Have You Ever Seen Jesus?

Tell you what: do something stupid with me for a minute. Make sure no one is around. Close the door if you need to, because the way you smell might offend someone (in general, I mean – not because of what we’re about to do).

Now then: take 10 seconds, close your eyes, and try to visualize Jesus in your mind. Seriously. This post will be much better if you do it, and at the very least, closing your eyes stimulates endorphins, which, as we all know, are necessary for swimming with dolphins. Who wouldn’t want to swim with dolphins?

You didn’t do it, did you? Last chance – before you hurt Jesus’ feelings. Ok, you’ve made up your mind one way or another. For those of you that did close your eyes...

What Does He Look Like?

What did you see? How was He dressed? What did His face look like? Was he doing anything? Where was he? You might even take a quick second to try picturing Him again, focusing on what you actually visualize. Who, or What did you see? [Author’s note: right about now is when the internal debate fires up as to whether or not I should capitalize “He” when referring to Jesus, or just leave it, “he.” My version of the bible doesn’t do it; but then again, the Bible was written centuries before the central issue of this debate even became a problem, namely: if He-Man is deserving of a capitalized pronoun as His name, Jesus is really deserving of it. As such, I will change all future use of “he” to “He.”]

When I do this exercise I see the face of Jesus right in front of me (as in, we’re not quite Eskimo-kissing, but we’re darn near the North Pole). Behind Him and all around Him, everything is dark. Without moving or blinking, He just stares straight at me. I find myself unable to look away, as if I am locked in a trance. The thing is, I can’t exactly see His face. I can sense His face; I know exactly what he looks like, but not in the way I would from seeing a picture of Him. He stares at me in a way that communicates several emotions all at once, each of which seems to overlap and morph into another: peace, anguish, intensity, simplicity, kindness, love - a deep, throughout-all-time kind of love. That’s the only way I can describe it. All we do is stare at one another. That’s Who I see.

Often when I see an image of Jesus, I think to myself, “That’s not Jesus – at least, not the One that I know.” I’m not necessarily saying that the image is completely wrong, but it never ceases to amaze me how many thousands of ways He has been portrayed ever since He walked (physically) amongst us. I’m sure we all see Him differently, and some of that is probably influenced by the way we have seen Him portrayed in art and media. Probably most people see a beard, shoulder-length brown hair, a simple robe, and sandals. Heck, maybe that isn’t very far off. We might see Him in a variety of roles, most of which relate to focusing on a specific part of His personality or ministry that is meaningful to us. He has been portrayed as a comforter, healer, warrior, servant, peacemaker, preacher, shepherd, friend, reformer, feminist, savior and sacrifice. Largely, we probably see Him as we want to see Him.

He Looked Just Like Us, Only More... God-like, Right?

But has it ever occurred to you that Jesus, as a man, definitely had a specific look? If you saw Him or knew Him, you’d be able to recognize Him – His nose, eyes, ears, face, beard. I think most of us are used to thinking of His face in pretty vague terms, and we accept that – but if we had walked with Him, who would we have seen?

Some people may think it’s not important. Scripture tells us that “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” In other words, He was a pretty ordinary looking guy. We say, “Sure. That makes sense. People didn’t follow Him because He was some stud or charismatic charmer… they followed Him because He was the Son of God.” This is very true, but I think that part of our response is a cop-out.

You see, it’s a little bit scary to really try to picture what Jesus looked like, because it forces us to face a fact that we’re ready to acknowledge theologically, but not confront personally: Jesus was a man. He was also God, but don’t be mistaken: He was a man. That may not flap you one bit. You’ve seen “The Passion of the Christ.” Jesus was human. He was laughing, weeping, interacting with His disciples, bleeding etc. – so clearly, we realize He was a man.

Is Seeing Believing...or Knowing?

But every depiction of Jesus as a man that we have encountered has still been removed from reality. The big screen is – well, a screen – not reality. Art, pictures, even visions – they describe something that is “other than” us. It is distant, separate, and not as tangible or real (in the way we usually define real). If you think you’ve internalized the reality of Jesus’ humanity, then try this on: find a guy that’s nearby. Not the flashy, good-looking, charismatic guy. In fact, find the most average, non-descript guy you can. Regular clothes. Maybe glasses. Now, as you’re looking at him, could you believe that he is Jesus – that he is the Son of God? What if he said to you, “(Enter Your Name Here) I am Living Water. That Diet Coke you’re drinking – you think it will quench your thirst, but it can’t. But if you come to me, and take a drink of me, I promise, you’ll never be thirsty again!” How about something like: “(Enter your name here): I am the way – the only way – to the Father. I am Truth. I am Life. You can’t come to God unless you do it through me. You can only know God if you know me.”

That’s when it gets scary. Because if a guy came up to me and said those things, in my best moment, I would gracefully dismiss Him as being mental, and maybe even offer to pray for Him. In my worst moment, I would probably give Him the look that accurately reflects what I am thinking: “Of all the tools in all the world, no wrench can handle a nut-job like you.” Sure, if it had been Jesus, we all would recognize Him. But this guy isn’t Jesus. Just look at Him – how could this be the One that we’re waiting for? He’s nothing like the (savior, political reformer, comforter, warrior, feminist, preacher) that God would be. Heck, this guy has a pimple on his forehead.

This isn’t even taking into consideration that the perception of the day was that the Messiah would be a prophet or a king that would physically deliver the Jews from their oppression, not God-come-down-as-man. I wish I could say that I would have recognized my Lord if I had been alive. I wish I knew that that I would not have dismissed Him, or tried to lead Him to the truth, or prayed for Him, or been horrified at His blasphemous claims, or even consented to His death through public jeers or an attitude of indifference.

It is awkward to really place the humanity of Jesus because...He’s God. But He was fully God and fully man. It’s a paradox. Most people don’t like paradox because it is completely irrational. But without paradox, there is no such thing as the Christian faith. And there is something terribly awkward and ridiculous but incredibly powerful when we can grasp the humanity of Jesus – the humanity of God.

What would worship have looked like if Jesus were sitting with us? I don’t remember the disciples busting out a lyre and singing “Shout to the Lord” or “Shine Jesus Shine.” I don’t remember them reading a scripted program, or making announcements about the lox n’ bagel potluck at the temple gate on Sunday, or what tithing was needed to cover staff salaries for the month. I don’t think they ever once talked about a logo, a program, or attendance (other than, “how are we going to feed all these people?”). I do seem to remember reading about a lot of listening, a lot of discussing, a lot of questions, a lot of deep, growing relationship, and a lot of transformed lives. I think there was some healing, some laughing, some weeping, some praying, and walking. Lots, and lots of walking.

Warning: Objects and God May Be Closer Than They Appear

Listen to the way that John says it. “From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in – we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen!… The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us” (1 John, The Message). He was tangible! He was real – right there. You could pinch Him, hug Him – and He put up a mean fight in a thumb war. Don’t know what you should do? Ask Him. Need something? Tell Him. He wasn’t on some screen or page; He was God with us. Right here, right now. But most of all: He was nothing like you ever expected.

What, or who we see when we close our eyes and picture Jesus largely determines whether we’ll miss, dismiss, or fall down in worship before Him as He is in our lives. How many times have I missed Him, simply because He did not appear as I envisioned Him – or because I was crying for Him to come down when He was within?

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John). Maybe I can’t reach out and touch Him like John could – but maybe, because John did, I can too. I can see Him as He is and however He reveals Himself, and let the fullness of His humanity touch me as much as the holiness of His Deity.

...and as I see You now, You’re nothing like I ever expected.

It's interesting to take a look at the ways we usually "see" Jesus. Apparently, he has one of the best image-of-God consultants around, because it seems like every time I see Him, He's got a different look. Below is a collection of some of my personal favorites for how others see Him...and let me tell you, for the most part, Jesus is HOT!

The "Peaceful Personality-less" Jesus: Always speaks softly and sloooooowwly, and properly enunciates his King James English...

The Ethno-Centric Jesus: Had a minor role in the acclaimed Eddie Murphy flick, "Coming To America"... and he can 'make your Sooooouul Glow!'

The Buddy Jesus: Often heard saying things like, "He-hey! How's it hangin', bro? You down with the Holy G today? Peace in. Lates."

The Political Reformer Jesus: Would he have your vote or support in a coup d'etat?

The Forensic Jesus: Scientists constructed this head from skulls dated to the time of Jesus. So, it's what he could have looked like. But let's be honest: would you really believe this guy is the Son of God?

The Baby Jesus: This baby Jesus is far too holy to leave poopy diapers or throw-up bean curd on Mary's shoulder. Goochy-goo! You little Son of God you!

The Action Almighty: Complete the set... he comes with an AK-47 Kalishnikov Kingdom Assault Rifle, and the body of the original Luke Skywalker Star Wars figure.

The Cross-Action Jesus: The perfect playmate for a youngling, complete with "cross-action shotgun" and "ninja-messiah throwing nails."

The "You Crucified Jesus" Jesus: If your child is a tactile-learner, there is no better way to drive home the personal responsibility of the crucifixion.

The Sim Jesus: Ha ha! Now you can control a virtual world where Jesus lives! It's just like being God!

The Sunday School Jesus: Always ready for a hug...just watch out for the schnoz.

The Superstitious Jesus: He speaks constantly in signs and wonders of nature, and loves to utilize fishsticks to remind us of his presence.

The Hansel Jesus: "That Jesus... he's so hot right now... he's on fire!"

The Liberal Jesus: Au natural, and very into 'making love, not war.' Crucified by The Man, and crowned with cannibis, he is also against taking showers (unless for baptism).

The "With You In Pain" Jesus: Just remember: if intense pain makes you take the Lord's name in vain, he's usually right there to hear it, and is ready to bump the dentist's elbow.

The "Cares About the Small Stuff" Jesus: "Been sittin' here all stinkin' day, and still ain't caught a catfish..." Jesus is there to comfort you, and cares about your smallest worries. Pay heed when he says to cast your rod on the other side of the boat.

The Full-Contact Jesus: Hey Rudy - I don't care how passionate you are... it's bad juju to try tackling God, and I think it's an extra big sin at Notre Dame.

The King-Fu Jesus: He's a warrior, alright; let's bust some skulls and practice our nunchuck skills on Satan! (Note: nunchuck skills are only biblical if used in self-defense.)

The "Lord of the Dork-Sports" Jesus: Even if the other kids make fun of you for being a juggler, Jesus never will. He may make fun of your unibrow and bowl-cut though...

The Meek and Mild Jesus: The lamby-cuddly-wuddly Jesus, who gently shepherds his flock to greener pastures.

The "Whip It" Jesus: Not as popular as the meek and mild Jesus, almost entirely because of the bullwhip. Moneychangers and Pharisees beware (wait...you couldn't mean us?!?)

The "He Did It Again" Jesus: "Why can't they just get it right once? I mean, how hard is it? Just love your stinkin' neighbor people!"

The Confused Personality Jesus: Oh Father...er...Jesus, forgive us our sins, and let your glory come...or, rather, let the Holy Spirit come. Uh. Yeah. Just help, please.

The "He Is Risen" Jesus: He is Risen indeed! Just look at how he floats!

The "Rocky" Jesus: Your personal champion against sin and struggles. Looks just like the "Fabio" Jesus.

Our Savior, Our Lord: "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:2-5)