Prevailing Imagery of Jesus

As we enter Easter, which is the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Christ,  versions of the crucifixion story, both old and new, are broadcast throughout mainstream media. 

The prevailing imagery of Jesus is always of European appearance as shown...


It is very rare to see "multi-ethnic" representations of Jesus, such as those below....


How much does it matter? 

When I gave my life to Christ, in 1984, after my father died suddenly that  June,  I was responding to the message of Christ, not his "Eurocentric" appearance in the bible. I needed Christ’s message of salvation.

My perception of how "Jesus, the man" looked, gained clarity in October of 1984, when my mother and I visited Egypt and the Holy Land. 

In the Bible, the Lord instructed Mary and Joseph to "escape into Egypt"( Matthew 2:13 – 23) Common sense dictates that you escape to a place where you will "blend in"! 

We saw no "blond, blue eyed" indigenous Egyptians when we visited the Upper and Lower Nile regions. Nor, did we see a majority of "blue-black" Egyptians.

What we observed were blends of black, brown, and tan, with straight, curly to kinky hair.

 Over 2000 years ago, it was to this ethnic (not racial) melting pot that Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus.

From that fact I drew the conclusion that Jesus did not have the European appearance so popularized in Western culture. 

I find it an expression of God's infinite wisdom that Jesus was born in a cultural crossroads of humanity - Asia, Africa, North Mediterranean, so that the entire world can claim Jesus Christ as part of our ethnic heritage!

If the "racial" representation of any "Jesus" image is the deciding factor, before an individual decides to give their life to Christ, then they are missing the entire message.  

Don't get pulled into that "Jesus race" debate ever again!

Jesus is real to me and fellow Christians everyday. Whether you see him in your mind's eye as a person of color or not, his message of love for mankind, salvation and how to live an abundant life, is the best advice to  every living soul on earth.

One thing we can all agree on. Jesus definitely didn't come to earth as a bunny!   

Happy Easter! To God the Glory!

 - Pam Kelly, Founder of Perennial Preparedness NC 

www.PerennialNC.com 

 #spiritualPreparedness   #Jesus #PerennialLIFE   

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