Some people have a lingering question, one that is frequently raised at times of racial pressure, political disagreement, or historical truth. What colour did Jesus have?
Depending on who you ask, the answer to this question will vary. And for some people, the answer to this question is more important than for others. Overall, we tend to arrive at the same conclusion every time. Jesus has a similar appearance to me.
But does Jesus resemble you or do you resemble me? Without a doubt, not both.
What Color Was Jesus?
Let’s begin with what we already know. As the New Testament comes to a close in the Book of Revelations, there is one element that provides a bodily depiction of Jesus, if not in the past, then in the future. The following is how he is portrayed:
Revelations 1:14-15 “The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame. His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters.”
His hair is white, which is a sign of aging. His feet are bronze-colored, although bronze comes in a variety of tints, and only his feet are this colour. His eyes appear to be red or yellow, and his voice is loud. This physical description looks to be more symbolic than literal based on these factors. There is simply insufficient information to make an actual portrayal. What more do we know about the situation?
Father Abraham’s and Sarah’s ancestors came from Mesopotamia. The bloodline that would produce Jesus began with this God-ordained pair. As a result, despite the fact that there were many individuals between them and Jesus, He was likely to have some likeness to them.
We also know that none of the disciples published anything in their writings regarding his body. Those information were judged unimportant for the people in the future for whatever reason. Hair colour, height, and physical beauty are not mentioned.
There are, however, other historical documents to which we can turn. The origin of mankind as “black-headed” people is detailed in ancient sources such as Sumerian myth (from southern Mesopotamia?). Hair, not skin tone, is considered black. The Akkadian culture’s A Vision of the Nether World elaborates on this concept (present-day Iraq).
Later historical artwork depicted Jesus as having a distinct visage. Some of the earliest depictions substitute a brown or blonde tint for Jesus’ presumably black hair. His complexion was peach or yellow in hue, with humble yet manly features that weren’t overdone in a superhero-esque sense. However a halo was frequently drawn around Jesus’ head to emphasise His divine nature.
The transfer from message to painting, and Christianity when Jesus ministered to today’s Christians, depicts a guy who is depicted by culture rather than His true physique. Over time, He began to resemble someone from Europe rather than old Bethlehem. That’s hardly surprising, given that the painters who painted Jesus were mostly from Europe: Greeks, Romans, Italians, Spaniards, and others. Because the Bible does not reveal Jesus’ appearance, history indicates that individuals filled in the blanks for themselves, turning Jesus into somebody who looked like themselves.
If we were to guess, Jesus’ complexion would be somewhere in the middle of a colour spectrum with snow white and totally black on opposing extremes, which is the place where a large portion of us are now.
This raises a question for modern-day believers. What race did Jesus belong to?
The Ethnicity and Race of Jesus
Was Jesus a white or a black person? That appears to be the question that has arisen in modern America. Fortunately, the response is straightforward: neither..
The idea of race has become such a social standard that no matter what, we help our kids to see and mark individuals by skin tone. When we view individuals as adults, we categorise them as white, black, Asian, Hispanic, and other races. Unfortunately, not many people ask the most basic question: what is race?
Assuming we did, we’d see that race isn’t something we can blame on Jesus since race doesn’t exist. There were no such things as “black people” or “white people” in Jesus’ day. The concept of race is a relatively new concept, coined by Europeans to legitimise slavery at a period when it was necessary. After all, how else do we explain the usage of hues like white and black in conjunction with the words Hispanic (Spanish-speaking) and Asian, a geographical term?There’s no denying that people from different parts of the world have diverse appearances. Some people are darker, lighter, taller, or shorter than others, yet this is valid inside nations. This is valid inside families. Genes, food, diet, environment, and geography all influence how people seem. However, we are all members of the same race: people, with variable degrees of melanin that result in distinct physical characteristics.
We don’t have the foggiest idea how much melanin Jesus had in His complexion or how it affected the colour, texture, and other characteristics of His hair however we realize He was human.
Today’s Jews come in a variety of hues. Jews are not a race, as some people believe. A Jew is a person who follows Judaism. Anyone is free to convert to this religion. Jews might be connected with certain locations in the past, however a Jew, like a Christian, can be born anywhere.
Does Jesus have an ethnicity if He has no race?
Although Jesus, like all of us, has an ethnicity, race and ethnicity are not synonymous. Skin colour and culture may be summed up as race, whereas ethnicity refers to a person’s place of origin. Their country. Samaritans from Samaria and Galileans from Galilea are biblical instances. Indians, Japanese, and Americans are current examples. People are referred to by their origins.
Regrettably, the congregation has accepted racial philosophy. Since its inception in American civilization, the church has held on to this concept. Everybody, even Christians, observes and speaks about race, but few of us address where the concept of race came from or where it is leading us. We might become more united and set an example for unbelievers if we could cease viewing Jesus and ourselves through the prism of race.
A Colorblind Church
Is it true that colour matters? Some Christians believe in campaigning for diverse congregations on purpose, bringing individuals from all walks of life into their church. God has surely intended us to appear to be unique; if not, we wouldn’t exist; nevertheless, emphasising our erroneous notion of race implies that we place a higher value on skin colour than God does in Scripture.
The best option is to have a colorblind attitude to life. Color doesn’t matter to those who don’t believe in race because we all have varied pigmentations.
We are all built in the image of Jesus, regardless of our skin colour (Genesis 9:6).
Wouldn’t He have left such details behind if understanding Jesus’ actual appearance was important? We don’t need to place any value on our own skin using the same rationale. Do we categorise individuals according to their hair types or heights? We are aware of the details, yet we are unconcerned with them. We should do the same with race and put an end to the pointless discussion.
What colour did Jesus have? It makes no difference.
