WIll The Real Jesus Please raise your hand!

One of the things that perplexes me the most about being a follower of Christ is the presentation of his image.  The description of Jesus was NEVER brought up in the New Testament!  Mankind just has to have an image of Jesus for us to "see". One of the first things folks are inclined to do when discussing the possible images of Jesus is to point out that Jesus was Jewish or Aramaic in lineage.  Anthropologists have said that the Jewish belong to the Caucasian race which ranges from north of the Sahara, through the Middle East, and into Europe.  The ethnic groups Jewish, Arab, and European are really misleading in their name value.  Within the caucasian race are "common groups" that potentially can share the same features.  All to often people have been mistaken for being a part of a particular ethnic group.  Believing certain groups all have the same features is a horrible, ignorant assumption!

If one were to try to have an artist rendition they would have to be somewhat stereotypical to portray a realistic rendering.  One thing is for sure…he wasn't lily pale white!  I say this because as he went about his Holy business OUTSIDE in the elements! This means his skin had to have a darker shade than most of the pictures hanging in some of the Christian living rooms of America.  I don't think he was frail and wimpy looking either!  It is illustrated that Jesus was a workingman by trade, which means he was pretty strong. He had to have been especially strong to withstand that horrible beating before his crucifixion at the end of his life!

Long hair? Jesus was from Nazareth.  The ones that were under the Nazarite vow could not drink wine, touch dead bodies, AND they had to keep their hair long as a sign of humiliation. Refer to these bible verses; Ezekiel 44:20, Num. 6:2-3, 6, Matt. 2:23, Matt. 9:25, and Matt. 11:19. The two problems here are; our savior drank wine, and touched dead bodies. My best guess is that he was not under the Nazarite vow, at least during the time of his ministry he wasn't.  As a matter of fact at the end of the vow the man was to shave his dome, Num. 6:18! Are we thinking yet, and we wonder what happened to Christ between 13 and the time he began his ministry hmmmm.  The culture of the time in Judea was Grecian in influence, Acts 6:1.  The Romans came on the scene after this influence.  Their hair length of choice, short!  Short hair was in before Christ, during Christ, and after Christ.  With this being said if Jesus would have had long hair he would have stuck out like a sore thumb.  If he would have been the guy in the crowd with the log hair Judas would not have had to kiss him to identify him to the Roman Soldiers.  AS far as long hair goes; 1 Corinthians 11:14, that book of the bible is very Christ inspired!

If you haven't guessed, ignorantly rendered pictures and statues of Jesus kind of irk me!

Really, if we are becoming mature in our walk do we need to know? This scripture is about as good as it gets as far as what our master looks like.

Isaiah 53:2 (Today's New International Version)

2.) He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
       He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

I see Jesus often folks!  I saw Jesus at McDonalds, he was inside turning the empty paper coffee cup between his thumb and index finger, twisting it round and round as he was in his thoughts.  His dog was tied up to the pay phone outside the door.  I was on my way to the car.  I started to get in and head off, but then I was motivated to go back.  I asked him if he wanted something to eat discreetly.  He looked up smiled and said "no, I'm alright".  With a different face I saw him by the Walgreen's entrance door.  He asked me if I could spare a dollar.  I said, "hang on a second, I forgot to pay for this soda, I'll be right back." I returned, looked around and said "how bout Burger King, I'll take you over there and buy you something to eat".  He said; "no…I'm good man". 

 

This is how I see Jesus.

If someone must paint a picture of our savior I wish that they would please be aware our Savior was not likley to be pale, wimpy, and frail as man has illustrated in many paintings.

I agree with what Pastor David Jeremiah had said.  He said "if one must paint a picture of Christ don't make him look like a pushover", he'd like to see a picture Of Christ storming the temple courts overturning the money exchangers tables and smashing the cages to release the sacrifice animals.

Our savior was meek and mild, but when it was time to get rough, he did!  May this be a teaching you will remember and research for yourselves.

I issue a challenge to the Christian blogsters of Myspace! Jesus was not a lily-white wimp!

Resources: Tom Brown Ministries, The Restored Church of God website, Biblegateway.com, and my brain!

Comments

[Mary Alice]

Great blog, Thomas

I've taught this message and it is always a wake up call for people.

Your blog is the same thing a wake up call.

Many Hugs,
Mary Alice