status, power, and influence to be worthy
Toxic masculinity can have a negative impact on men, women, and society as a whole. It can lead to:
Aggression… Emotional dysregulation… Violence against marginalized people… Upholding harmful gender norms… Poor relationships with others… Mental health issues.
Wikipedia’s answer:
The concept of toxic masculinity is used in academic and media discussions to refer to those aspects of hegemonic masculinity that are socially destructive, such as misogyny, homophobia, and violent domination. These traits are considered “toxic” due in part to their promotion of violence, including sexual assault and domestic violence. Socialization of boys sometimes also normalizes violence, such as in the saying “boys will be boys” about bullying and aggression.
Result of these kinds of terms and cultural messaging: men often confused on what it means to be a man, and how to carry on our roles in present-day life.
In this BFL, we are going to see Jesus as the remedy… Christlike masculinity
Philippians 3:10-11 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Two opposite faulty masculine paradigms: tyranny and passivity
Christian men should oppose both!
II. Christ’s Key Masculine Roles
Note: the roles that follow are clearly varied in how “masculine” they are. All Christians are called on to serve; some women are excellent healers. Other roles are from time to time ascribed to women; some never are (like King). However, taken as a group, they are clearly a cluster of strongly masculine roles that Jesus played in his life and ministry. And this list is not exhaustive. One can find other roles Jesus played that are important. But these roles taken together define Jesus well as a man, not only as a human.
· Servant
· Warrior
· Prophet
· Provider
· Protector
· King
· Healer
· Counselor
· Judge
· Leader
· Builder
· Priest
III. Christ’s Key Masculine Traits
These traits are again not exclusive to men; to some degree all of them can be displayed by women in various settings. But taken together, they represent the best and purest of Jesus’ masculinity. This list is not intended to be exhaustive; there are certainly other traits that one could find to add to this list. But I was seeking attributes that mark Jesus out specifically as a man, not only as a human.
· Courage
· Strength
· Initiative
· Wisdom
· Truthfulness
· Gentleness
· Generosity
· Self-Control
· Self-Denial
· Humility
· Obedience
· Compassion
· Justice
· Faithfulness
· Holiness
· Piety
IV. Matching Them Up
Roles: Servant Warrior Prophet Provider Protector King Healer Counselor Judge Leader Builder
Traits: Courage Strength Initiative Wisdom Truthfulness Gentleness Generosity Self-Control Self-Denial Humility Obedience Compassion Justice Faithfulness Holiness Piety
· Servant: Humble, Self-Denying, Faithful
· Warrior: Strong, Courageous, Self-Controlled, Just
· Prophet: Truthful, Fearless, Pious, Holy
· Provider: Generous, Self-Denying, Wise
· Protector: Strong, Courageous, Faithful
· King: Just, Wise, Compassionate, Strong, Initiating
· Healer: Compassionate, Gentle, Wise
· Counselor: Wise, Truthful, Holy, Pious, Compassionate
· Judge: Just, Wise, Faithful, Compassionate, Pious
· Leader: Initiating, Wise, Strong, Faithful
· Builder: Faithful, Wise, Initiating, Self-Denying
· Priest: Holy, Pious, Faithful
V. Examples of Christ in Action
· Servant: Humble, Self-Denying, Faithful
Christlike masculinity starts with a servant heart
Toxic masculinity stemmed from men abusing their roles with tyranny, but also others abandoning their roles by passivity and neglect, a Christian man embraces his roles with a servant heart.
The greatest passage on Christ’s servant heart: Philippians 2
Philippians 2:5-8 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!
Note the parallelism between “very nature of God” and “very nature of a servant”… Jesus was as much servant as he was God. Also the passage implies that servanthood is essential to humanity. To be a human is to be a servant.
Jesus acted as a servant before he went to the cross… he did not consider his life, his time, his strength, to be his alone to spend as he saw fit.
He offered himself to God to serve:
Psalm 40:6-8 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come– it is written about me in the scroll. 8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
John 8:28-29 Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
This resulted in him doing for others all the time:
Mark 5:21-24 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.
Even when he was weary with sorrow and wanted to be alone. Like after hearing of John the Baptist’s death:
Mark 6:31-34 Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
Christian masculinity begins with servanthood. An attitude of “I am here to benefit those entrusted to my care.”
“Toxic masculinity” is just another version of the faulty view the world has of authority:
Matthew 20:25-28 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The clearest example of servanthood before the cross was the footwashing:
Backstory:
The apostles had a running, ego-based argument
Luke 9:46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.
This continued the night of the Last Supper:
Luke 22:24 Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
Jesus showed them true greatness:
John 13:3-5 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
This act of servanthood in no way reduced his authority:
John 13:12-13 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
This becomes a clear paradigm for all Christians to follow, but especially Christian leaders… Christian MEN in their various roles:
John 13:14-17 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Clearest application is to Christian marriage:
Ephesians 5:25-28 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.
I hope to develop this more fully later in the course.
Discussion:
1) How does Christ’s servanthood address the problems the world sees with masculine leadership?
2) How does a man’s sin nature hinder his servanthood?
3) How are a husband and father’s roles best seen in light of his serving those entrusted to his care?
· Warrior: Strong, Courageous, Self-Controlled, Just
Christian men are called on to be warriors in the pattern of Christ.
Christian masculinity is no passive, weak thing… it requires strength, courage, determination, perseverance
Christ saw his mission as warfare
Luke 11:21-22 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.
1 John 3:8 The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
Fundamentally he was waging war against the devil and demons to rescue his people from their evil attacks:
John 10:11-13 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
Contrast this with Adam’s abdication:
Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to serve it and protect it.
Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Adam should have gotten out in front of that situation and protected his wife, his future children and the entire planet from the serpent’s temptations.
Jesus, the Second Adam, is not like him. He is the Good Shepherd who gets out in front of the sheep to protect them from all harm.
Example:
John 18:3-9 Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 “I told you that I am,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”
Amazing! Jesus gets out in front of his disciples, protecting them from being arrested that night lest they be tempted beyond what they could bear.
Christian men are WARRIORS… but we understand the nature of the warfare is spiritual:
Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Christian warriors fight to advance in the Two Journeys… seeking to win the lost:
Ephesians 6:19-20 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Seeking also to grow in holiness. Some of the warfare is within ourselves:
Romans 8:13-14 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Proverbs 16:32 Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
1 Corinthians 9:26-27 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
In caring for others, Christian men are called on to be courageous warriors.
Christian husbands need to protect their wives and children from all harm.
This starts by providing physically and economically for them:
Ephesians 5:28-30 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church– 30 for we are members of his body.
1 Timothy 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
It also means protecting them in this dangerous world:
1 Samuel 25:15-16 these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. 16 Night and day they were a wall around us all the time we were herding our sheep near them.
It means being mindful of the weakness and needs of the littlest entrusted to their care:
Genesis 33:13-14 Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children
Discussion:
1) How does Christ display a warrior nature?
2) How is Christ’s warfare different than that of worldly soldiers?
3) How is a Christian man called to be a warrior?
4) How does that not degenerate into abusive tyranny?
