A Picture of Jesus

In 2017, The History Channel aired a documentary based on the work of graphic experts attempting to recreate a picture of Jesus from the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud of Turin is considered by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus following His crucifixion. The Shroud contains a faint image of a man who appears to have wounds similar to the ones the Bible describes regarding Jesus. To accomplish their task, they have used advanced 3D software to capture a more accurate image from the shroud. While their process was unique and interesting, there is no certainty that the resulting picture looks anything like Jesus looked during His earthly life nor is there irrefutable evidence that indeed the Shroud is the specific one in which Jesus was wrapped.

Many people have commented about the picture saying that it doesn't look like Jesus. To what are they comparing the History Channel's picture? It is not like Jesus handed out wallet size photos to the disciples and his closest friends and family members. Most are comparing the new picture to one that is either in their Bible or hangs in their church or appears on a poster. We sometimes forget that those were simply paintings by artists centuries after the time of Jesus. There were no Polaroids or digital prints during the 1st Century.

A lady was interviewed on a news program regarding the resulting picture that was produced through the work of the History Channel's team for the documentary. She said: "I don't care about what Jesus looked like; I just care about what He did." Wow! That is a great statement that should reflect the outlook of all of us. One week ago we celebrated Easter by focusing on the resurrection of Jesus. Now one week later, let's focus on the picture of Jesus that the Bible portrays through the actions and teachings of Jesus recorded in the four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Following are five Biblical statements that give us a clear picture of Jesus:

• God chose to become like one of us by taking on flesh and living among us being born as the baby Jesus.

  
  

  "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

  
  

• Jesus stated that the only path to God is through faith in Jesus, the Christ.

  
  

  "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6

  
  

• Jesus lived without sinning but took on the sin of all of us that we might have a relationship with God.

  
  

  "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

  
  

• Jesus's crucifixion was the great expression of God's love for us.

  
  

  "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ (Jesus) died for us." Romans 5:8

  
  

• Jesus' resurrection is God's validation of his promise of eternal life to those who put their faith in Him.

  
  

  "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son that whosoever

  believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

There is an old saying "You can't tell a book by its cover." A true picture of Jesus is only revealed by reading the Bible and allowing Him to live in your life by your specific act of faith in Him. Only then do you see the real picture of Jesus.