Beautiful Savior

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, He was despised and we held Him in low esteem." Isaiah 53: 2, 3

    What did Jesus look like?

    Whenever He has been portrayed in a film, the camera has been good to Him but, truth is, we have no idea what Jesus looked like. Billy Graham said God wanted it that way so that people would not be tempted to worship an image. My pastor said we might be quite surprised upon meeting Him, that He would look quite differently than what we expected.

    I got to thinking. What if Jesus were short and bald with buck teeth and close-set eyes? It feels disrespectful to even consider it, but it's possible. Would His appearance have any bearing on my love for Him? 

    As humans, we are so often drawn to the attractive. We want our moms to be pretty or we wish to be in the classroom with the tall, attractive teacher. When our own looks go south, we try harder with creams, lotions, hairstyles. But that's all vanity!

    The gospels tell us that whole towns gathered to see Jesus, even masses of many thousands. So many that they began to trample one another. What was the attraction? He taught with authority and power. He welcomed the little children to come to Him, had compassion and humility. Demons obeyed Him. He walked on water and calmed the raging sea. He healed the sick, called the sinners and stood up to the hypocritical Pharisees. He laid down His life as a ransom for many, submitting to mockery and crucifixion. And if all that weren't enough, He rolled the stone away and walked out of the tomb! He lives!

    Why do I love my Jesus? What makes Him truly beautiful? If I had been the only person on earth, He would have done nothing differently. He'd have done it all for me.

    What's not to love?

Beautiful Savior, King of creation, Son of God and Son of Man!

Truly I'd love Thee, Truly I'd serve Thee, Light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown. Amen.

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53: 5