For he (Jesus) grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him. Isaiah 53:2
https://youtu.be/WAhuBGcAzB8
https://youtu.be/WAhuBGcAzB8 3D Images from the Shrout of Turin
Just as there were many who were appalled at him — his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness–Isaiah 52:14
In our family we have a saying: “No matter how ugly life gets we have beautiful babies!” This is the truth, but I am well aware “even vultures think their babies are beautiful!”
Did our Savior struggle with His appearance? The answer based on the Scripture is YES!
Nowhere in the Word does it say Mary the mother of Jesus was beautiful. Does this strike you as odd? The Word tell us Rachel was beautiful; (Genesis 29:17) we read of the stunning beauty of Esther; (Esther 2:7, 12) we find Sarah was very beautiful; (Genesis 12:11) and Eve was no doubt gorgeous for the Lord Himself called her “very good.” (Genesis 2) Yet, the description of Mary the mother of our Lord is only about her purity and her favor with God. (Luke 1) We assume she is beautiful but this description is not found in scripture. Could it be because her beauty was not physical but spiritual only?
We know from the Word, Jesus’ Father was Yahweh Himself. We know from science the sex of a child comes from the Father. So, Jesus may have been the “spitting image” of His mother because all His genetic material came from His mother except His sex and Isaiah says He had “no form of majesty or beauty” so He was not “eye candy!” We think of Jesus as beautiful but prior to His glorification this was NOT the case! Remember, until He spoke Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus (John 20:11-18) and on the road to Emmaus the disciples did not either. (Luke 24:16) I always found that to be quite puzzling until now.
Examples of strong genetics
The officer and gentleman told me one time as I was struggling with the whole concept of beauty, “anyone can look good if they have enough money.” There is a great deal of wisdom in this statement. Money buys the “right” clothes to hang on the frame and camouflage the “flaws,” cash or credit pays for haircuts, colors, waxes, and makeup to “paint the barn.” Resources purchase jewels to draw attention away from the face and frame. Jesus was poor and from the wrong side of the tracks. (a Nazarene) There were no resources to work the magic of illusion. Is this why we are fascinated by extreme makeovers? We prefer the illusion to reality. Do we fail to see the image of God within our dust? Within the dust of others?
Children are cruel and tease each other mercilessly regarding dress, appearance, living quarters, and every other lack based on the standard of the day. As a child goes through puberty, zits raise their hideous heads and pock up our faces and they deal with changing bodies and new attractions and appearance becomes paramount. Envy and jealousy can rear its ugly head during this vulnerable stage of life. We fall into the comparison trap as we compare ourselves not to the standard of Scripture but the standard set by Vogue. None of this is a news flash to anyone who has been or is currently going through this personally or as a parent. The news flash is Jesus dealt with this too!!! The girls were not all gaga over this specimen of a man. Did this experience make Him more quiet and contemplative and lonely? Human nature being what it is, probably so. Was He more in tune with the unlovely of the world (lepers, blind, lame, beggars) because He had felt the sting of ridicule? Again, I think so.
Beauty comes from within. It is the heart God looks upon. (I Samuel 16:7) We have this all backwards. May we see the image of God in each individual we meet and honor this image alone as Jesus did. It has been said, “To smile at someone is to smile at the face of God!”
https://youtu.be/No1MfYkcNuU
Beautiful Beyond Description Beth Croft
https://youtu.be/No1MfYkcNuU
Father,
May we as Your children look past the outward appearance and look at the hearts of others to see their beauty and potential for they are created in Your image! In Jesus beautiful name,
Amen.
Treading in His Beautiful heart,
Yvonne Jones
https://youtu.be/KJ-ih8ojt4U DNA -The Bible and the message of life
For you science geeks like me! 7 mins
