Face to Face

Face to Face:

Most all of us can recognize the faces of many historical figures; men like Washington, Lincoln, Babe Ruth; or woman like Marylin Monroe or Princess Diana. We don’t have to go back any further than Columbus to bring my point across.

Of the above-mentioned celebrities and many others, plenty of photographs have been taken and portraits painted. But what about those men and women who changed the world some 2000 Years ago?  

If anyone were to ask you, what did Peter look like? How about John the Baptist, or Paul? And what about the Lord himself; what was his real appearance?

Did any of them have that Paul Newman, or Clark Gable look? How about a Tarzan or Schwarzenegger physical appearance? Were they short, fat, tall, thin, were they dark or light skinned?

No one truly knows what Jesus or any one of his disciples looked like. The Dutch artist Rembrandt has painted a few versions of Jesus face, these based on some Jewish model he hired.

The oldest known portrait of the Lord was found in Syria and dated back to about 235 A.D. He is represented as being beardless, young, authoritative and dignified. Other older images came from the Catacombs where Christians gathered secretly for worship.

Other artists have painted him having a philosopher’s look with close-cropped hair, wearing a tunic, and the appearance of an aristocrat; or one representing a man of the upper echelon of the Greco-Roman society. In later art work, He’s been portrayed as having a full beard.

Today he’s seen in pictures hanging in the homes of believers, especially Catholic’s. He’s always looking sad, grim or forlorn. His beard, combed out, hair hanging, shoulder length, and often with a shiny hoop suspended over his head. “Never could figure that one out!”

Or he’s pictured hanging from a cross with his head turned to the right, a crown of thorns sitting atop his head and blood running down his face. Also, on his right side where a lance had pierced him, blood can be seen running down from the wound.  

So why did the Lord choose to leave us with nothing concerning his appearance, not even a written word? Why not some small carved wooden or bronze image, or even a rough sketch?

My guess, if there had been any real and documented image made of Jesus, wherever it would have been displayed, the lines of people would be a mile or two long. And when each individual arrives at its feet, they would fall to their knees, kiss the image, leave gifts, and pay homage to it.

For example, the Wailing Wall, also called the Western Wall in Jerusalem where Jewish men dressed in black, can be seen rocking back and forth as they pray and read from their books. Also, Christian’s can be seen praying and leaving messages in the cracks of the wall, messages I suppose left for some angelic creature to read.  

Then there’s the shrines that are set up around the world; let’s begin with the one in Lourdes France. A Sanctuary where it is said the sick can go to pray, worship or be healed from whatever illness they may have. It’s funded and maintained by the Roman Catholic Church.

Then there’s the shrine in Fatima Portugal where it is said, 3 young girls saw Mary, the mother of our Lord. This also is a Catholic sponsored shrine.

By the way, the root of “Fatima” is the Islamic name of Mohammed’s favored daughter. Next to Mary, Fatima is the 2ed most honored woman in Islam.

It appears the town named after Mohammed’s daughter Fatima and where Mary is said to have been seen by three young girls can be considered an Islamic, Catholic connection.  

Then there’s the Shroud of Turin. Also, around the world there are thousands of shrines set up to Mary, Joseph, Luke and on and on it goes, images that people bow their knee and pray to. It is said there are more shrines set up to Mary than to Jesus, if you can believe that.    

We all know the LORD has forbidden any of that nonsense. It’s also obvious, God would not break his own commandment by leaving us a model or image of himself.  

Exodus 20:4-5, “You shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: You shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD God is a jealous God;”

But Jesus did have a human side, for example, when we take a close look at His creation, we can see cheerfulness, humor and great imagination.

Concerning God’s humor and imagination:

Take a close look at the plat-y-pus? Funniest looking thing you ever seen; or the Australian green frog; or the squid with human teeth. Then there’s the Kangaroo who hops along the way as she carries her baby in a pouch. How about a Giraffe; short tail, long neck and legs; covered with large orange spots and having two short horns sitting atop their heads.    

Jehovah has an eye for beauty:

Watch as the sun sets over a body of water or a Mountain range. See the grandness of a canyon, the plains, jungles, deserts and oceans, and the variety of creatures that thrive in them. And on some clear night, look up and amaze yourself with the heavens which He spoke into existence.

God’s serious side:

This is seen whenever he was confronting his enemies. When denouncing Cain, the Pharisees, Scribes, false teachers; false prophets, Judas and demons.   

His friends:

The Lord also enjoyed his friends and the crowds of people. We see this when sharing food with his disciples and with the many that followed after him. 

His serious side:

Throughout the Scriptures, we see the seriousness of his words against sinners and sin. In John 8:6-11, when the woman was caught in adultery. He said to her, verse 11, “Go, and sin no more.”

He condemns murderers, sodomites, those who covet, and a whole range of other sins. And he is dead serious when He warns all of us of His judgment to come.

Jesus was always focused on his goals and on his ministry:

John 5:30, He said, I come to seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me.

Matthew 15:24, he said, I have been “sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

John 10:15, He said, I come to, “lay down my life for the sheep.”

The Lord was the master of parables, the master of illustration and allegorical instruction.

What’s an allegory? Allegories consist of a continued narrative of a fictitious or accommodated event, applied to the illustration of some important truth.

Luke 4:23 calls them parables, proverbs or adages; in Matthew 15:15, they are called, a thing darkly and figuratively expressed; in Hebrews 9:9, a type; in Luke 14:7, a special instruction; in Matthew 24:32, a similitude of comparison.

Our Lord and Savior would also suffer for us the most horrendous tortures and beatings; then sacrifice His life to save ours. And for those of us who are saved by His sacrifice, what words can be spoken in order to thank him?

These are but a few of the revealed mysteries of the Son of God, his awesome works; His never-ending love, His unscalable inherent characteristics and His eternal saving grace.

These attributes are the truest and surest portrait we have of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Phillip LaSpino  www.seekfirstwisdom.com