Before reading this blog post, go do a Google search for images of Jesus. Take note of what you see, then come back here.
Images of Jesus Online
If your image search returned the same sort of images of Jesus that my image search returned, you probably saw a bunch of images of Jesus like this:
And then, of course, you have the weird and wacky images of Jesus…
And let us not forget the food appearance images of Jesus…
What I would like to see sometime is some realistic images of Jesus.
And no, Megyn Kelly, Jesus probably wasn’t white (or with blue eyes). Of course, He wasn’t black either. And whatever color His skin was, He didn’t glow.
Frankly, I have no idea what Jesus looked like, but even these images of Jesus are probably pretty far off the mark:
From Scripture, it seems to me that Jesus would not stand out in a crowd. He wouldn’t have a glow around his head, he wouldn’t be taller or cleaner than everyone else, His clothes wouldn’t be shining white. His face probably wasn’t perfectly clean or his teeth sparkling white. His eyes weren’t piercing or his complexion smooth.
I wish that artistic renderings of Jesus would make Him look more…. like the rest of us. Drab, boring, slightly unkept.
The thing that attracted people to Jesus was not His beauty, His eyes, His stature, His glowing clothes, or angelic halo. He had none of these things.
The thing that attracted people to Jesus was His love, acceptance, and forgiveness.
Do you want to know what Jesus looks like?
Images of Jesus in the World
He looks like you when you wash the dishes for your spouse, when you give up that television show to help your child with homework, when you take a plate of cookies to your neighbor, when you mow the lawn for the shut-in lady across the street, when you give food and water to the homeless downtown, when you give of your time and money to help anybody in need. When you do these things, you are the image of Jesus in the world today.
One of my books (I don’t remember which one) has several images of Jesus, including one of Jesus knocking at the door, which the book says is the mostly widely reproduced image. Jesus looks western European, and is wearing a long silk gown (looking closely at the picture, that’s what he’s wearing).
We have “Jesus is my boyfriend” songs, and images to go with the songs, which is what most of these images are (excluding the burnt toast, banana, candy bar and frying pan). A few years back I read a discussion on that topic. Some church groups had realized that many Jesus images make Jesus appear feminine (or gay to some) so they were trying to find masculine, macho images.
That’s all silliness. As you point out, Jesus looks like love. It’s rare that we meet anyone who does not like Jesus. That is not who they dislike.
Yes, all silliness. Even as people argue about what Jesus looked like, I think He is saying, “Well, I sure don’t look like people arguing about what I look like!”
One of the images that has meant a lot to me over the years is that one of Him laughing. I am not sure what he looked like, but I like to think he laughed a lot.
I am going to include it in the post above.
I ran across the book: “ReJesus” (Frost & Hirsch), especially pp. 92-95 in the section “Vandalizing Our Portraits of Jesus”. The image I referred to above is the one by William Holman Hunt.
In the image, Jesus “is wearing a silk ball gown…and a royal red robe or cape. He has a golden crown on his head, flattening his glorious blond, shoulder-length hair. His beard is blond too, and his serene gaze makes him look more like a mythic English king than a Middle Eastern radical.”
I think we have done far worse than make Jesus look like a blond English king wearing a silk ball gown, a royal red robe and a gold crown. We do not want a radical, wild Jesus, the Jesus portrayed by the Gospels. We have recast him to fit our mold, rather than recasting ourselves to look more like him. Anyone who dares to follow this wild and radical Jesus, and not from afar off, is looked upon as a crazy heretic.
I think I have that book… You are right that following Jesus leads us to strange places, and causes people to look upon us strangely, and even to shun and reject us (as they did Him!).
the bible described him to be as of a burnt brass (pure) and his eyes as of fire plus his hair as of wool an I know hes is my skin color so PLEASE LOOK AND READ YOUR BIBLE
I do read my bible. Do you? If so, you will note that the Bible often uses imagery to speak about God. Sometimes as a rock, or a bird, or even as a fire. We do not take these literally, but understand them seriously … that is, for the imagery they present. It is wise to do the same thing where Jesus is described as having metallic skin and eyes of fire.
Even in Middle-eastern culture, there are still many white people, so although it is unlikely for him to have appeared as a ‘white person’, it’s still not improbable, it does however contradict the cynic principles in Christianity, as they define him by what they believe would constitute their creator as being great or perfect as a manifestation equal to his greatness, but this was the exact mistake the Jews made, and why they disregarded Jesus when he came in the Flesh, his appearance can be debated on, but just like his birthday, or day of death. It’s unnecessary, and I think it’s very clear he did not want people to celebrate his image, or ‘dates’ with only superstitious meaning as that is the strive of religion.
Good point. I know many orthodox Jewish people, and many are as white as can be.
Regardless, as you say, it doesn’t matter, and it is unnecessary to argue about, just as with the date of His birth. Great points all!
thanks, and yes. It did have me thinking when I realized I knew and have met many people from israel and other middle-eastern cultures who were white and thought to myself, maybe it’s not unrealistic at all.
As I was saying in regards to his birthdate, it’s kind of like Mary, some people worship her for being the one who conceived him, just as they may do so with his birthday, One of the reasons I don’t care to celebrate Easter or Christmas. I get
showing the appreciation, though Christmas specifically I don’t feel a
need to get into the superficial hive-mind of the “Christmas spirit” and we can be certain he wasn’t born on Christmas. People are taught to only be kind, and selfless during Christmas as if
it’s some kind of excuse, in many TV shows, or even maybe from people you know, you hear things like “well
since it is Christmas, ”
And the principles promoted, are
often only adopted for the holiday season, instead of showing their
genuine kindness and selflessness to others every day which should be done. I do get people like festivities though, and you can’t do it all the time otherwise it becomes old.
Isaiah 53:1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
1 Corinthians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
Not only is it wrong to depict Jesus with long hair, but most pictures has Him appealing. May the Lord help us to recognize Him when we do come face to face.
Hey, I have long hair!
But I don’t mind being shamed. I don’t think Jesus minded either. He did, after all, bear our sin and shame on the cross. As to whether He had long hair or not, it doesn’t really matter.
So does Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty, but scripture says nature teach it is a shame for men to have long hair. So at what length are we talking about that would make a guy look like a girl? I would reckon that if a woman shaved her hair, nature would teach that would be a shame to her.
But if one thinks a man will be condemned for having long hair, think again, for Jesus is able to make him stand. I will point out that God commanded Samson’s hair not to be cut, so there is that to ward off any condemnation from a Biblical standpoint from those that would make a big deal about it.
Just saying that we should keep in mind about how Jesus has been portrayed in images as publicly appealing when scripture says He was not. The point of the long hair was Biblical proof why we should not hold to those errant images of Him when He did not have long hair as He was being depicted, but I am sure He will enable us all to despense with all errant mental images of Him when we meet Him face to face.
Ah, I see.
Yes, I agree that Jesus was probably not what most consider “good looking.” Thankfully, as you say, He will enable us to stand despite all our false ideas about what He looked like (and even what He taught!).
Great post. Even though I’ve known for years that Jesus does not look like the picture hanging in the church, it’s difficult to not picture him that way.
I’ll be adding your blog to my rss reader.
Thanks Kirra.
Do you blog too? I would love to read your posts as well.
I do, Jeremy. I’m at kirraantrobus.com. I look forward to seeing you there!
Headed over now!
Christianity started to die when Christians began to focus on the deity of Christ rather than his attributes.
When we worship him and idolize him rather than imitate him, we cease to remain in his image.
Good article.
Hmm. Interesting. I do believe that Jesus is fully God, but I think you are right, that when we overemphasize His deity at the expense of His humanity, we begin to idolize him rather than imitate him. Very insightful!
Interestingly, the teachings about prescribed hair length for each gender and the influence it had on currying favor from angels is a teaching from the Kabala. Kabala was the oral tradition of the Pharisees. I believe it was the “heavy burden” Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for forcing upon the people.
As a former Pharisees, Paul was both quoting and refuting Kabala teaching on specific hair lengths. When he says, “There is no such teaching in the church,” he was speaking of the Kabala demands concerning hair length.
Modern Jews are Rabbinic Jews. Rabbinic Judaism is based on the tradition of the Pharisees. This tradition includes Kabala.
Jesus may have had long hair. He confronted and rebuked the Pharisees on a daily basis!
Hmm. I know almost nothing about Kabala. Was it even in existence at the time of Jesus? For some reason, I though Kabala was a later development.
It would still have been oral at that time. Even publishing commentaries on the body of thought that makes up Kabala was a controversial decision, as it made it more available to the general public.
A couple of sites to explore, for greater perspective on the relationship between the Pharisees, “Judaizers,” Kabala, Gnosticism, and the teachings of Jesus & Paul concerning those ungodly doctrines:
http://www.kabbalah.info/eng/content/view/frame/11638?/eng/content/view/full/11638&main
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Theology/Kabbalah_and_Mysticism/Kabbalah_and_Mysticism_101.shtml?p=2
These sites don’t mention Jesus or Paul, but your own knowledge of scripture can supply that aspect, as you consider their responses to the Kabalists of their day.
Here’s the part about hair:
http://m.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/380719/jewish/Mystical-Significance-of-Hair-Part-1.htm
He was middle eastern , brown and has nothing to resemble the contemporary descriptions of him as a white man . The truth is what matters is believing in him and believing in God who sent him .