DAILY DEVOTION, Nov. 17, 2021

 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. (Isaiah 53:2).

We wonder what Jesus looked like. Artist portrayals usually show him as a handsome man. Sallman’s “head of Christ,” which hangs in our sanctuary, represents what the artist thought about Jesus’ appearance. We like to think that Jesus had an attractive, inviting appearance.

When Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah, he gave a rather different picture. I don’t know if Isaiah’s words mean that Jesus was ugly; he certainly gives the idea that his appearance was not especially appealing. I like to think He was rather ordinary looking—Not exceptionally handsome, not ugly, just ordinary. It is as if God wanted us to be drawn to Him, not because of His outward appearance,  but because of His words and deeds.

When Samuel selected David as king over Israel, David did not look very royal. Others in the family seemed to fit the bill better. We learn that “man looks upon the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). We are attracted to Jesus because He has a heart of love. Whatever His outward appearance makes no difference. The important thing is His love.

Father, I thank you for sending Jesus into the world to save us. While we don’t know much about His appearance, we know He loves us, and that is enough. May we return that love to Him and serve Him gratefully. In His name, Amen.