Over centuries, there have been many discussions concerning Jesus’ appearance. Over the years, there has been a standard description of his appearance: tall, with long brown hair, blue eyes, and a slim figure. The roles played as Jesus in movies give him an attractive appearance. Recently, there have been reports challenging this perception. Therefore, we resort to the scripture for clarity. Does the Bible describe Jesus’ appearance?
The Bible does not clearly describe Jesus’ appearance during his time on earth. However, some books, such as Isaiah, give an insight into his appearance. According to Isaiah’s prophecy, Jesus’ appearance resembles an ordinary man, Isaiah 53:1-3. He states that he has no unique appearance that makes him stand out from the rest of the crowd.
The face we’ve watched in countless movies resembles Jesus. Is that what he looks like? Where in the Bible does it describe Jesus’ appearance? Does Isaiah talk about Jesus’ appearance? Did Jesus have deformity? What books in the Bible talk about Jesus’ appearance? If you are curious, the answers are in the article below.
Where in the Bible does it describe Jesus’ appearance?
A few verses in the Bible talk about Jesus’ appearance. However, they are not actual time descriptions. Most are prophecies. We find Jesus’ appearance description in Isaiah. Other books, such as Revelation and Daniel, discuss how Jesus will look in heaven.
The best descriptive verse in the Bible is Isaiah 53:2 For he grew before him like a young plant, and like a root out of the dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. It gives us details on what Jesus looked like. From Isaiah’s description, we can tell Jesus was regular; as he says, he had nothing that would draw people to him.
Revelation 1:14-15 His head and hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. This verse describes Jesus’ future appearance in heaven; some claim it’s God’s description which is yet to be confirmed.
Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonished at him, his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men. Here Isaiah gives Jesus a description of his crucifixion. As you read, his appearance was destroyed, an image not pleasing for any human being to desire to see.
Daniel 10:5-6 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz. Daniel gives a description of Jesus in heaven. He was clothed in fine linen, unlike how he dressed before he died and ascended to heaven.
Mathew 17:2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light.
Does Isaiah talk about Jesus’ appearance?
Isaiah talks about Jesus’ appearance in short verses. Isaiah 53:2 For he grew before him like a young plant, and like a root out of the dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. Isaiah talks about his appearance while on earth. He alludes he has no feature distinguishing him from the rest.
In another verse, Isaiah talks of Jesus during his crucifixion. He had injuries from the piercings and cuts on his face and entire body that changed his appearance. Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonished at him, his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men.
Did Jesus have deformity?
There is no mention of Jesus having any deformity in the Bible. They would be aware of any unique features in Isaiah’s description if he had any unique characteristics. However, recently there have been claims about his appearance which suggest that he had a deformity.
According to Isaiah’s description, Jesus looked normal. Apart from the verses that highlight his appearance during the crucifixion, there is no mention of any deformity. Jesus belonged to the Jewish heritage; we imagine he should resemble other Jews with dark hair and eyes.
Through the years, Jesus’ image was influenced by Roman and Greek gods, which resulted in the painting of a handsome long-haired man. The image resembled that of the Greek God Zeus, who was equally dressed in long white robes.
A portrait, painted around the sixth century, is found in Southern Israel inside a church depicting Jesus. Here, he has short curly hair. There are no details of any form of deformity. Most paintings reflect more on the artist than Jesus; if the artist is Greek, the portrait will resemble a Greek god.
In her book “What Did Jesus Look Like?” Joan Taylor encourages the thoughts of Jesus being disfigured. She claims that Jesus may have been scarred from carpentry as he probably suffered injuries. She accounts that the way other significant Biblical figures, such as David and Moses, are described is entirely different from Jesus’ description.
She alludes to the silence in his description speaks volumes. In 2015, a scholar, Richard Neave, reconstructed Jesus’ face that looked different. He looked nothing like what we’ve seen in movies and portraits. In the sculpture, he has short dark hair resembling other Jews.
If, indeed, Jesus had a deformity, it would have been easier to identify him with that from the crowd. When Judas Iscariot went looking for him, he pointed him out with a kiss on the cheeks. Which means he blended in with his disciples’ appearances.
Jesus instructed his followers to allow children to come to him; children, in turn, did enjoy his company. Had Jesus any deformity, the kids would have been frightened by his appearance. However, that was not the case. Whenever he was summoned by those having issues with his ministerial work would have highlighted his shortcomings, if he had any.
Jesus may have been injured during his ministry as he got arrested and frequently harassed. Also, there is a possibility that he may have suffered cuts and wounds when he worked as a carpenter. However, there is no mention of any severe injuries in the Bible, which make it look like he had deformities or was born with any.
What books in the Bible talk about Jesus’ appearance?
The book of Isaiah talks about Jesus’ appearance. As highlighted above, Isaiah 53:2, Isaiah details Jesus’ appearance; he speaks of his simplicity as similar to the ordinary person. In the same book different chapter, Isaiah talks of Jesus’ appearance during his crucifixion. It is the only book that describes him while he is on earth; the rest are about when he became immortal.
We find other details of Jesus’ appearance in Revelation 1:14-15. Here, John gives an account of Jesus’ appearance in heaven. We get to make an image through the beautiful description. In the book of Daniel, he similarly talks of Jesus as that in Revelation. The book of Mathew also talks about Jesus’ appearance as he transfigured to heaven.
References
New book claims Jesus Christ may have been unattractive or even disfigured
The ongoing mystery of Jesus’ face
What was Jesus’ physical appearance?
John’s apocalyptic vision of Jesus
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
