Son of God. The Anointed One. Savior.

But a gentleman? Doesn’t sound very Messianic.

And could someone who overturned tables and ignored societal norms really be a gentleman?

Maybe the problem isn't calling Jesus a gentleman. Maybe the problem is that we have forgotten what a gentleman really is.

A gentleman isn't simply a man who knows which fork to use, holds a door, dresses properly, or says “please” and “thank you.” Those things may express gentlemanliness, but they don't define it.

The deeper qualities are things such as:

Humility rather than self-importance
Consideration rather than self-absorption
Treating others with dignity regardless of status
Strength without domination
Restraint when one has the power to retaliate
Courage joined with gentleness

These aren't really rules of etiquette at all. They are qualities of character.

Perhaps our best understanding of gentlemanliness points toward qualities we see perfectly expressed in Him.

Watch How Jesus Treats People.

In John 13,  the Son of God is on His knees washing dirty feet. The person with the greatest status is in the lowest position.

With the woman at the well, Jesus crosses boundaries of sex, religion, reputation and social convention and speaks seriously with someone others might dismiss.

And the children who possessed virtually no social standing in that culture are welcomed by Jesus when His own disciples try to send them away.

Christ does not merely give us rules for good behavior. He reveals the qualities that are good.

Christ's humility, mercy, courage, self-giving love, concern for the overlooked, and refusal to measure human worth by social standing gradually become the pattern toward which the Christian life moves.

Jesus shows us that the other person matters.

The poor person matters. The annoying person matters. The socially awkward person matters. The sinner matters. The person who cannot advance our interests matters. The traitor matters. Even the dishonest traders matter.

And Jesus reminds us that gentlemanliness is not weakness. There are times when character requires the courage to confront what is wrong.

It’s not that Jesus is a gentleman but that a gentleman is like Jesus.