It strikes me how people talk about Thor and Loki because of the handsome actors who play them. There are cults of fans who love these characters based on Norse gods and demi-gods. In contrast, Jesus tends in art and media to be depicted lanky, thin, and varying in attractiveness, this has to do with a verse in Isaiah, “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty (attractiveness) that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2). That was true of Jesus before The Resurrection, for it is proven that post-Resurrection Christ looked different, “Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him,” (Luke 24:15-16), and “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” (Luke 23:31). The Risen Christ, hoe he looked also was different enough that Mary, a close disciple did not recognize him, “At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).” (John 20:14-16).
Then there is The Transfiguration, “Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus,” (Matthew 17:1-3), which John sees Jesus like this, “And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance,” (Revelation 1:16) and so does The Apostle Paul, “ As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”” (Acts 9:3-5).
In all these instances Jesus appears different enough His disciples at first do nor recognize him but when He speaks they know His voice, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers,” (John 10:3-5), and “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27). While none of the passages affirm or deny Jesus is more handsome post His Passion on the Cross and Ministry, I’d say it is conceivable he is not unattractive, because otherwise his apostles & disciples both men and women would have instantly recognized Him. Now before Muslims pull their Sura 4:157 from the Koran about Jesus being replaced on the cross by another criminal, Mary His Mother knew it was her son on the cross, Jesus even speaks to her, “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:25-27). Not only was Jesus’ Mother there looking at Him on the cross, He spoke to her and you know your child’s voice, there was no deep fake technology, and in this exchange John was there too, as well as rest of crowd mentioned in the passage. Lots of eye witnesses confirm it was Jesus. In addition to this, The Romans were thorough, Pilate by law had to kill the actual Jesus for “claiming to be a king,” and being threatened by the Jews with political blackmail, “From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar..” (John 19:12). In addition Pilate had the sign made for Jesus’ cross, “Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read:
JESUS OF NAZARETH,
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but only that He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” (John 19:19-20), that notice Pilate posted identified Jesus’ crime of being King, and guards posted at his Tomb lest anyone steal Jesus’ body, “So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.” (Matthew 27:64-66). Rome ensured the proper person died and stayed buried, to break the seal on Jesus tomb meant death by crucifixion, however the Romans & Jews could not stop Jesus’ Raising From The Dead because He is God and he defeated death (John Chapter 20). After Jesus’ Resurrection the guard was paid off by the Pharisees to lie about what they saw, “Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
The Guards’ Report
While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.” (Matthew 28:9-15) . There was no replacement of Jesus at any point in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, it was the same Jesus through it all. He simply Risen is in my view based on the Scriptures more Transfigured, radiating his Godhood and Holy nature, which explains why people having seen Him submissive, and not handsome, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11) did not recognize Him at first but did on closer look and hearing His voice; imagine a make over only you are God in the flesh, so your options to beautify yourself is ulimited, I mean His face shines like the sun! That is hot! Like literally. Haha stay with me, my point is Jesus is handsome post Good Friday, and its a shame media does not attempt to capture this save with Diogo Morgado’s portrayal in Son of God and The Bible Series.
God created beauty, look at the world, at handsome ans beautiful people, and everything in sky and cosmos. It stands to reason God would look handsome Transfigured & Post-Resurrection. Yes during his life from birth to burial He was as Isaiah says in Chapter Fifty-Three, Verse Two, unattractive. But after that He was different looking enough that Mary, Peter (John 21:4), the men on road to Emmaeus did not recognize Him by looks, but by His words they knew it was Him. So it stands to reason Jesus is now handsome, He has marks of His Crucifixion (John 20:27-31), but otherwise His face can shine like the sun! Who can claim that level of beauty? None save Jesus! Amen.
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