JESUS GREW IN STATURE

JESUS GREW IN STATURE

This phrase tells us the obvious: Christ grew physically (and mentally) in the vigor and stature of a man.

Isaiah 53:2 - The intent of the original terms is that He didn’t have a magnificent, godlike physical appearance that attracted people to Him. The descriptions don’t necessarily imply that Christ was unattractive but that His looks were most likely ordinary.

His skin was most likely very brown, as were His hair and eyes. The men of His culture and era usually wore their hair almost touching the shoulders. They wore it longer if they had taken a vow of consecration (see Num. 6). The texture of their hair was probably as varied as the Caucasian hair of the Western world. Christ’s hair could have been wavy or straight, thick or thin. The most common appearance was probably dark, thick, and wavy hair to the shoulders. Jesus almost certainly wore a beard. His facial features were probably strong, bony, and masculine. The biggest error many painters have probably made in their interpretations of Jesus is portraying a small, almost scrawny stature. He was a carpenter, used to manual labor.

Jesus’ daily dress was much like you probably imagine. He would have worn the traditional tunic, girded with a belt, and at times a large cloak called a mantle, which served somewhat as an overcoat. The climate and terrain meant His feet and sandals were more often dusty than muddy. In public Jesus probably wore a turban made of linen. The colors men most often wore on an ordinary day were tan, beige, brown, and amber tones.