How Do You Imagine Jesus? (Our Own Expectations)
When you think of Jesus, what comes to mind? Is it a tall, handsome, bearded man with long flowing hair, deep brown eyes, and tan skin? Or something completely different? Christians around the world all have their own ideas and expectations of what Jesus looked like, who he was, and what he did and taught. Media also depicts Jesus in various ways. His appearance and demeanor changes according to the cultures of believers around the world. For example, we’ve got Black Jesus, Jewish Jesus, White Jesus, Asian Jesus, and Hulk Jesus. Yet, no matter the culture or appearance, people usually portray him as a humble, kind, and loving man.
Credit: Korea Times, Jesus 
Credit: American Gods, Jesus
Another common belief about Jesus was that because he was the Son of God, everything was easy for him. We read about the miracles he performed like turning water into wine, feeding five thousand people with two fish and five loaves of bread, and driving out demons. And from there, we make him into a “superman” of sorts:
“Faster than a flying angel! Stronger than a demon-possessed man! Able to bring people back to life with a single word! Look! It’s a prophet; it’s a savior; it’s…JESUS CHRIST!!”
As amazing as he is, we need to ask ourselves an important question: “Are my expectations of who Jesus is according to the Bible?”
Who Jesus Is (The Reality)
We should always check our own expectations of Jesus according to the Bible. For instance, in the book of Isaiah, we read that Jesus would be born of a virgin, would come to bring peace, and to bear the sins of the world.
Later in the gospels, we see those things (and many others) fulfilled. This is how we know God sent Jesus. God prophesied about him in advance, and then Jesus came and fulfilled or matched what the prophecy said. But was he really the handsome, charismatic man we’ve made him out to be? Did he really have it so easy? Let’s take a look at another prophecy about Jesus from the Bible.
“For he 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.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Isaiah 53:1-3
His Appearance
“Like a root out of dry ground”, can you imagine what that would look like? Would you use it to describe someone’s appearance, let alone a good-looking person? It’s likely not something that’s attractive, right? Well that’s how Jesus’s appearance is described.
“A man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, men hid their faces from him.” Bring to mind a person you know that has lived a really difficult life, whether physically or mentally. A constant sorrowful life, filled with grief takes a physical toll on a person. So, to have lived a life of sorrow and grief, and to have people hide their faces from looking at you, that should say something about Jesus’ true appearance.
He most likely wasn’t the handsome person we imagine him to be, or see in movies. From the description in this passage, there was nothing physically attractive about Jesus. I’m sure the Jews of his day had their own expectations about what the Messiah would look like.
It really makes you think, if you were alive back in the time of the first coming, would you have recognized that Jesus was the Messiah? Would you have followed him? Or would his looks have factored into your decision?
His Behavior
The Jews of Jesus’s time read and knew their own scriptures, but they misunderstood their meaning. In Isaiah 9:7, it prophesies someone that will sit on David’s throne and rule with peace and justice. Perhaps they expected someone to come and free them from Roman rule – as Moses had done with their ancestors in Egypt – and rule over them as their king.
When those prophecies were fulfilled however, Jesus didn’t free Israel from the Romans and rule the kingdom. Yes, he preached peace, obedience to God, and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. He also spoke of the kingdom of heaven, not an earthly kingdom, that he was the ruler over.
The reality went against people’s expectations. In John 5:39-40, Jesus calls them out on their misunderstanding. He told them that the scriptures testify about himself, but people still refused to come to him.
We also often think of Jesus being happy, gentle, and peaceful all the time. Again, let’s check our expectations with the Bible.
“Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.”
Isaiah 53:4
His Desires
While Jesus was God’s Son and had the backing of heaven, he led a life full of struggle for that very reason. He came to die for the sins of the world and carried a heavy responsibility. How do you feel when you are stressed at work, or at home, or carry some huge burden? It’s difficult, isn’t it? How do you think Jesus felt knowing what his task was of bearing the cross for humanity’s sake? In the gospel of Luke, we see him pray these words on the night he was betrayed by his disciple, Judas:
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Luke 22:42
Jesus was a real person. He had fear and his own will. But although he may have had his own personal feelings about dying on the cross, regardless, he obeyed God’s will and fulfilled the prophecies spoken about him. So remember, our expectations of him, might not always be the reality.
So, Who Was Jesus in Reality?
Jesus was a man of sorrows. Yes, he did many amazing miracles, but those were only to grab people’s attention. He actually wanted them to listen to his words and believe them in order to be saved. Yet many of his own people rejected him. He was beaten, ridiculed, and called demon-possessed.
The religious leaders of his day sought to stop him from doing God’s work and prevented others from going and listening to him. Even his own family didn’t believe at first. His own disciples ran away when he was arrested. Peter, one of his closest disciples, denied him three times. How do you think Jesus felt during his ministry? Do you think he had it easy? No, he absolutely didn’t. He had to preach the truth even when people hated, persecuted, and ultimately killed him for it.
What We Must Do
As Christians, we must understand the scriptures and who Jesus is according to them. Meaning, we need to know what the scriptures say about him, and use it to verify what he said and did. The Jews at the first coming of Jesus expected the Messiah to be a great ruler and king. They expected him to come from a noble family, not a small town.
When God fulfills His promises, He does so according to His plan, not our expectations. Jesus, the promised Messiah, came and fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and then testified to fulfilling them. He was able to do those works because God’s spirit was in him. But when Jesus was preaching and revealing the Pharisees’ false teachings, from the outside it would’ve just looked like people arguing. It wasn’t some incredible super-powered fight.
Because Jesus wasn’t what people expected, they rejected him. As Christians if we look at the Bible with our own expectations, then we risk misunderstanding what God and Jesus have promised. We need to let go of our own personal thoughts and expectations to come to a true understanding using the Bible as the standard.
This is important because Jesus’ work wasn’t fully completed 2,000 years ago. He made a promise to come back. He prophesied about what would happen when he returns and what people should do at that time. In order to not make the same mistake as people 2,000 years ago did, we have to remove our expectations and know His prophecies. Then when we see the fulfillment of them, we will be able to recognize it and believe as Jesus told us to (John 14:29).
Written by Kenny
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