EULESS, Texas (BP)–People have painted, sculpted and imagined what Jesus looked like for centuries.
We commonly observe different artists’ and sculptors’ conceptions of Jesus’ image. Adding to the mystique that surrounds the face of Jesus in art, I recently viewed a documentary that explored the famous “Shroud of Turin” on a major television network. Several scholars engaged one another in significant and detailed discussions debating the authenticity and history of the shroud.
Why such a fuss? Well, some propose that the shroud was the burial cloth of Jesus. They argue that when Jesus arose from the dead, he released a tremendous amount of energy onto the cloth, leaving his image imprinted on it.
As a result of this belief, untold dollars and hours have been spent attempting to authenticate the shroud. Why do people spend time and money analyzing the Shroud of Turin? Why do artists have so many different conceptions of what Jesus looked like?
The simple answer is this: We want to know what Jesus actually looked like.
I have good news for you and me: We can end the speculation and interpretation and know exactly what Jesus looked like. When we look to the Scriptures, John the Baptist looked at Jesus and said, “Behold! the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Jesus looks like a lamb.
Now, this might seem a bit strange. How can Jesus look like a lamb? Does this mean that Jesus actually looked like a sheep? Of course not. Does it mean that Jesus appeared meek and mild; does it mean that he was soft-spoken and gentle? No, it does not.
When John described Jesus appearing like the “Lamb of God,” he declared that Jesus looked like a sacrifice. After all, lambs in Israel were used for sacrifice in the temple. Israelites offered lambs to God every year. John the Baptist saw Jesus and knew that he would be the ultimate sacrifice. He knew that Jesus was the perfect Lamb that God offers to us; this Lamb of God will restore the broken relationship between people and God.
When Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross, humanity had the opportunity to experience new life and forgiveness from sin. John the Baptist described Jesus as a lamb because lambs have always been associated with humanity’s problem (sin) and God’s solution (sacrifice). Only Jesus, God’s Lamb, could take away “the sin of the world.”
Next time you and your family visit an art gallery, view religious images on the Internet or see an artist’s depiction of Jesus’ face, tell them this, “It’s only what the artist thinks Jesus looks like. The Bible tells us what he really looked like: Jesus looks like a lamb.”
Once you tell them this truth, explain why Jesus looked like a lamb — he gave his life for us so that we could experience a new and close relationship with God.
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