Heart of a Ready Writer: A to Z Answers: Longing to Look at the Lord

Thursday

A to Z Answers: Longing to Look at the Lord

What does the Lord Jesus look like?

Have you ever pictured Jesus while you were praying? Most likely, we all have tried to do so. How do you perceive the Prince of Peace? What do you see when you meet with the Messiah?

The King of King's Heavenly appearance is likely beyond what we can currently conceive. The Bible book of Revelation talks about the Savior’s second coming in colorful terms.

by Carl Heinrich Block

by Adolf Hyla

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.

by Andrea Vicentino

His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

by Annibale Carracci

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

(Revelation 19:11-16, NIV)

Clearly, the Lord's coming will be clear to all. When we see Him, we will make no mistake about His appearance.

In the meantime, however, I often wonder what Jesus looked like when He took on human form and walked on the earth with mankind.

by Bartolomeo Vivarini

Artists have depicted the Lord in countless ways, sculpting and painting their imagined images of Immanuel. Usually, their perceptions seem to make the Son of God appear as if he came from the artists’ own family trees, rather than being the Rod of Jesse (see Isaiah 11:1).

Children’s picture books offer lovely drawings of a gentle Jesus with attractive features.

In our Easter services,

one of our pastors raised this perennial question.

Have you wondered as well?

Take a look at these examples of Jesus paintings.

From: Bible Revival Cards

The Bible actually describes the human form of Jesus as being somewhat unremarkable.

My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.

(Isaiah 53:2, NLT)

by Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein

Perhaps He fit in rather inconspicuously in first-century Israel. Betraying Jesus, Judas offered to identity the Lord with a kiss (see Luke 22:47–48), just so the guards would know whom to arrest.

Maybe the Messiah was hard to pick out in a crowd.

We might assume Jesus had short hair, as the Apostle Paul described long hair as shameful for men during that era (see 1 Corinthians 11:14). We can also suppose that He wore a beard, because the Roman soldiers apparently ripped at it, as prophesied in the Old Testament (see Isaiah 50:6).

by Bruno Langner

Beyond that, we do not know much about the Lord’s physical appearance.

No matter what Jesus looked like in His earthly ministry, we do know one thing. There will be no mistaking His appearance when He returns.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

by Tom Curr

(Philippians 2:9-11, NLT)

Hallelujah.

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