Why Is Jesus ‘Gentle and Lowly’?
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Jesus is called the Son of God, God With Us, the Lion of Judah, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
Yet at one point in His earthly ministry, He beckons the people to come lay their burdens before Him and find rest.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11:29 ESV).
How is this “Lion of Judah” (Revelation 5:5) and Savior of the world simultaneously humble and meek—that is, decidedly non-lionlike? What does this mean? Why Is Jesus “gentle and lowly”?
Where in the Bible Is Jesus Called "Gentle and Lowly"?
Jesus calls Himself “gentle and lowly” as He speaks to the people, first identifying John the Baptist as a prophet, and then denouncing various cities in the region for their unrepentance in spite of the great miracles worked there in the name of the Lord.
Then, Jesus encouraged all who are weary and burdened—whether by hard work or by the exceedingly harsh demands of righteousness required of all Jews—to find their rest in Him (v. 28). Identifying Himself as gentle and lowly, Jesus encourages them to learn from Him, to take His “yoke” and find rest, for His yoke is easy and the burden light.
A yoke is used in farming, often to join two oxen together so they can pull a load. What Jesus seems to be saying here is that they can set aside all their hardships and pressures, all the difficult and unrealistic burdens and expectations set upon them under the Pharisees and other ways of the world, and instead embrace the Son of God, who offers a new way, the True Way, that is at once freeing and far less difficult.
But why “gentle and lowly”? The original Greek for “gentle” is praus, meaning mild and meek, but not in a weak way; rather, that His great strength is under control.
The original Greek for “lowly” is tapeinos, meaning humble or low in status, one who looks to One greater than he (that is, God) for direction.
Is "Gentle and Lowly" a Good Description for Jesus?
This is an excellent description of Jesus. As a true gentle-man in every sense of the word, Jesus doesn’t need to wield His power and might in a showy way—He’s God. That power is fully controlled, fully bound, because He exercises the highest of self-discipline.
As for “lowly,” that, too—throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus, the Son of God, always pointed to God. He looked to the Father for all things, all will, all direction.
As He later prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).
While the people were looking for a mighty battle soldier as their messiah, the Messiah they received was far humbler than perhaps anyone imagined. He was born in poverty, in a stable, to a teenage girl and her carpenter husband who spent the next years of their lives on the run as immigrants. He grew up in Nazareth, a place of low stature. Even one of His disciples, Nathanael, when He heard Jesus hailed from that town, asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Indeed, Nathanael soon found out—the Savior of the world.
Where Is Jesus Called "gentle and lowly" in the Bible?
One way we see Jesus exemplifying gentleness and lowliness is in His birth—not only was He born into poverty, but He was born a tiny, helpless baby. He had to endure all the burdens of the flesh we do.
During Jesus' ministry, He chose to spend His time with the common people, with outcasts and those often looked down upon. He healed lepers, dined with sinners and tax collectors, and welcomed children, all of these low in stature.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem not long before His death, He chose to ride upon a donkey, a humble animal signifying peace, instead of a war-horse or some other needless display of earthly strength (Matthew 21).
And finally, He willingly allowed Himself to be beaten, ridiculed, tortured, and crucified, giving His last breath in a public execution wearing a crown of thorns.
What Does This Mean for Us and Our Relationship with Him?
Jesus is meant to be our role model as well as our Savior. He came as a man to show us the way to heaven.
Therefore, He is our best example of how to live on this earth. No human being is perfect, but Jesus is. As both man and God, He committed no sin. He shows us how we must strive to be.
As He walked the earth, He taught people to be kind, show compassion, offer grace and forgiveness, refrain from judgment, keep promises, and more.
He preached a message of extravagant love and extravagant generosity, urging people to forget the old way of “an eye for an eye.” Instead, He said, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well” (Matthew 5:39-40).
He urged us to learn from Him, to model our lives after Him in pointing always to the Father.
But in addition to serving as our model and guide, His gentleness and lowliness bring another benefit: accessibility. We can go to Jesus for anything, any time. Throughout His time on earth, He welcomed anyone into His presence or to wherever He was preaching at the time. He does the same for us today.
We are invited into an intimate, holy, loving, and eternal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus. We are all invited and welcome to the table.
Jesus is both man and God, Word and flesh. And as such, it is no wonder He is both the mighty Lion of Judah and the meek and humble sacrificial lamb slain for the sins of the world. One day, we’re told, He’ll return as a conquering King to slay the enemies of heaven. But His love and His way are open to us all, saints and sinners alike.
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