The first thing the two disciples saw about Jesus was His openness. They were free to know Him personally. He welcomed them. They could see Him, talk with Him, and be close to Him.
John the Baptizer was right about the honor Jesus should receive. Yet Jesus’ greatness did not cut Him off from His people. He was different from most kings. He made Himself poor in earthly things (2 Corinthians 8:9). Sometimes he had no proper place to sleep (Luke 9:58). He was among the ordinary people. He welcomed all, both great and small. Even children felt very welcome.
And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked [talked angrily to] them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them (Mark 10:13-16).
Sinful people found Jesus friendly, even though He had no sin (John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26). He taught them to “repent,” to leave sin (Luke 13:3). But He made it very clear that He truly cared for them. He ate and drank with people known for their bad lives. He did the same for the government’s tax officers, who many people treated as enemies. Jesus became known as the “…friend of tax-collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). Jesus was with the people because of His love for them. This explains why He spent so much time helping each one who came. He helped them, no matter how great their problems. He helped them even when He was very busy with other important matters (Mark 1:21-34; 2:1-13; 5:21-43; 7:24-30; 10:46-52).