John 20:20: Jesus' scars
After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (John 20:20, NIV)
Related verses: Luke 24:39-40, John 20:20,24-28
What did Jesus look like? Artists painted the pictures we have many centuries after Jesus came. The only physical identification the scriptures give for Jesus is the scars on His hands, feet, and side. Apparently, His appearance was ordinary for his day. Judas had to point Jesus out from among His disciples. In Jesus’ conversation with those arresting Him, they apparently didn’t recognize Him.
One summer, the black Baptist church in Borger, Texas, asked my mother to play the piano during Vacation Bible School. In the early 1960’s, my brother and I were the only white children there. We colored a picture of Jesus. To my surprise, children colored Jesus black. With a child’s inquisitive mind I couldn’t avoid asking why they colored Jesus black. The loving and understanding teacher explained that we don’t know what Jesus looked like. Jesus came as a human being just like you and me. The children were coloring Jesus to look like themselves.
If Jesus had come as a Roman or Greek, we would have marble statues of Him. Jesus came as a Jew, and we don’t even have a verbal description of Him, whether He was short or tall, fat or thin, dark or light, or whether His hair was long or short. Physical appearance is unimportant to God. What is important is our heart .
©2000 Perry Vernon Webb. You may quote this page in part or the whole as long as you
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