Despite the fact that Jesus was the most influential man who ever lived, the Bible never tells us what he looked like.
We know he lived in the Middle East and wore sandals, and most people speculate that he was of average appearance, but other than that… the Bible doesn’t give us a lot of detail.
Many have speculated that the Shroud of Turin, a cloth that bears the image of a man, was Christ’s actual burial cloth, shedding some additional light on his physical features. And yet, even if this is true, it only tells us so much.
It makes sense, then, that throughout history, different people would take some degree of artistic license when representing Jesus in art and media. After all, even the most “accurate” depictions are simply our best guesses.
But how much artistic license is okay?
Recently, on a popular social platform, someone asked, “Is it okay for different cultures to show Jesus in their own race (when it isn’t historically accurate)?”
And, as always, answers were all across the board (but definitely interesting!)
1. Yes: People Are Reflecting that He is Their Christ
For some, their personal relationship with Jesus is more important than historical accuracy.
By depicting Jesus in their own ethnicity, they see if they are making him more accessible and approachable in their culture.
Someone responded, “I think it’s people reflecting he is their Christ. Given this, I think it’s okay so long as people recognize that his appearance was not important – he came for all peoples, whatever our bodies.”
2. Maybe: Depends on the Intent
Others don’t think depicting Jesus as different racist is always a problem. They admit that people might have a variety of good reasons for painting him the way they do.
One person said, “If the intent is genuine – wanting to get the positive message of Jesus out – maybe. I have felt bad that Jesus in America is portrayed white. He was from the Middle East so he would look like a 30-year-old middle eastern man. I honestly don’t know what Jesus would think of it.”
3. Yes: That Wasn’t His Message
Some people believe that the issue truly isn’t important enough to worry about.
If the Bible felt like Jesus’s personal appearance was important, it would have given us additional information about what he looked like.
However, the Bible never tells us because his physical appearance was beside the point.
One person responded, “I don’t think it matters how he looked like, because that was not his message.”
4. Maybe: It Should Not Oppress Others
Others agree that depicting Jesus as various races isn’t inherently a problem, but it can lead to being one.
When people subconsciously believe that Jesus was just like them (made in their image), they could miss out on the message that Jesus came from an entirely different time and culture.
Unfortunately, this could lead to (or at least not help counteract) narrow-mindedness and discrimination against people who look differently.
Someone commented, “I agree with ‘it depends.’ It’s wonderful to know that Jesus came for the people in one’s specific ethnic group. And portraying Jesus of that ethnicity in a way that captures the beautiful depth of the incarnation. But when the belief (whether explicit or not) is that Jesus came more for one’s ethnic group than for another, especially if there’s a history of that group maintaining this mentality (and oppressing others), then it’s quite problematic.”
5. Yes: It is Just a Depiction of Jesus
Some feel that it is fine to take artistic license with Jesus’s image since we don’t know what he looked like anyway.
If we did have a portrait of him, we would want to be as accurate as possible.
Since we don’t, no matter how we depict him in art or media, we are likely never going to have a truly accurate representation.
A person responded, “Yes. It’s not a portrait of Christ but depiction. People depict based on their facial features. Christ incarnated, became flesh. He is universal, and the only time I would say it would be incorrect to change His facial features would be if the icons, statues and so on were actual portraits.”
6. No: Jesus is a True Historical Figure
Others argue that painting Jesus accurately is important because he was a real, living person — not a fairy tale character.
One person said, “It matters. Would you portray MLK as Chinese? Would you portray George Washington as an African? Would you portray Gandi as French? Why not? Jesus isn’t an idea or a concept. He is a man, He is God, and He was born of the virgin Mary of the tribe of Judah, a descendent of King David. When you meet him in the afterlife that is how He will appear, not with blonde hair and blue eyes, not with black skin and a sub-Saharan African nose, but as a man of the tribe of Judah, a Jew.”
7. Yes: We Are Made in the Image of God
Others agree that the problem isn’t the depiction itself but the negative thoughts and attitudes that an incorrect depiction can lead to.
While it is great for us to see a Jesus like us, it should never be at the expense of others.
Someone commented, “I kind of look at Jesus like an image of ‘we should see ourselves in God/Jesus’ so if you paint or depict Jesus to look like you, I don’t really see the big deal. It’s never bothered me as a non-white person. It’s when people start to force that only their image of Jesus is the true image, that’s where it starts to get annoying.”
8. Yes: It Helps People Feel Connected to Jesus
Some feel that depicting Jesus in their own culture makes him feel like less of a stranger.
Everyone wants to see a Jesus they can better understand and relate to, who can understand them as well.
A person said, “Here in Belgium, he is shown as white with brown long hair and a beard (even though he was most likely middle eastern looking). In Sweden, he is sometimes shown with blue eyes and blonde hair. In African churches, he is sometimes black. I think this is great because it helps people feel more connected to Jesus because he is just like them. For a black man it might feel weird praying to a white man and vice versa.”
Someone else said, “I think Jesus looking familiar to a particular culture makes Him more approachable. Humans psychologically gravitate towards people who look like them and find physical familiarity comforting. I don’t think Jesus or the church would want Him to be perceived or depicted as a stranger.”
9. No: It Should Not Be Used to Draw in New Christians
Others express concerns over changing Jesus to make him more palatable to new believers.
When sharing Jesus with the world, there is an argument to be made about making sure our information is as factual as possible.
Someone shared, “You wouldn’t change the text of the Bible to make it more palatable to new potential Christians, so don’t change the nature of the Christ for that purpose either.”
10. No: There is No Purpose to It
Others don’t believe Jesus should be portrayed as anything other than what he was — a Jewish man from the Middle East — as there is no good reason to portray him as anything else.
Being from the Middle East isn’t “bad.” Why would we want to erase that?
One person responded, “I would ask, what is the purpose? Jesus came for all people, to save all people regardless of race or ethnicity. Jesus lived in the Middle East, so I would prefer him to be portrayed as he historically was: A Jew in the Middle East. As someone not from the Middle East, I don’t have any problem with Jesus being portrayed as a Jewish man from Galilee. His skin color has no effect on me seeing Him as my savior and Lord. I struggle to see any real justification to change his skin color as that had no bearing on his message.”
11. Yes: Nobody Knows What Jesus Looked Like
Some believe that showing Jesus as any race or ethnicity we choose is perfectly fine, since anytime we paint him, our art is always going to be a guess or interpretation at best.
Who is to say how much artistic license people can use?
A person said, “It’s fine. Nobody knows what Jesus looked like anyway.”
12. No: It is Lying
Others take a strong approach, feeling that depicting Jesus as other races is dishonest, immoral, and manipulative.
While this likely is not most people’s intention, this commenter does make a fair point for those who might consider changing Jesus’s appearance for this reason.
We want people to accept Jesus as he was (and is), not feed them a sanitized version of him that is more “palatable.”
One person commented, “I think it’s not okay. It’s lying with the intent to deceive and convert people dishonestly. If the Christian message isn’t strong enough to make people want to believe in Jesus as he was, then that message has failed.”
The 10 Most Confusing Things Jesus Ever Said or Did
Think Jesus is always polite, meek, and mild-mannered? Think again.
While we know that Jesus is perfect love in human form, he did say many things that are hard for us (as humans with limited understanding) to wrap our heads around.
I hope, that when we get to Heaven, we’ll be able to ask him, “What did you mean by that??” but in the meantime, here are 10 questionable things Jesus said or did that still cause us to scratch our heads in confusion two thousand years later.
The 10 Most Confusing Things Jesus Ever Said or Did
13 Biggest Mysteries of the Bible No One Can Fully Explain
As limited human beings, we can never hope to know God fully.
Yes, we can (and should!) learn as much as we can about Him through prayer, studying the Scriptures, and experience, but some things will always be a mystery too big for us to comprehend.
This lack of understanding doesn’t mean that God isn’t real. It simply means that we’re mere mortals.
The same is true when it comes to the Bible. While there’s a great deal we can learn, there are several biblical mysteries we may never fully understand — and that’s okay! It’s still fun to speculate and learn what we can.
13 Biggest Mysteries of the Bible No One Can Fully Explain
Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author and founder of Equipping Godly Women and Monetize My Ministry. She’s also a Christian speaker, podcaster, and conference host. Her work has been featured on numerous TV, radio, and online ministries, including CBN, MSN, Christianity Today, Evangelical Alliance, Patheos, Crosswalk, and more.
