Not So Pretty

Not So Pretty

Nobody knows exactly what Jesus Christ looked like when he walked the earth. Paintings, movies, and animated videos usually show God’s Son as an attractive man with a tall, athletic build, a thin nose, and somewhat blondish hair.

Biblical experts often have a very different view. They say Jesus was a square-shouldered, stocky, olive-skinned guy who stood just over five feet tall. He didn’t stand out in a crowd. He wasn’t the best athlete. Kids may have made fun of him for the way he looked.

The prophet Isaiah wrote that the Messiah wouldn’t be beautiful. “There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him” (Isaiah 53:2).

Jesus didn’t draw people to himself with his looks. He didn’t have a team of makeup people to make him look beautiful and dress him in all the right clothes. People followed Jesus because of his love, compassion, and the truthful words he spoke.

Whenever you feel plain and unimportant, remember that Jesus’ outward appearance wasn’t anything special. He had more important things to do than worry about other people’s opinions of the way he looked. He was busy doing God’s will. He put his relationship with God above everything else and cared most about what God thought of him. If other kids put you down, know that Jesus probably got the same treatment. Jesus wasn’t the strongest, fastest, or best looking. He looked ordinary. But Jesus did the extraordinary, and his life changed the world.

Daddy-Daughter Time

Jesus may not have been much to look at, but his teachings and actions affected the history of the world. Get out a piece of paper and pencil, and write down different words that describe Jesus. Maybe you’ll write kind or wise.

When you’re done with your list, talk a little about each word. Then look at your list as a whole. How would you like to be described that way by the people who know you? It’s probably a lot better than being thought of as “cute” or “handsome.”

What’s The Word?

There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.   Isaiah 53:2