The Message in His Face

3/31/2025

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2).

Able to “look” ANY way He chose, WHY did Jesus CHOOSE to look “plain” and unimpressive? Saul was a head taller than other men, David was “handsome” on some level, the Bible tells us.

Jesus was likely 5’5” tall with a beard and dark complexion, based on archeological excavations of the “common man” in Jesus’ generation. One writer 80 years later referred to Jesus’ appearance as “small and ugly to some and glorious to others, depending on their spiritual insight.”

WHY would He have chosen this everyday “birth to 33 appearance,” particularly when on the “road to Emaeus,” and the Transfiguration mountain, and cooking fish on a fire on the beach; he chose a different physical appearance?

And when we understand THAT “why,” what does that affect about how we should consider our pursuit and consideration of our own “physical” appearance, or others’ physical appearance?

We only want that which is supernatural (His Grace and Blessing on our lives) to Shine and “stand out” about us. He wanted folks to see and recognize him with Heaven eyes or not at all.

And what does that affect about why we would not be overly concerned about the impressions or physical appearances we present to others or see?

We desire that they would only be impacted by the Jesus radiating from us, and in no way how we did our hair or what clothes we wore that day.

If we think about ourselves and our presentation (especially by trying to attract in some way), then we are automatically not walking as Jesus walked, and unable to hold up Jesus for people to see. We’ll end up attracting those who should be repulsed and repelling those who would be attracted to Jesus.

And the three that He let see him on the Mount of Transfiguration, He told them not to tell anyone else until He was risen.

Jesus was not just humble. And He wasn’t being mean and trying to make it “difficult” to See Him for who He is. He was being Loving because He knew that only ONE kind of SEEing mattered. So He was being kind to keep the physical out of the way. It wasn’t just humble. It was loving.

So if I want to be loving so that all those around me have a better chance to See what matters, then I will not have my appearance “standing in the way” of people Seeing His Grace and Blessing and the light in my eyes and hope and trust in the bounce of my step. And of course it requires that I also live in this Grace and blessing found in living in His Spirit and eating from the Tree of Life.

I want people to see Christ Alone—Anointing Alone. To “invest” in anything else is vain, futile, and unloving to those around me.

Any energy in attention/attraction to me based on anything other than the Light of Life is strange fire... and shame on me for leaving a stumbling block on the way (whether positive or negative appearance, achievement or laziness, neat-freak or slob, etc.)