By Al Behel
“There is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2)
As a child I was introduced to pictures of Jesus. Salesmen would go
from house to house selling wall-paintings showing Jesus holding a lamb
or a small child in His arms. Bible class material carried color
pictures showing Him dressed in a white robe with long flowing hair and a
beard. Little did I know that these were just an artist conception of
Jesus which had been painted just a few years before I was born.
I have often wondered why we have no physical description of the most
important figure in human history. We have sketches of many of the
ancient world leaders and military giants but none of God’s beloved Son.
Was He tall or short? Did He have the appearance of a huge football
player, or did He look like He was under-nourished and emaciated? After
all, He was born a peasant with no claim to wealth or fame.
The Bible is strangely silent about Jesus’ physical appearance because
that is not what draws us to Him. Isaiah tells us that when we look at
Him there is no physical beauty that would make us desire to be with Him
(Isaiah 53:2). He lived in an ordinary human body. He would not have
been selected as a model for some fashion magazine.
Yet, He has drawn men to Him as no other person has ever done.
Throughout history men and women have followed Him with a loyalty that
led them into lion’s dens, dungeon cells, and amphitheaters where they
were torn apart before roaring crowds. Millions have denied themselves
and taken up their crosses to become His disciples. Without having seen
Him, we love Him, and we long for the day we can look upon His face.
Someday we will behold Him in all His glory and look upon His face. We
will have no difficulty recognizing Him. The beauty of His grace will
draw us home.
- Al Behel preaches for the Great Smoky Mountains Church of
Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN. He may be contacted through the
congregation's website: http://greatsmokymountainschurchofchrist.com/
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