Mysteries surrounding Jesus's ministry

Hi.Interesting post.I haven't really wondered what Jesus looked like for a long time. Though as a child I assumed that He was blonde ,blue eyed and light skinned like the painting that hung on the wall at my grandparent's house.Had I lived during the time of His resurrection I would have been too overcome with awe to think of anything to ask Him.

Not_By_Chance said:

Given that at least some of the people alive when Jesus was here on earth would have realised that he was God, the creator of all things - isn't it strange that no-one seems to have taken advantage of such a superb once-in-a-generation opportunity to have asked Jesus the sort of questions we would all like or would have liked to know, such as "How did you make the earth and how did you do it in just 6 days?

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The problem with this is, assuming he was God (and I don't contest this), that understanding comes by revelation. Here are two verses that weigh into this...

John 16:25 "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

Luke 10:22 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."

So we have him saying he was speaking in abstract language (parables/proverbs) concerning the Father and that a time WILL COME when he would speak plainly. And we have another verse that states that only the son knows the Father AND whoever the son reveals the Father to. Therefore, it seems likely that "at that time," it wasn't as clearly understood as it was later.

Jesus looks like you and me. Any attempt to make a picture of him or image of a man in your mind would be similar to Aaron, making the golden calf, in my opinion. They werent satisfied with the works of God, they wanted something they could see....an image they could touch and pray to, whether mentally or physically.

-I think they asked pretty good questions. They werent concerned about trivia things...They wanted the way to life...After receiving that, they would know the answers to the smaller questions. remember, the disciples asked Jesus about the end.....Jesus told them that they would be better off finding out the beginning....i believe they are both one in the same. Once you find the kingdom of Heaven, all questions will be answered.

Hi Chance

You wrote:

“What did Jesus look like when here on earth? I'm sure many Christians must have pondered this question at some stage. We have many variations on this, from the white man with blue eyes (e.g., Robert Powell in "Jesus of Nazareth) to darker versions more akin to arab people.”

It actually does not matter how he did look, His message was much more important than his looks.

But if you want to know how He was seen by the prophet of GOD long before He come to Earth, read the short physical description of Christ in the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 53). In the second verse of chapter 53 you can read: “He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”

This means that if you meet Him in the crowd or on the street, you would pass Him by without even noticing Him!

Remember, GOD exalt humble, and humbles exalted, and He did exactly the same with His Son. So Jesus without any significant physical appearance glorified His Father and Himself on the cross of resurrection, and will glorify even more at His second coming without having any stately or noble appearance.

About David was written that he was ruddy (1Samuel 16.12), and David was from the line of Judah, from which Jesus came. Jews look quite differently from one another from the beginning, because many foreigners always live among them since they left Egypt. Today you can find Jews with blond or red hair and blue eyes, which is very common appearance mostly among European Jews. But in general they are look like Middle Eastern people. How exactly Jesus looks? You will now then you meet Him.

The answer on you second question I would say this: Even if someone asked Jesus “How you created Earth and everything else,” most likely He will not answer this question directly as He did many times in His ministry, but would say rather something what would teach that person a certain lesson.

Furthermore, even if He will try to answer such question, would anyone understand what He actually saying and talking about?

Would you discuss with a toddler politics, or with illiterate person literature? Or would you join a company of scientists and comment on a subject you do not know anything about? Would they talk to you after that?

Take a look that GOD said to Job (chapters 38-41). He let Job know just very elementary thing of some of His creations, and even that no human being can completely grasp it and understand it.

But again, it will be a time, then GOD will open His great deeds and secrets to His beloved, and at the right time we will know everything we need to know.

And we will glorify GOD more than ever, because we will see and understand much more than we can possibly understand here on Earth, being in our limited mortal human body and insufficient brain power.

So do not rush things ahead of their time, GOD will surely reward all who have patience with great knowledge and understanding.

GOD bless you.

Alex.

Why did He not give the knowledge of putting all that flavor into a cheeto to just one of the Apostles?

Someone already said Isaiah 53, so I will not go there. His appearance would have made him very approachable.

As for your question is that really what you want to know from God?

Would you be that much different than those that did ask him questions?

What about: “what must I do?

bling said:

Someone already said Isaiah 53, so I will not go there. His appearance would have made him very approachable.

As for your question is that really what you want to know from God?

Would you be that much different than those that did ask him questions?

What about: “what must I do?

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Bingo. I think that is the sort of question He wanted. Certainly not a demand of obedience and love by sheer demonstration of Power as many might ask for so "all" would "believe".
As He said, and Saint James presented more clearly when he said what good is intellectual consent (faith) to who He is, even the demons "believe and tremble" that He is God. It a faith that drives our love of Him(Good) and desire for what is right that He wants for us. It is the very basic answer to life given - the one He gave directly - to actually be what He made us to be = to love, serve and know Good (Him). That sort of faith desired and the works resulting from it comes only by the application of the Grace by God and not by operation of our (or the demons) intellect.

Not_By_Chance said:

There's another aspect of Jesus's ministry that I also find somewhat puzzling and I'd be interested to hear what other have to say on this too. Given that at least some of the people alive when Jesus was here on earth would have realised that he was God, the creator of all things - isn't it strange that no-one seems to have taken advantage of such a superb once-in-a-generation opportunity to have asked Jesus the sort of questions we would all like or would have liked to know, such as "How did you make the earth and how did you do it in just 6 days? What were you doing before you made everything? What are the stars made of? How can the earth be held up by nothing and how big is it? etc. Obviously we can only speculate, so come on speculators, let me know what you think.

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Your question involves a fundamental misappraisal as to the constitution of Christ, which is that he did not acknowledge himself to be God, but referred to the Father in heaven as "his" God. As he never claimed to be the Father, but only to be "in the bosom of the Father" per John 1;18, there is no reason why anyone would have seen him as the father. Phil 2;7 he "emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." "emptied Himself" means emptied himself of divinity in order to take up the likeness of man. So Jesus was not omniscient as he himself conceded.

To claim to have been "God the Father" would have been theologically inaccurate and would have incurred Jesus in a total loss of credibility with all his hearers, quite irrespective of his miracles. He had difficulty enough convincing people he was the son of God, and so equal to God in his nature, which is and was acceptable doctrine.

Jesus would have been just like any other Jew of His time. Even His name was a common one. He would never have stood out in a crowd. If you put Him in a lineup with nine other Jews you would not have been able to pick Him out.