Besides White Jesus

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What do you think of various groups of people having different pictures of Jesus?

For example, in the US, there is primarily White Jesus. In Asia, one might have an Asian Jesus. There are many to think of; for example, Black Jesus, disabled Jesus, fat Jesus.
 

blackribbon

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Adam and Eve were obviously a perfect mix of all potential genetic combinations. I listened to one speaker describe that when giving birth, they must have always been in awe of what each child looked like...this one dark skin, this one red hair, etc because they both had to be "one of everything".

Since Jesus' father was God who whispered life into Mary, his human form must have also been at least half a perfect combination of everything. I think the reason that no images of Jesus remain is that God did not want us concerned about "what Jesus looked like" but rather His message. To get hung up on the color of his skin, hair, or eyes is to waste time and attention on the things that don't matter to God and would give people a chance to feel elite over other people if they "matched" in any way.
 
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MotherFirefly

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Adam and Eve were obviously a perfect mix of all potential genetic combinations. I listened to one speaker describe that when giving birth, they must have always been in awe of what each child looked like...this one dark skin, this one red hair, etc because they both had to be "one of everything".

Why would they have to be one of everything?
The majority of differences in skin tone, hair color, etc is due to people being in different areas of the world for most of time. Genetic adaptation caused by natural environment.

Since the garden did not have the harmful conditionings of the earth, perhaps adam and eve were a very pale white, possibly with white hair as well. Once they were banished, and thus under the effects of harmful rays from the sun and the such, their bodies would have began to adapt to the new environment, as God created them to do, and each generation would then look slightly different because of this.
Also, due to the facts they lived as long as they did and their bodies were probably much closer to perfect than ours, they probably adapted much quicker as well.

I have heard strong cases for Jesus being of a tanned, caramel color, due to the area of the world he was born. Of course, it is very possible that divine intervention as a birthing method can do whatever it wants with the genetics...
 
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blackribbon

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Why would they have to be one of everything?
The majority of differences in skin tone, hair color, etc is due to people being in different areas of the world for most of time. Genetic adaptation caused by natural environment.

Since the garden did not have the harmful conditionings of the earth, perhaps adam and eve were a very pale white, possibly with white hair as well. Once they were banished, and thus under the effects of harmful rays from the sun and the such, their bodies would have began to adapt to the new environment, as God created them to do, and each generation would then look slightly different because of this.
Also, due to the facts they lived as long as they did and their bodies were probably much closer to perfect than ours, they probably adapted much quicker as well.

I have heard strong cases for Jesus being of a tanned, caramel color, due to the area of the world he was born. Of course, it is very possible that divine intervention as a birthing method can do whatever it wants with the genetics...

This is not how it works. Natural adaptation removes options, it doesn't add them...a white alligator won't survive because it can't blend in with the background so the genetic code loses the genes for a 'white alligator' because few ever make it to reproduction age to pass the characteristic on. In order to express a trait, the genetic information must exist in the parents. So in order for a recessive trait like red hair to be expressed, both parents must possess that genetic information. Therefore, Adam and Eve had to each have one of everything. The only exception is genetic flaws which we are going to assume didn't exist in Adam and Eve...and seldom, if ever, genetic flaws produce any desirable traits.
 
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MotherFirefly

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This is not how it works. Natural adaptation removes options, it doesn't add them...a white alligator won't survive because it can't blend in with the background so the genetic code loses the genes for a 'white alligator' because few ever make it to reproduction age to pass the characteristic on. In order to express a trait, the genetic information must exist in the parents. So in order for a recessive trait like red hair to be expressed, both parents must possess that genetic information. Therefore, Adam and Eve had to each have one of everything. The only exception is genetic flaws which we are going to assume didn't exist in Adam and Eve...and seldom, if ever, genetic flaws produce any desirable traits.

You're right. I misunderstood what you said, so I apologize.
 
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redblue22

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I think it does matter to people for creating a connection of identity in our Lord. God is pictured as white. I think many people would be uncomfortable if we put up pictures of black Jesus in a white church. White Jesus is by far everywhere. I can't really imagine what it is like to be surrounded by white Jesus if I were not white. Sure, white people can say it is trivial and shouldn't matter, but then I never show up at church and see a picture of Asian Jesus. I imagine if I am black, but all the inspiring religious movies have white Jesus. I never considered the idea of being elite. Thank you for that idea. It just so happens that elite white america paints their God white.
 
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blackribbon

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I think it does matter to people for creating a connection of identity in our Lord. God is pictured as white. I think many people would be uncomfortable if we put up pictures of black Jesus in a white church. White Jesus is by far everywhere. I can't really imagine what it is like to be surrounded by white Jesus if I were not white. Sure, white people can say it is trivial and shouldn't matter, but then I never show up at church and see a picture of Asian Jesus. I imagine if I am black, but all the inspiring religious movies have white Jesus. I never considered the idea of being elite. Thank you for that idea. It just so happens that elite white america paints their God white.

The elite white Jesus was not painted by Americans. This goes back a lot further than that. But truthfully, there must be a reason why the Bible never describes the physical attributes of Jesus....maybe because it doesn't matter
 
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Cearbhall

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What do you think of various groups of people having different pictures of Jesus?

For example, in the US, there is primarily White Jesus.
You know, I've thought back over my childhood, and I can't remember ever thinking Jesus was white. Not that I thought about race too much as a child, but I don't remember thinking that people from that part of the world looked like me.

I remember a thread on this site that showed a rendering of what the average 1st century man in Nazareth looked like, AKA what Jesus looked like. Someone replied that it was insulting to suggest that Jesus looked like a terrorist.
 
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blackribbon

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You know, I've thought back over my childhood, and I can't remember ever thinking Jesus was white. Not that I thought about race too much as a child, but I don't remember thinking that people from that part of the world looked like me.

I remember a thread on this site that showed a rendering of what the average 1st century man in Nazareth looked like, AKA what Jesus looked like. Someone replied that it was insulting to suggest that Jesus looked like a terrorist.

I never thought Jesus looked like me or anyone in my family...he had long brown hair, brown eyes, and was a man wearing a dress in all the pictures I saw. People might make light of this but skin color is skin color, no different than eye or hair color. I had friends who were all colors...and no one looked like any of the paintings I saw of Jesus.
 
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blackribbon

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I think we were spoon fed a comfortable Jesus.

There are some descriptions of Christ in bible and ancient materials. I think Jesus was short, ugly, and darker.

Really, does it matter? I don't know that I think the classical image of Jesus is "comfortable" and I don't know what you mean about being spoonfed? I remember the first time I saw a dark skinned Jesus and it just startled me, but I didn't find it offensive or "wrong"...it was just different. It did make me think a bit.

The book The Shack paints many different non-traditional "pictures" of Jesus and The Father...they offend many people because everyone has a picture of God and Jesus...but I found them all fascinating and really...spot on.

If anyone thinks God or Jesus has a specific "look", I think they will be sorely disappointed at the Resurrection. I think we will really see the heart of people and God at that time....I sure hope my flawed body doesn't travel "as is" with me . I hope to finally get the perfect version. I kind of expect that what God or Jesus "looks like" will be so spectacular that we can't even begin to imagine it. As for the Jesus in human form? Why worry? He will never be in human form again.
 
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redblue22

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Talking about what Jesus actually looked like is going away from the OP. My original thought was about having Jesus painted in different ways to reflect his experience common with all people. Disabled Jesus would reflect the whole humanity of those who are disabled. Black Jesus for those who are black.
 
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blackribbon

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Okay...I didn't get that from the OP. I think to have all ethnic versions of Jesus would probably be a very realistic picture of Jesus. Now "disabled Jesus"...no, that would show that Jesus was not perfection and He was.... Disabled people's humanity nor their identity isn't based on their disability.
 
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timewerx

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What do you think of various groups of people having different pictures of Jesus?

For example, in the US, there is primarily White Jesus. In Asia, one might have an Asian Jesus. There are many to think of; for example, Black Jesus, disabled Jesus, fat Jesus.


In Sodom and Gomorrah, those Angels that came to Lot's house that all the boys and men of Sodom tried to rape must be fair skinned.

My two years of living in the Middle East, I've observed you'll get sexually harassed a lot if you got fair skin and look youthful on top of that.

Even ancient sentiment of beauty is towards fairer skin (Book of Enoch). Fair skin is also seen as youthful feature

So we conclude that the angels who visited LOT look both youthful and fair skinned.

If Jesus shared the nature of those angels, He would have likewise be fair skinned and look youthful.

But since Christ had to leave for Egypt where could presumably blend so well. He could also look Arabic.


My final conclusion is that Christ would look like a youthful fair/medium-skinned Arab/Caucasian with brown or dark brown hair.

Like those people living in the Balkans region (Greeks, Serbians, Romanians, etc)

Jesus can't be fat, nor disabled. He walks a lot, heals a lot (so why not heal Himself? duh), and only eats a little. He can't be ugly either. Out of the goodness of one's heart, it comes out in the face.
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Servant68

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Jesus can't be fat, nor disabled. He walks a lot, heals a lot (so why not heal Himself? duh), and only eats a little.

Reminds me of a stand up comedian that was doing a bit on David Koresh. "He claimed he was Jesus in the flesh, yet none of his followers noticed that he wore glasses?!"
 
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AnneY

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I've never thought of Jesus as white. He was born to a Jewish woman, He lived among and looked like the average Jewish man of the time. If Jesus didn't look Jewish or of any other middle eastern descent, people would've commented on that fact, instead people doubted Jesus was the Messiah because He looked so normal.
John 6:42 - "And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?"

From the few verses that describe Jesus, He was 'average' to possibly 'ugly' looking. Wouldn't stand out in a crowd, in fact the soldiers coming to arrest Jesus had to have Judas identify Jesus because they didn't know who He was amongst the disciples the the garden.
Isaiah 53:2 - "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."
Matthew 26:48 - "Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast."
 
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timewerx

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From the few verses that describe Jesus, He was 'average' to possibly 'ugly' looking. Wouldn't stand out in a crowd, in fact the soldiers coming to arrest Jesus had to have Judas identify Jesus because they didn't know who He was amongst the disciples the the garden.
Isaiah 53:2 - "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."
Matthew 26:48 - "Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast."

Perhaps, but post-resurrection, almost nobody recognized Christ.

Even Peter could not recognized Him.

I would think He later took on the appearance of angels which made Him unrecognizable.
 
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AnneY

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Perhaps, but post-resurrection, almost nobody recognized Christ.

Even Peter could not recognized Him.

I would think He later took on the appearance of angels which made Him unrecognizable.

It's true that immediately after Jesus rose from the dead many people did not recognize Him until He opened their eyes, but even then, they treated Jesus as a normal guy, He didn't look out of the ordinary.
However, how Jesus looks now, in Heaven, may be completely different as He appeared on Earth. The book of Revelation uses some very interesting descriptors. ;)
 
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