Subject: what color was jesus christ to look upon |
Bible Note: Yeshua (Jesus) did not come during the 21st century when we have movie cameras and Microsoft Image composers and celebrity interviews for some very good reasons. First, have you seen the pictures of President Bush dancing in ridiculous ways in animated pictures on the internet? Have you seen images which were cut and pasted and distorted beyond recognition? Did you see the Lord of the Rings movies or even Toy Story? Our technological ability to twist facts and to do special effects has enhanced our natural disbelief to a greater level. If Yeshua came to our earth to do miracles today, people would pooh-pooh His miracles or rising from the dead as just another special effects trick with a stunt double.... or the papparazi would chase Him and try to link him romantically with the latest midriff-flashing singer or jetsetter. Like Herod, we would try to get Him to do miracles for us, not because we wanted to confess our sins and turn to G-d, but because we wanted to be entertained out of our boredom. Cameras, audio, and the internet would allow people to distort Yeshua into whatever shapes their evil imaginations would allow. We would use our technology to "trample underfoot the Son of G-d" even more than we do now. Second, our media-crazed generation is much too fixated on the outer image. People vote for and idolize others based on their physical appearance. We idolize others who are beautiful, identifying ourselves with them, as if the beautiful ones are the most valuable. It doesn't matter how moral or immoral a person is: we assume that beauty equals virtue and beauty equals truth, when that is not the case at all. In sharp contrast to our society, G-d told Samuel when he was looking to see which of Jesse's sons to anoint, "Man looks out the outer appearance, but G-d looks at the heart." G-d did not send Yeshua physically in the 21st century or leave us accurate photographs or statues of Him partly because G-d wanted us to concentrate on Yeshua's message and to see His heart. If we had photographs, we would have focused on the wrong thing and would have tried to remake Him into an image that was more like Hollywood. Isaiah (NLT) 52 and 53 says this about the Messiah: The Lord's Suffering Servant 13 See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 Many were amazed when they saw him*-beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person. 15 And he will again startle* many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not previously been told about; they will understand what they had not heard about. Who has believed our message? To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power? 2 My servant grew up in the Lord's presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected-a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care." Yeshua, the Scriptures say, had nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance. That's a very good thing, because He didn't want just the rich and beautiful to flock to Him or to relate to Him. His love is real... and it is available for all of us, whether we have extremely white teeth or pimples or perfectly aligned bodies or not. He humbled Himself and did not appear in His glory to us very much. He became Someone who carried our sorrows and is approachable by anyone who recognizes the Living Water He offers. If Yeshua came during this century, we would critically evaluate His eyebrows or fashion sense and suggest a makeover for Him, instead of realizing that the makeover He offers for us is so much more important. Here is a poem by G.K. Chesterton which illustrates what I mean: "The Christ Child Lay On Mary's Lap" http://www.pegsplace.us/cjb.html Words: Gilbert Keith (G. K.) Chesterton (1874 - 1936) 1. The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap, His hair was like a light. (O weary, weary were the world, But here is all aright.) 2. The Christ-child lay on Mary's breast, His hair was like a star. (O stern and cunning are the kings, But here the true hearts are.) 3. The Christ-child lay on Mary's heart, His hair was like a fire. (O weary, weary is the world, But here the world's desire.) 4. The Christ-child stood at Mary's knee, His hair was like a crown. And all the flowers looked up at Him, And all the stars looked down." Unless a person looks at Yeshua with a heart to receive truth, that person will not see what G-d sees-- His Beloved Son. Anyone who will may come to Him because He humbled Himself to identify with all of us. He is the only wise G-d, the L-rd of glory, and one day our eyes will be opened to see it. |