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Jesus's appearance?

Does it even matter what Jesus looked like when He walked on this earth centuries ago?

My heart describes Jesus as pure love... as an older brother who continues to teach me through His words as well as our Father's words.

I have no need to colour His hair and identify His skin colour.

I have seen how He has been rendered in art over the centuries; various societies have painted Him according to their own particular cultures. This was used as the means to draw Him closer to the people; so they could better identify with Him. This was neither right nor wrong; simply put, it was their way of expressing Him in a visual form.
 
felix said:
1Co 11:14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

Mat 11:19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking ..

Sent from mobile.
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Here is a nice clean cut Jesus from the Jehovah's Witnesses for you :)

b.jpg
 
There is a Christian legend about Mary in the writings from Syria which calls her Marath, meaning contentious. Apparently the guards asked Mary to leave the cave where Jesus was buried and she put up quite a fight, giving her the nickname of Marath (similar to firebrand). It says:

“In the year three hundred and forty-five, in the month of the latter Tishrin, <!--k80=08-2953--><!--k35-->Marath<!--k31--> <!--k38-->Mary <!--k31-->went out from her house, and went to the <!--k37-->sepulchre<!--k31--> of <!--k39-->Christ<!--k31-->: because every day she used to go and weep there. But the Jews immediately after the death of <!--k39-->Christ<!--k31--> seized the <!--k37-->sepulchre<!--k31-->, and heaped great stones at the door of it. And over the <!--k37-->sepulchre <!--k31-->and <!--k36-->Golgotha<!--k31--> they set guards, and commanded them that, if any one should go and pray at the <!--k37-->sepulchre<!--k31--> or at <!--k36-->Golgotha<!--k31-->, he should immediately be put to death. And the Jews took away the <!--k38-->cross <!--k31-->of our <!--k39-->Lord<!--k31-->, and those two other crosses, and that spear with which our <!--k38-->Saviour<!--k31--> was struck, and those nails which they drove into His hands and into His feet, and those robes of mockery in which He had been clad; and they hid them: lest, as they said, any one of the kings or of the chief persons should come and inquire concerning the putting to death of Christ.”

“And the guards went in and said to the priests: Mary comes in the evening and in the morning, and prays there. And there was a commotion in Jerusalem on account of Marath Mary. And the priests went to the judge, and said to him: My lord, send and command Mary that she goes not to pray at the sepulchre and at Golgotha.”

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0852.htm


 
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The fact that Jesus could show Himself bodily to the apostles after His resurrection and not be recognized suggests to me that the particulars of His physical appearance are not significant.
 
Sinthesis said:
The fact that Jesus could show Himself bodily to the apostles after His resurrection and not be recognized suggests to me that the particulars of His physical appearance are not significant.
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Indeed. Although it's not like Jesus had Twitter or Facebook. ;)
 
Sinthesis]The fact that Jesus could show Himself bodily to the apostles after His resurrection and not be recognized suggests to me that the particulars of His physical appearance are not significant.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Nick said:
Indeed. Although it's not like Jesus had Twitter or Facebook. ;)
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But it would be interesting to see how people who "claim" to have seen Jesus in their visions and dreams - actually build up their own imaginations if they say something different from Scriptures which says, He looked like a common Jew in His time (i.e., dark olive/ruddy skin and short black hair !?).
 
felix said:
But it would be interesting to see how people who "claim" to have seen Jesus in their visions and dreams - actually build up their own imaginations if they say something different from Scriptures which says, He looked like a common Jew in His time (i.e., dark olive/ruddy skin and short black hair !?).
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Well there is the issue of whether people actually did have a vision or it was simply a dream, perhaps thought up by their mind's wishful thinking.

I just dunno. Perhaps Jesus doesn't appear as he was on Earth in visions, or not at all. :shrug

All in all I would think the content of such visions be of higher importance than what Jesus looked like. I consider this subject generally fairly trivial, but I can only assume that Jesus looked like the average Middle Eastern man. The Bible doesn't appear to give a clear answer, which shows its importance.
 
Nick said:
Well there is the issue of whether people actually did have a vision or it was simply a dream, perhaps thought up by their mind's wishful thinking.

I just dunno. Perhaps Jesus doesn't appear as he was on Earth in visions, or not at all. :shrug

All in all I would think the content of such visions be of higher importance than what Jesus looked like. I consider this subject generally fairly trivial, but I can only assume that Jesus looked like the average Middle Eastern man. The Bible doesn't appear to give a clear answer, which shows its importance.
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There are only two description of His appearances given in Scripture.
  • Physical appearance on earth - just like us - as a normal Jew of His time.
  • Transfiguration - white as snow with and/or countenance bright as sun.
Seeing any other appearance is not Christ but their own imagination or the Devil.

How would you verify if a preacher is saying a truth or a lie? (or)
How would you verify when Satan comes like an angel of light ?

The content is not important when identity is in question.

You can view many Benny Hinn's TV videos where he says angel's fly like little butterflies when he was praying and tons of other deceiving stories. Yet, whenever Scripture refers to angels coming and visiting humans, they feared and the first word from angels "do not fear". Similarly there are many stories from many popular preachers about Christ and heaven. What they say is true only when it matches Scripture.

Ellen G. White had seen Jesus many times over and yet did not see a Jesus who had short black hair nor did she mentioned it anywhere about the totally new appearance not known to world either. So who did she saw? Devil? but certainly not the true Jesus Christ who died on the cross. Ellen G. White wrote her own imagination and started a cult called 7th day adventism based on a "lie" and deceived people who do not know how to discern many things like 'identity of Jesus" from Scriptures.
 
felix said:
Seeing any other appearance is not Christ but their own imagination or the Devil.
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I don't know, I think you are forcing things here... If Jesus wants to be seen as an angel in the bush, He will be. He doesn't need your approval first. If Jesus wants to describe Himself as a worm (Psalms 92:6); then He can. Limiting God to any physical description is a bit silly. As Sinthesis said, Christ was not recognised by the same 'body' after His resurrection. His apostles did not identify Him. Saying that He MUST have black hair is stretching things too far; especially as there is no definitive proof that He had black hair in the first place.
 
Tri Unity said:
I don't know, I think you are forcing things here... If Jesus wants to be seen as an angel in the bush, He will be. He doesn't need your approval first. If Jesus wants to describe Himself as a worm (Psalms 92:6); then He can. Limiting God to any physical description is a bit silly. As Sinthesis said, Christ was not recognised by the same 'body' after His resurrection. His apostles did not identify Him. Saying that He MUST have black hair is stretching things too far; especially as there is no definitive proof that He had black hair in the first place.
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Why are you deceiving yourself by saying, if Jesus wants to lie He will also lie?

Jesus is neither an Angel nor a worm. Are you suggesting Jesus can appear as a Devil?

If it is not in Scripture, then it is unbiblcial and a lie.

Do you think He is having a pink or green hair and saying one cannot change his hair black or white ? There are two hair colors He mentions. He will not mention a color which His audience don't have. He required a betrayer to identify among other disciples. Hence, just like other disciple and other jews, He could have had either black or white hair. Black hair color is from infancy to old age and white hair color is at old age. Jesus was not old enough to have white hair. Hence, His hair color is black. It's as simple as that.

Next, Jesus is not dishonoring Himself by having long hair. Neither He is dishonoring Himself and sitting on His throne. Hence, Jesus had short hair.

Thus, according to Scriptures, Jesus was ruddy, had short black hair. If anyone sees a vision that does not match Scripture, then they either lie according to their own imagination or saw a demon or devil.
 
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SpagLard said:
The whole "white santa claus looking Jesus" idea is obviously a European racist travesty.
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Agreed! The Romans (Europeans) influenced most of our "ideas" of Christ and Christianity. Our very first 'great' churches were converted pagan temples, and many of the images of the pagan deities were kept to gain favour of the pagans. The Christians were so heavily persecuted in the 3rd century that "they" (4th century Roman Christians) decided to compromise with Pagans in order to rebuild "church numbers". They were targeting pagan demographics; much the same as modern churches today target the affluent by their racey, hip, yuppy slogans, marketing and appearance. There is nothing new under the sun...
 
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