An interesting set of vintage Easter stories on 60 minutes (now online) was an interesting watch – including a discussion of what Jesus would have looked like – hmmm…. 

A friend once showed me this stark drawing/painting, so life-like, dark hair and deep eyes, almost haunting in this image’s ability to pull you in. Intended surely a portrait of a beautiful handsome strong man, with good clothes and GREAT HAIR. I never imagined Jesus like that. Not to dissuade my friend, she wants to believe He looked that way, but this is not how I saw Him, nor from this painting did I really know what kind of “scholars” were referencing. Perhaps this painter just wanted to paint a beautiful portrait in love.

I do see Jesus as a gentle soul, tall enough to be taller than me, with hand outstretched. The real only physical presence I know and feel is of Jesus’s SMILE while waking me up. I see a smile in my heart, not my eyes. But hair? Hair??? Hmmm… 

The 60 minutes story from 1968, is called “What did Christ Look Like?” I recommend watching it. Correspondent Harry Reasoner essentially said that really Jesus is only described as non-descript in the scripture – and “this meant complete contrast with what came out of his mouth – which spoke the whole story He wanted to share.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/easter-stories-60-minutes-archive-2022-04-17/

“The Book of Isaiah says of Jesus: ‘He was devoid of Beauty and a Sufferer.’ Many of the earliest artists formed their concept of Him from this comment. A historian named Tertullian, who lived in the year 200, said of Him: ‘There was nothing outstanding about Christ’s flesh. And it was just this contrast with His personality which struck everyone. Far from emanating divine radiance, His body had not even simple human beauty. The passion and the humility He suffered left their mark and it was deprived of all charm by His suffering.’ “

Hmmm….

I looked up some of the scriptures, but surely I have not scratched the surface of them all, and no scholars for me have yet been consulted, because for me: HOW He looked then is less important a curiosity compared to everything else He did. Some say we couldn’t have picked Him out of the crowd. He did not walk elevated here on earth. And Jesus in Heaven, He is described as the slain lamb. He is described to be seen IN HIS GLORY. 

Personally, seeing His hair, flowing or not, is not where I expect to be eye to eye with Him. Glory yes, but hair? No. See, my view (eyes of my head) at the moment is just that I’m holding onto that thread of the hem of the bottom on His robe, in a healing touch (by feeling that, seeing that, with the eyes of my heart). Other times, we can see Him on having been on the middle cross next to us, telling us we CAN be with Him. And for sure, I pray that we ALL do see Him in GLORY. 

JESUS surely is holding us up, carrying us.

Speaking to us in His Word, thru His Word, which is Him Himself.  Jesus is our Word of healing GRACE. 

No splitting hairs, Jesus is our Savior, we need Him, He’s got us, that’s all we need to know. 

Amen 

Isaiah 53 KJV 53:1-6

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

—–

Isaiah 42:1-10

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:  I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.