Is it Jesus or Zeus?

We have such a Greek view of Jesus and God.

Years ago, I watching a Seven Wonders of the World documentary and quite shocked when they showed the Statue of Zeus at Olympia and explained the face of the statue was used in eastern Catholic depictions of Jesus and is still common in churches throughout the world.

What Did Jesus Look Like?

The Bible makes no specific description of what Jesus Christ looked like, there are however some very good indications of what He did not look like.

Jesus was a Jew so we know his skin, hair, and eyes were probably very dark. Unlike the light brown long hair, blue eyed Jesus found in many portraits. Typical Jews in Jesus day had long beards and short hair.  The apostle Paul (see On The Road To Damascus) actually saw Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1).  Paul wrote, “if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him.” There was nothing unusual about His appearance.

“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 [see How Did Jesus Christ Die?], 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)