When I look at the portrayals of Christ which have been produced during the course of Church history, I presume that they are declarations of love because they present the Lord in romanticized physical beauty. He is depicted with cherry-red lips, delicate feminine skin tones, and in silk robes woven with gold thread.
Yet what did the Messiah really look like? Today nobody knows because the oldest portrayal of Christ is from 375 AD and is thus not an eyewitness account.
Although He is the Son of God, the Gospels suggest a more rustic figure of Yeshua (Jesus) in keeping with His revolutionary style, as He overturned the tables of the money changers in the Temple courts. His disciples followed a radical leader who said that He had not come to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34); they were zealots and sons of thunder (Mark 3:17); and Peter was also known as Bar-Jonah (Matthew 16:17)—a rebel who reached for his sword when Jesus was arrested.
It also fits in with the picture of a revolutionary that Jesus allowed John to baptize Him, the man who, clothed in camels’ hair, called on the people to repent and denounced publicly the infamous deeds of King Herod Antipas, which cost him his head. Jesus also denounced Herod as a fox (Luke 13:32) and warned people prone to materialism that they could not serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). He even presents the people with an ultimatum, that in order to follow Him they have to— if necessary—hate father and mother (Luke 14:26).
Jesus put across anything but a soft, comfortable gospel. He was only gentle and mild when He stepped in for the outcasts and healed the sick; in all other situations He was a firebrand.
The Romans tolerated prostitution and drugs, but not criticism of the state. Yet like Elijah, Jesus spoke out against the unrighteousness of the state and religious establishment. Jesus knew the cost in turbulent Jerusalem; He knew Pontius Pilate had sent thousands of Jews to crucifixion.
Jesus was and is anything but a soft, pathetic Savior, for one day He will “rule the nations with a rod of iron” (Revelation 2:27).
The beautiful image of Jesus that we carry in our hearts is simply a sign of our love for Him. However, He fits in better with the Haganah (the pre-state Jewish army in Palestine) than in the Vatican.
What Did Yeshua Look Like?
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Jesus was BOTH “meek & lowly”, *genuinely humble*, and (when necessary) “as bold as a lion* ! … it’s all a matter of what kind of spirit & soul He was dealing with. … good article & insight.
Wasn’t that a great article? In my imagination, and based on what little description there is of Y’sHuVaH in the Scripture, I see Him as just an average looking Jew. I imagine the only thing that really stood out about Him (aside from His teachings & miracles) was that He was followed around town by so many people. Matthew & Mark both tell us that He went to the region of Tyre [where He met the Samaritan-Syro Phoenician woman and treated her so terribly (which is a study in itself)] to rest. To “get away” if you will. I think He was probably of average height, certainly average weight, and dressed pretty much like everybody else did. But He did have a voice like thunder. A voice like many rushing waters. This tells me that He had a strong voice – able to throw it out for all to hear. He never needed a megaphone. He worked with His hands (not necessarily a carpenter) so they were probably calloused yet gentle when He touched the blind man’s eyes and caressed a child’s hair. When He became righteously indignant at the Temple of His Father and turned the tables over, He exhibited His strength. Not just physically, but morally and spiritually as well. I’m convinced that He could easily have destroyed them all. But, being YHVH, He exercised restraint because He knows how foolish man is and He is full of mercy and grace. I picture Him strong. Able to master a steed yet willing to climb the rugged, dangerous hillside to rescue that one sheep that has gotten itself into a bind by taking the risky path. I picture Him hugging me so tight that it hurts when I’m crying out to Him, and willing to descend into the pit to raise me up. That’s how I envision my LORD and my Saviour. He is my Rock and my Protector. He is my Strength and my Fortress. He is my ALL.
Psalm 34.1-4
I will bless ADONAI at all times; his praise will always be in my mouth. When I boast, it will be about ADONAI; the humble will hear of it and be glad. Proclaim with me the greatness of ADONAI; let us exalt his name together. I sought ADONAI, and he answered me; he rescued me from everything I feared.
Psalm 42.1,2
Just as a deer longs for running streams, God, I long for you. I am thirsty for God, for the living God! When can I come and appear before God?
V.Brady – 3 Nov. 2011