Q: How do we know what Jesus
looked like? If we do not know what He
looked like, is it appropriate to attempt make a picture or statue?
There are many characteristics which
we have come to recognize as characterizing a picture of Jesus in our culture. Typically, we see Jesus portrayed with a
light complexion and long hair, smooth skin, and a beard. There are often additional features which
alert us to His identity, such as a praying posture or emanation of light, or that
he is portrayed in the context of a Biblical story.
At the time Jesus lived, there were
obviously no cameras or video recordings, and much of the art of that time did
not survive until our present day. When
we combine this lack of visual evidence with the fact that there is no description
of Jesus physical appearance given in the Gospels, we are left to look for
other sources for information.
The image we typically see today is
based primarily on two sources. The
first of these is ancient art made by Christians two or three centuries after
Jesus’ resurrection. It is during this
time period, the beard and long hair that we find so common in images of Jesus
today became a standard feature.
The second of these sources is the
Shroud of Turin, which is an ancient piece of cloth which bears the image of a
man’s body. The legend concerning this
item is that it was one of the burial cloths in which Jesus was wrapped when He
was buried. It is held that when Jesus
rose from the dead, the energy discharge in that event burned his image into
the shroud. Even though these claims
regarding the Shroud of Turin can neither be conclusively proven nor refuted, its
image remains a primary source for modern depictions of the physical appearance
of Jesus.
While no description of Jesus
physical appearance is given in the Gospels, the Bible does give us several
pieces of information that inform our knowledge of what Jesus would have looked
like. In predicting the coming of the
savior, Isaiah prophesies that Jesus would have “no form or majesty that we
should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2 ESV)
In other words, He had the appearance of an ordinary man. This is further evidenced by the Pharisees
and other people during His life who rejected His claims to be God.
We also know from the Bible that
Jesus was Jewish. This means that recent
depictions of Caucasian, African, Asian, and other ethnic portrayals of Jesus
are certainly inaccurate. Instead, He
would most likely have had an appearance more similar to lighter-complected
residents of the modern-day Middle-east.
Additionally, we know that Jesus’ stepfather Joseph was a construction
worker and therefore, Jesus would have almost certainly followed in learning
that trade until He began His ministry at age thirty. Because of the harsh work of building by hand
with stone and rock, Jesus would have likely had a pronounced ruggedness not
often seen in our depictions.
The final and most important feature
revealed about Jesus in the Bible is that He continued to have the scars from
His crucifixion, even after He rose from the dead. The most certain and obvious way to tell that
a picture or statue portrays Jesus is to look for these marks. The statue in the front of my church has
pronounced red markings on the hands and feet, leaving no doubt that it is
intended to portray Jesus. This is a
much more specific and clear way of indicating the figure is Jesus than any
other.
Ultimately, there is no hard evidence
regarding Jesus precise physical appearance, but if our depictions of his
appearance are faithful to what we do know about Him from the Bible, instead of
portraying Him the way that we would like Him to look, especially when they use
clear signs such as the wounds of the crucifixion, then they have served their
purpose. This is particularly true when
we remember that we are not worshipping the statue or picture, but instead the
risen Lord who sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.
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