What did Jesus look like?

By: Connor McDaniel
Do you ever think about what Jesus looked like? It’s kind of funny how if you look at a lot of artwork of Jesus from over the years, we’ve developed an image of Him. Long, straight, brown hair, a long and kind of pointed nose, dark eyes- it’s always someone like that representing Him. Especially in ancient and Medieval artwork, Jesus always looks perfect. He looks like the ideal human. He is pleasant to look at. But I wonder if we do ourselves a disservice by creating this image of Jesus.
Let me clarify- Jesus did live a perfect life. He was sinless and became the physical embodiment of love (1 Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21). But Jesus was also human, which means He probably didn’t look perfect. And there were even times when perhaps He didn’t feel perfect. In John 6:67, after many of Jesus’ followers leave Him behind, Jesus asks the twelve apostles if they want to leave, too. Here is a small glimpse into Jesus’ feelings. Why did He ask the apostles if they would also go away? Did He think no one cared? Was He sad that people had walked away from what Peter would call “the words of eternal life”? Maybe it was a combination of these things. I can’t speak for Jesus and say I know how He felt, but I do believe that this is a moment that we can all relate to in some way.
Have you ever felt not good enough? Ever felt there was something about yourself that there was something you didn’t like or wanted to change? Well, it appears you’re in good company. The difference is where you find your value. Jesus knew that His value wasn’t in how He looked or who followed Him, it was in how well He followed God, and that’s why so many people loved Him and still do today. He focused on love and being kind to people and showing them the way to a better life. So if you ever want to change something, or feel like you need to be different, remember you are part of God’s amazing creation and that as long as you’re guiding people to Him, you’re all you’ve ever needed to be.