Wednesday, August 21 2002

The description of Jesus Christ during His physical, human lifetime:

“He had no form or comeliness that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not” (Isaiah 53:2-3 RSV)

“He had to be made like His brethren in every respect” (Hebrews 2:17 RSV)

As indicated in the above Scriptures, Jesus of Nazareth was an ordinary-looking man; there was nothing special or different about His appearance. Even after His resurrection, in the time before His ascension, He appeared to those who knew Him as an ordinary physical flesh and bones human (who even ate a breakfast of fish with them on the beach), although sometimes as a different-looking ordinary human than the Jesus they knew:

Then they told what had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. As they were saying this, Jesus Himself stood among them. But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Luke 24:35-39 RSV)

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary” . She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (John 20:15-16 RSV)

Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus … Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after He was raised from the dead. (John 21:4,12-14 RSV)

After this He appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. (Mark 16:12 RSV)

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. (Luke 24:15-16 RSV)

But What About Now?

The appearance of Jesus Christ after His ascension is now very different:

“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lamp stands, and in the midst of the lamp stands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round His breast; His head and His 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; in His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the Living One; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:12-18 RSV)

Fact Finder: How will Jesus Christ appear at His Return?
Revelation 19:11-16

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