Jesus is not white..

AlexDTX · Nov 28, 2018

misput said:
There is scripture that indicates Jesus is not good looking but i am too lazy too look it up.

That is a common assumption based upon Isaiah 53:2

Isa_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.

But this is reading the verse out of context. The verse is describing what he was like on the cross.

Isa 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

Isa 53:3 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.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 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.

Jesus was the perfect lamb of God. No lamb with blemish was acceptable for OT sacrifice, which was a type of Christ to come.

Do ugly people draw great crowds? No, it is the charismatic person that draws the great crowds. He was handsome and beautiful as the physical expression of his spirit within. He grew in favor with man and God as he grew up.

Ugliness is a product of sin. God makes all things beautiful but sin makes all things ugly. Was Jesus ever ugly? Yes, on the cross which is what the verse is about. He wasn't ugly because of the whippings and beatings. He was ugly when the he became sin who knew no sin. When Jesus walked the Earth he sympathized with the sufferings of mankind. But when he was on the cross he empathized for he experienced those same sufferings. It was on the cross he became our priest. It was his perfect life on the Earth that enabled him to become our High Priest because his offering needed no further offering like those of mortal men.

Alithis · Nov 28, 2018

Radagast said:
Well, ethnically, Jesus was Jewish.

But Jesus was one of us. So in every Christian country, Jesus gets portrayed that way. As white in many white-majority countries, and as black in parts of Africa.

Not all jews are white..

Resha Caner · Nov 28, 2018

I'm assuming the term "Hollywood" is being used pejoratively here to indicate filmmakers. If so, that's not necessarily the best place to start. Not that I'm claiming all filmmakers are pursuing an artistic ideal, but it's best not to whitewash them all one way or the other.

If one is going to criticize a film, one has to first understand it. There could be legitimate artistic reasons for using a white actor to portray Jesus. Still, in the end, it may well be the case that some laziness or bias is behind some choices.

I just know that as a filmmaker myself, I've already been dinged for not using enough diversity in my cast. The problem is, that's what I have access to given my resources. It's not because I insisted it be that way. And, as my circle grows, it is becoming more diverse. Still, I find it a bit of reverse discrimination to assume every film must be diverse. Not every story is.

Dirk1540 · Nov 28, 2018

Jenniferdiana said:
no offense to anyone here but im gonna put and this bluntly in the best way i can, so obviously Jesus isnt white so why does hollywood keep using white men to portray him or men who look white? the way Jesus is described in the bible and the way his background and history is partly describe all over definitely says he isnt and wasnt white. doesnt hollywood have actors who would atleast look close to his nationality? why do they keep using these white men? why does everything have to be white in this world? and yes i am a black girl but i didnt come in this post and say he was black either but i def. know he aint white, so. and like i said before Robert Powell isnt Jesus but i bet a lot of people think he be looking like that. thats why i think a lot of people worship him because they think he be looking like that..they worship him in vain..they look at all these pictures and movies and fall in love with this false image hollywood made him out to be..etc. their hearts are far from him..some people need to learn how to get inside his heart because thats where we begin to know the true Jesus, thats where his truths and real beauty is revealed.......so

Some roles are character locked some aren’t, Christopher Reeves became the character lock look for what looks like an accurate Superman. But James Bond, Batman, etc aren’t. I think the white Jesus we’re used to (that goes back pretty far) was destined for character lock because millions of people emotionally pray and bow down to that stereotype image for many years. So it could ironically feel too fake to see someone drastically different looking playing Jesus.

High Fidelity · Nov 28, 2018

Jenniferdiana said:
no offense to anyone here but im gonna put and this bluntly in the best way i can, so obviously Jesus isnt white so why does hollywood keep using white men to portray him or men who look white? the way Jesus is described in the bible and the way his background and history is partly describe all over definitely says he isnt and wasnt white. doesnt hollywood have actors who would atleast look close to his nationality? why do they keep using these white men? why does everything have to be white in this world? and yes i am a black girl but i didnt come in this post and say he was black either but i def. know he aint white, so. and like i said before Robert Powell isnt Jesus but i bet a lot of people think he be looking like that. thats why i think a lot of people worship him because they think he be looking like that..they worship him in vain..they look at all these pictures and movies and fall in love with this false image hollywood made him out to be..etc. their hearts are far from him..some people need to learn how to get inside his heart because thats where we begin to know the true Jesus, thats where his truths and real beauty is revealed.......so

Because there are a lot of people that really want to believe he was white.

There's probably more of them in America than those that are as passionate about him being depicted as he would have looked; someone that would ironically be treated suspiciously in America today based on skin colour.

All4Christ · Nov 28, 2018

Dirk1540 said:
Some roles are character locked some aren’t, Christopher Reeves became the character lock look for what looks like an accurate Superman. But James Bond, Batman, etc aren’t. I think the white Jesus we’re used to (that goes back pretty far) was destined for character lock because millions of people emotionally pray and bow down to that stereotype image for many years. So it could ironically feel too fake to see someone drastically different looking playing Jesus.

Western Christianity tends to have that image...not all of Christianity, and not even all of Western Christianity.

section9+1 · Nov 28, 2018

Any black person or any other color can have a black Jesus or whatever they like. I'm good with that. However, I am white, so I'll take a white one. I see no issues.

Dirk1540 · Nov 28, 2018

All4Christ said:
Western Christianity tends to have that image...not all of Christianity, and not even all of Western Christianity.

For me it was in my house since birth. My mom would watch Jesus movies and have ‘That’ picture of him around the house. So for me someone very different looking would probably seem like Rick Moranis playing The Terminator lol.

Radagast · Nov 28, 2018

Alithis said:
Not all jews are white..

That isn't even remotely close to what I said.

Radagast · Nov 28, 2018

Alithis said:
The Lord JESUS is no longer known in the flesh at all.
He has put off mortality .

Actually, that's not true. Jesus was resurrected in his (glorified) body. The disciples saw him. His body is now in Heaven. We will see it one day.

Blade · Nov 28, 2018

One .. He is a spirit.. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth... and when He walked this earth.. He was as the word says..was not one you wanted to look at..Isa 53:1-3 "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him"

No where in the word does it say His color not did anyone get stuck here. And in REV..its white AS wool..its the COLOR of the hair...didnt Christ have brown.. black.. not its white? His skin...the one John saw.. was like burnt brass .. take out brunt brass.. did it stop there? Then polish it.. go see what polish brass looks like.. NO MAN I have ever seen.

Yet.. He GOD was NOT made in mans image. Let us make man in our image. The enemy is the one that wants the body of Christ to get stuck here. I could careless what color.. I NEVER saw pictured Him as white..and white? Truth? Never meet a white person. My wife is more black then most black people.. yet shes Chinese and its not BLACK..its brown. Most blacks are brown..some are black. My dad was Nez Perce Indian.

I toss all this out.. means nothing.. this GOD came in the flesh.. born of Mary.. died on the cross for the worlds sins.. was buried.. rose the 3rd day. is the only way to the Father PRAISE GOD GLORY TO JESUS.. that CROSS. The BLOOD OF JESUS I am washed in..<---this is the Gospel.. this is what saves.

I dont care lol what Color He is...He shows me the Father.. EVERYTHING He did was what the Father said and show'd Him. NOTHING and EVERYTHING He did was NEVER of Himself. So..if we even look at that.. He would NEVER want us to see flesh.. its see know the Father.. seek 1st the kingdom of GOD and HIS righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.

Sorry.. but we are ALL the same. No color matters to God what so ever. What He cares about is.. for GOD so loved the world..."The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"..to call the sinner to repent.. this is what ALL of us were...now we are ONE body..grafted in to the VINE..what branch is different? You can not tell.. the only way is.. SOME have fruit..some do not

ewq1938 · Nov 28, 2018

messianist said:
Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him,

That was written under the new covenant. Jesus lived under the old covenant.

Did Jesus have long hair?

How long was Jesus' hair?

StephenDiscipleofYHWH · Nov 28, 2018

thecolorsblend said:
I don’t think you understand what the scriptural conception of an idol is.

6459. pesel
an idol, image
carved graven image
From pacal; an idol -- carved (graven) image.

6091. atsab
an idol
idol, image
From atsab; an (idolatrous) image -- idol, image.

1497. eidólon
Definition: an image (for worship), by implication a false god
Usage: an idol, false god.
idol.
From eidos; an image (i.e. For worship); by implication, a heathen god, or (plural) the worship of such -- idol.

Acts 17:29-30
29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Romans 2:21-23
21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Exodus 20:4-5
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Isaiah 44:9-20
9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses;they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
10 Who hathformed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
12 The smithwith the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it withhammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he ishungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with aline; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass,and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of aman; that it may remain in the house.
14 He heweth him downcedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengthenethfor himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and therain doth nourish it.
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he willtake thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread;yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a gravenimage, and falleth down thereto.
16 He burneth part thereof in thefire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and issatisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I haveseen the fire:
17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayethunto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
18 They have notknown nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannotsee; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19 And noneconsidereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understandingto say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked breadupon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall Imake the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to thestock of a tree?
20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Psalms 115:4-8
4 Their idols [are] silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; [so is] every one that trusteth in them.

Leviticus 26:1
1Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

Zoii · Nov 28, 2018

Root of Jesse said:
Mediterranean Europeans looked different than Northern European. The Catholic Church in Rome was darker skinned than the North. And you're wrong, I've been to plenty of Catholic Churches where Jesus had black hair, and in some of them, he was so bloody you didn't care the skin color. But WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

Makes no difference to me - Im merely agreeing with the OP sentiment. If you dont thats fine

thecolorsblend · Nov 28, 2018

thecolorsblend said:
I don’t think you understand what the scriptural conception of an idol is.

StephenDiscipleofYHWH said:
6459. pesel
an idol, image
carved graven image
From pacal; an idol -- carved (graven) image.

6091. atsab
an idol
idol, image
From atsab; an (idolatrous) image -- idol, image.

1497. eidólon
Definition: an image (for worship), by implication a false god
Usage: an idol, false god.
idol.
From eidos; an image (i.e. For worship); by implication, a heathen god, or (plural) the worship of such -- idol.

Acts 17:29-30
29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Exodus 20:4-5
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Isaiah 44:9-20
9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses;they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
10 Who hathformed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
12 The smithwith the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it withhammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he ishungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with aline; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass,and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of aman; that it may remain in the house.
14 He heweth him downcedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengthenethfor himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and therain doth nourish it.
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he willtake thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread;yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a gravenimage, and falleth down thereto.
16 He burneth part thereof in thefire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and issatisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I haveseen the fire:
17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayethunto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
18 They have notknown nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannotsee; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
19 And noneconsidereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understandingto say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked breadupon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall Imake the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to thestock of a tree?
20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Psalms 115:4-8
4 Their idols [are] silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; [so is] every one that trusteth in them.

Leviticus 26:1
1Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

You definitely understand how to use copy + paste though. And that's good.

StephenDiscipleofYHWH · Nov 28, 2018

thecolorsblend said:
You definitely understand how to use copy + paste though. And that's good.

That is the scriptural definition/conception of an Idol. Now you know.

thecolorsblend · Nov 28, 2018

StephenDiscipleofYHWH said:
That is the scriptural definition/conception of an Idol. Now you know.

I see.

Interesting.

Then why did God instruct that graven images be made in Exodus? Why did God make an image Himself later on?

StephenDiscipleofYHWH · Nov 28, 2018

thecolorsblend said:
I see.

Interesting.

Then why did God instruct that graven images be made in Exodus? Why did God make an image Himself later on?

Did God command it? Then it was fine. Did God command us to make images of his son and of crosses and of men to bow down to? No. Then it is not fine.

This is what we see in scripture.
1. God commands it=of God
2. God commands against it=not of God

thecolorsblend · Nov 28, 2018

StephenDiscipleofYHWH said:
Did God command it? Then it was fine. Did God command us to make images of his son and of crosses and of men to bow down to? No. Then it is not fine.

This is what we see in scripture.
1. God commands it=of God
2. God commands against it=not of God

With respect, I think your analysis is overly simplistic. In Exodus 25:18 and Numbers 21:8-9, God outright commands His people to create graven images.

And...

Keep therefore your souls carefully. You saw not any similitude in the day that the Lord God spoke to you in Horeb from the midst of the fire: Lest perhaps being deceived you might make you a graven similitude, or image of male or female,
-- Deuteronomy 4:15-16 (DRA)

... here God explains part of His rationale with His initial warning His people away from creating a graven image. At that time (circa Exodus 20), the children of Israel had no real conception of what He looked like. Anything they attempted to create would've been speculative on their part and the end result probably would've been the result of being deceived.

In the end, God provided an image of His own by way of the Incarnation.

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature
-- Colossians 1:13-15

Your idea that Our Lord should not have any kind of visual representation is illogical, in part because God conceptualized the image of the Messiah vis a vis the Incarnation.

Even if you disagree with my conclusions on this, can you at least recognize that others have room for disagreeing with you?

StephenDiscipleofYHWH · Nov 28, 2018

thecolorsblend said:
With respect, I think your analysis is overly simplistic. In Exodus 25:18 and Numbers 21:8-9, God outright commands His people to create graven images.

And...

Keep therefore your souls carefully. You saw not any similitude in the day that the Lord God spoke to you in Horeb from the midst of the fire: Lest perhaps being deceived you might make you a graven similitude, or image of male or female,
-- Deuteronomy 4:15-16 (DRA)

... here God explains part of His rationale with His initial warning His people away from creating a graven image. At that time (circa Exodus 20), the children of Israel had no real conception of what He looked like. Anything they attempted to create would've been speculative on their part and the end result probably would've been the result of being deceived.

In the end, God provided an image of His own by way of the Incarnation.

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature
-- Colossians 1:13-15

Your idea that Our Lord should not have any kind of visual representation is illogical, in part because God conceptualized the image of the Messiah vis a vis the Incarnation.

Even if you disagree with my conclusions on this, can you at least recognize that others have room for disagreeing with you?

Every man is entitled to his own opinion. Mine is this.
Acts 17:29-30
29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Romans 2:21-23
21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

You may believe what you wish brother.

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