What did Jesus look like?

What did Yeshua look like?
Hello, I’m Danny and I was an active Latter-day Saint for 60 years.
There have been numerous movies made about the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ or in Hebrew – Yeshua Mashiach. In each movie, Hollywood has tried to depict Yeshua as a somewhat unique looking man. Someone who would appeal to the eye of the viewer. Currently, a popular series called The Chosen produced by Dallas Jenkins has the actor Jonathan Roumie playing the role of Yeshua.
Who is Jonathan Roumie? From Wikipedia, we learn that “as a first-generation American, Roumie’s father was born in Egypt and is of Syro-Lebanese descent; his mother is from Ireland. Roumie has stated that his great-grandparents on his father’s side were Armenian. Though he was baptized in the Orthodox Church, Roumie converted to Catholicism.” In the Chosen series, Roumie is a taller and larger man than most of the other actors who are his apostles and disciples. He stands out amongst the entire cast for cinematic reasons. I get what they are trying to accomplish by doing that.
But honestly what did Yeshua the man look like in real life? I’m sure that has crossed the minds of most people. That is what I want to explore a little today.
Starting in the Old Testament, the children of Israel were waiting and watching for the coming of a promised Messiah. Leading into the time-period of the New Testament, the Jews were hoping for the impending arrival of the Mashiach. From the biblical narrative, was there any description of His physical appearance – whereby the people might recognize Him?
The first time we get a description is mentioned in the Old Testament passages, where we read about a messianic prophecy referred to as “The Suffering Servant.” It is found in Isaiah 52:13 through 53:12. This poetic passage is about the atonement of the Messiah and our reconciliation with God. In the New Testament like in Acts 8:32, early Christians recognized the Isaiah 53 passage as Messianic.
It is written to a community of Israelites in exile, devastated by the loss of their national and covenant identity. Isaiah announces that the debt of Israel’s sin leading to their exile in Babylon has been paid. And God is coming to redeem His people.
God’s chosen Servant plays an important role in this redemption. The role culminates in the image of the Suffering Servant, whose suffering, death, resurrection, and exaltation accomplish Israel’s redemption and Yeshua Mashiach’s victory over Satan, sin, death and hell.
Referring to Yeshua it says in Isaiah 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.”
This indicates that Yeshua’s appearance was just like any other ordinary male Jew. He would grow up in lowly, conditions “as a root out of a dry ground.” Fulfilling that prophecy, Yeshua was born in a stable or cave and placed in a manger or feeding trough and grew up in the small unremarkable town of Nazareth.
The only thing we learn about Jesus’ youth IS from an account recorded in Luke 2:41–52 “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
From this incident we learn certain things about Yeshua’s childhood. First, He was the son of parents who were devout in their religious observances. As required in the law – Joseph and Mary made the yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When Jesus was 12 years old, they brought Him along to celebrate the Feast with them. We see in this story that Jesus’ lingering in the temple was neither mischievous nor disobedient, but a natural result of His knowledge that He must be about His Heavenly Father’s business. That He was astonishing the temple teachers and Rabbis with His wisdom and knowledge speaks to His extraordinary abilities, while His listening and asking questions of His elders shows that He was utterly respectful, taking the role of a student as was fitting for a child of His age. He was preparing for His future ministry.
From this incident at 12 years old to His baptism at age 30, all we know of Jesus’ youth was that He left Jerusalem and returned to Nazareth with His parents and was obedient to them as an essential part of the perfect obedience to the law of Moses which He Himself rendered on our behalf. Beyond that, all we know is that in his youth he was wise and related well with adults. His relationship as a human with His Heavenly Father grew and increased.
Evidently, this is all that God determined we needed to know. There are some extra-Biblical writings which contain fanciful stories of Jesus’ youth – found in the gnostic writings. The truth is that God chose not to tell us much about Yeshua’s childhood – so we must trust that nothing occurred which we need to know.
Since his mother Mary was a virgin when she conceived Yeshua, we know He was the oldest of His half-siblings. The Bible tells us in Matthew 13:55-56 that Yeshua had four brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. He also had sisters, but they are not named nor are they numbered.
This verse also states in the form of a skeptical question from the Jews in Matthew 13:55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” Because Yeshua was the earthly adopted son of Joseph, who was a carpenter by trade – we might assume he also worked with his hands building wooden or carving stone objects that would have kept him physically fit.
The Old Testament further describes the appearance of Christ as the Suffering Servant just as He would appear during the terrible scourging prior to His crucifixion. Isaiah 52:14 “As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” Those words describe the inhuman cruelty Yeshua would suffer for us. His physical appearance was disfigured beyond human recognition.
Isaiah 53:3,5 foresaw that “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” This passage specifies the reason for Yeshua’s suffering: “for our transgressions,” and for our spiritual healing.
David wrote Psalm 22:14–18 which details some of the specifics during the suffering of the Messiah: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” All this clear prophecy was fulfilled and recorded in the Gospels. Yeshua suffered torture and crucifixion – dying to secure salvation for all who would believe on, Him.
The night of His arrest, as Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, He committed His all to the task: Luke 22:42 [“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”] The cup of suffering was not taken from Christ; He willingly drank it all for us on the cross. There was no other way.
Most of the images we see of Yeshua today in picture, paintings, and movies are probably not even close to being accurate. The Bible nowhere gives a description of Yeshua’s height, weight, skin color, hair color, or eye color. Such things are not important to understanding who the Son of God is. Yeshua was a typical Hebrew man in the Middle East. Likely, He had medium-brown skin, brown eyes and dark hair and a beard. He was probably the 5’8” average height of a first-century man living in Israel.
This is a far cry from the LDS depictions of a handsome, tall blue-eyed, fair-haired-haired, Caucasian/European Jesus. There is always a human tendency to appeal to the glamorous, more physically attractive attributes of humanity.
Yeshua Mashiach was infinitely superior to everyone morally, intellectually, and spiritually. But He most likely was simply average when it came to looks. Ultimately, it does not matter what He looked like in His mortal body. People were authentically drawn to Him because of His grace, compassion, and love.
Because of OUR physical, moral, and spiritual limitations, God the Father sent His one-and-only Son into the world. Through Yeshua, we are redeemed from our sin. If we want to see God, we must look to Yeshua. Those who beheld Yeshua as He walked this earth were, in a sense, seeing God—not God as a spirit but God clothed in humanity. John 14:9 “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?”
If it were important for us to know what Yeshua really did look like – Matthew, Peter, and John, who spent three years with Him, would certainly be able to give us an accurate description, as would His brothers, James, and Jude. Yet, these New Testament writers offer no details about His physical attributes. So, we are left to our own imagination.
It is probably good we do not know what Yeshua looked like. If we had an actual description of His human appearance – our nature being what it is – we would face many other spiritual dangers – perhaps leaning towards idolatry. People might make images of Him for a better “worship” experience. On the other hand, if we knew what He really looked like we might be a little disappointed. Who knows?
Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Greece these descriptive words. Philippians 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Yeshua is the Savior for “all nations” (Matthew 28:19; Galatians 3:8). People of every color, race, gender, or nationality can experience His forgiveness and enjoy a personal relationship with Him regardless of nationality, race or gender.
The written word of God is filled with beautiful illustrations of Yeshua that inspires our souls: He is the light of the world (John 1:5); the bread of life (John 6:32-33); the living water (John 4:14); the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14); the spotless Lamb of God (Revelation 13:8); our singular Prophet, Apostle, and High Priest (Hebrews 1:1, 3:1); the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6); and the very image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), among other metaphors. Such a description of our Savior is more beautiful than any picture frame hanging on the wall.
If you examine artists’ portrayals of Yeshua from around the world, you find they often portray Him how people looked like in that culture. Europeans portray Yeshua as European. Africans paint Yeshua as an African of color. Asians illustrate Yeshua in a way that makes Him look Asian. American’s see Him as Caucasian. To relate to Him, people prefer to picture Yeshua as looking somewhat like them.
Is it wrong to do this? Not necessarily. There is nothing in the Bible that speaks against imagining Yeshua looking a certain way. It is completely irrelevant to Him being the Savior of the world. We love and worship Him for all He represents in our lives and for saving us through our faith in Him, alone.
The Bible does describe His appearing to people on various occasions with a changed glorified countenance. For example:
Ezekiel’s heavenly vision from the Old Testament gives us this 1:26-28 “Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.”
During his mortal ministry, Yeshua’s Transfiguration is described in Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36. The event involves Yeshua taking Peter, James, and John up a mountain, where He is transfigured, meaning his appearance was dramatically changed, revealing His divine glory. His face shines like the sun, and His clothes become dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear and talk with Yeshua, and a voice from a bright cloud declares Yeshua as God’s beloved Son.
Following the Resurrection, Yeshua made many appearances in which He was not recognized or identified at first by those who saw Him. Meaning, His physical aspects had somewhat changed. I released a previous video on the deification of Yeshua, where I address this phenomenon. Check it out.
And then there is John’s heavenly vision from the New Testament in Revelation 1:12-16 “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” This figurative depiction of Yeshua is suggestive of God’s omniscience, power, and judgment.
Finally, the Bible emphasizes that inner beauty, or a person’s character, is far more important than physical appearance. Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 5:7, that we are called to “walk by faith, not by sight.” 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” The Bible’s focus is on the heart of man, not his external physical appearance. That is most likely a factor in the lack of physical description when it came to Yeshua’s mortal life.
Paul tells us that to die is to be with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Consequently, upon our death we will immediately be in Yeshua’s presence, and we will then know what He looks like – and we will be blessed to spend eternity with our Savior. Again, Paul declares in Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus (Yeshua) every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ (Yeshua Mashiach) is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
During my personal faith journey several years ago, there was a Christian song that had a big impact on my looking forward to that glorious day of meeting and seeing Yeshua. I leave you now with these beautiful lyrics performed by the group, Mercy Me. It’s called “I Can Only Imagine.”
I Can Only Imagine
What it will be like
When I walk by Your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes would see
When Your face is before me
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son (SON)
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You
I can only imagine
Thank you all, and God Bless!