What did Jesus look Like?

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised, and we esteemed him not -- Isaiah 53:2-3 




As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— Isaiah 52:14


Above is a picture of what scholars believe is the most accurate portrayal of what Jesus may have looked like. Richard Neave, a medical artist, drew this depiction based on a skeletal discovery of a first century Jew by British scientists and Israeli archaeologists. So is this then what Jesus really looked like? 


I remember growing up and visiting the home of one of my childhood African American friends, only to discover hanging on the wall, was a portrait of Jesus as a black man. My first reaction was of disbelief. "Jesus doesn't look like that. He's white!" From that point on, I wrestled with what I assumed to be true of Jesus based on my perceptions. 


You see, in many ways our perceptions about the appearance of Jesus is largely based on what others perceived from our ethnic lineage. In my case, the European depictions of Jesus as essentially a white man, with perfectly groomed hair, and a well trimmed beard, were what I believed to be the true representation of what he looked like. 


Inevitably, I discovered that such images were largely based on the Roman Catholic church, who had power and influence over the artists of that particular era. We see this influence even in those iconic paintings such as Leonardo da Vinci's  Last Supper, were Jesus is not eating from a platter, while reclining sideways on a mat with his disciples like a first century Jew, but rather sitting on a wooden chair while eating from an extended dinner table.   


Sadly, throughout the years, such paintings have been used to to promote a sort of ethnic superiority while oppressing those who looked different. Nothing however, could be further from the heart of Jesus. He did not die for what we incorrectly label as ethnic "race," he died for all of humanity, also known as the human race! 


In God's providence, He does not give us a vivid description of what Jesus looked like, but rather focuses on the life he lead and how he changed the lives of many, whether privileged or oppressed. In fact, what the Bible says about his appearance is that if you looked at him he had no form of majesty or beauty that we would desire or look on him. Instead the image is that of a marred man really beyond recognition. It's unattractive! 


You see, the focus was never on the external appearance of Jesus, but rather on what intrinsically drove him. The prophecy in Isaiah goes on to say that he was led like a lamb to the slaughter and that he was not esteemed by anyone. In fact, truth be told, many felt he had been smitten by God because he was so filled with sorrows and acquainted with grief.


So how does God wants us to remember Jesus? He wants you to visualize a man who was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. So whether you were black, white, yellow, green or purple, the point is this, Jesus died for your sins. In the end he shed his red blood, which matches yours, so that we all could be in a position to have eternal life. 


This Christmas season, as Martin Luther King once reminded us, we should not focus on the color of one's skin but rather the content of their character. In the end, Jesus choose to be physically unattractive so that we can be made intrinsically beautiful. Make sure you display this true portrait of your Savior during the holidays.