Did Jesus Have Long Hair? Most people assume that Jesus had long hair. After all, that’s the way they’ve always seen Him portrayed in every painting, drawing or movie. That’s the only Jesus they’ve ever seen. But are those depictions accurate? The fact is, we don’t know what Jesus looked like, because the first depictions of Him weren’t done until hundreds of years later. Thus every image we’ve ever seen of Him is based solely on artists’ imaginations. While we don’t know what Jesus looked like, we do know that He didn’t look like the common depictions of Him with long hair. After all, this same Jesus inspired the apostle Paul to write in 1 Corinthians 11:14: “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?” In addition to this instruction regarding long hair on men, the Bible also contains circumstantial evidence that Jesus didn’t have long hair. Perhaps the most telling is that when Judas betrayed Jesus, he had to identify Jesus by a kiss. That was the prearranged signal Judas had given so that the guards could identify Jesus. Why did Judas have to do that? Because Jesus looked just like any average man of His day, and they wouldn’t have been able to identify Him if Judas hadn’t betrayed Him with a kiss. This incident shows us that Jesus looked like any ordinary, average Jew of His day; there was nothing distinguishing about Him. The messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53:2 (NIV) says of Him: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” The Gospels tell us that on at least two occasions Jesus slipped away into the crowds when people were trying to kill Him (Luke 4:30; John 8:59). He was able to escape harm because He was simply an average-looking man of His day and blended in with the other people around Him. A Feb. 24, 2004, Associated Press article reports: “‘Jesus didn’t have long hair,’ said physical anthropologist Joe Zias, who has studied hundreds of skeletons found in archaeological digs in Jerusalem. ‘Jewish men back in antiquity did not have long hair.’ ‘The Jewish texts ridiculed long hair as something Roman or Greek,’ said New York University’s Lawrence Schiffman” (“Jesus Scholars Find Fault in Gibson’s ‘Passion’”). However, it wasn’t at all typical among even the Greeks and Romans, as plenty of statues and coins from the time attest. “Along with extensive writings from the period, experts also point to a frieze on Rome’s Arch of Titus, erected after Jerusalem was captured in AD 70 to celebrate the victory, which shows Jewish men with short hair taken into captivity” (ibid.). Jesus wasn’t the tender, effeminate man with a somewhat angelic appearance as commonly depicted in paintings. He was a carpenter, a builder, a man who knew the construction trade. He knew how to cut down trees and make wooden beams, to haul rocks to build walls, to construct buildings from stone and timber. The Gospels make it clear that He spent a lot of time outdoors. He hung out with fishermen, the kind of characters who would never respect and look up to a weakling. Yet Jesus had 12 disciples who followed Him everywhere He went and who in time died for Him. They knew Him as a real man, not the fabrication we see in so many paintings.
From: Jesus Christ, the real story. Published by the United Church of God, an International Association.
Posts tonen met het label Jesus. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label Jesus. Alle posts tonen
woensdag 15 september 2010
maandag 6 september 2010
Wisdom
Been Thinking About: Wisdom
(an article by RBC Ministries President Mart De Haan)
According to Buddhist folklore, two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed. As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!" "Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her."
A Question of Wisdom—The insight of the second monk raises an interesting question for followers of Christ. If we acknowledge examples of moral and spiritual insight in another religion, do we weaken our case for the distinctiveness of our own faith?
I ask the question because I believe we actually strengthen our case by seeing that one of the things the Bible does is help us see wisdom outside of its own pages. By being our inspired standard for wisdom, the Bible shows how to recognize (1) natural, (2) religious, and (3) moral insights in the world around us. Most important, the Scriptures show us how these first three kinds of wisdom can help us see our need for (4) the redemptive wisdom of the cross.
Let's take a closer look at how the first three kinds of wisdom can help us build bridges to those outside of our faith, without compromising the distinctiveness of Christ in the process.
Natural Wisdom—The Old Testament book of Proverbs gives us examples of practical insights that abound in the cultures and religions of the world. Solomon's wisdom shows us how to learn from the animals, from agriculture, and from personal reflection on how life works. Many of his wise sayings illustrate the value of a natural wisdom that can also be found in other religions.
Wise is the one who is not too big to learn from the ant (Proverbs 6:6-8).
The most important battles are fought in the mind (Proverbs 16:32; 25:28).
A benefit of such natural wisdom is that it can help anyone live a more thoughtful life. A downside is that natural wisdom does not by itself give us hope in a world where all of our accomplishments are subject to change and loss (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11).
Religious Wisdom—People of many cultures have found it difficult to think that the wonders of the natural world have no counterpart on the other side of death. As a result, many religions have tried to give their followers hope beyond the grave. While the following quotes are from the Bible, they have parallels in other religious systems.
Those who hope only in this life are destined for despair (Ecclesiastes 2:15-20).
Nothing is more relevant than the eternal (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
By believing in life after death, people of many religions have found courage to make sacrifices for a better world beyond. But eternal perspectives have also been a problem. By minimizing the importance of this life, many have wasted the earth's resources, waged unnecessary wars, and sacrificed their lives at the expense of others. Religious wisdom does not make people good merely by offering the hope of immortality.
Moral Wisdom—From Moses to Jesus, the Scriptures show that spirituality without morality can result in everything from false gods to religious exploitation of the poor. According to the Bible, moral wisdom is so important that our Creator wrote His laws not only in stone, but also in our hearts (Romans 2:14-15). The result is that the Bible resonates with a universal human conscience when it says things like,
Do to others as you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12).
Don't return evil for evil but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
Once again, however, we are faced with an insight that is incomplete. When we think about the moral wisdom of love, our problem is not so much in knowing but in doing. No matter how much we want to love, we easily slide into self-centered thinking that causes us to hurt and be hurt. None of us gives or receives as much love as our hearts long for.
Redemptive Wisdom—Because we are all wounded people, we need more than natural, religious, and moral wisdom to do the right thing. We need a redemptive insight to help us deal with the wrongs we have done to others and that others have done to us.
This was the kind of wisdom Jesus offered when He stepped into our broken world and said,
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
Those who are well don't need a doctor, but those who are sick. I have not come to call good people, but sinners to repentance (Mark 2:17).
Christ's invitation to hurting, helpless people was not new. For centuries, Jewish prophets had been declaring that the most high God lives not only in the heavens but also in the dark valleys of crushed and shattered people who recognize their desperate need of Him (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15).
What was new with Christ was that at the crossroads of the world, and on the center page of human history, God unveiled the secret of His redemptive wisdom. By an act of immeasurable love, our Creator became our substitute, dying in our place, for our sin (1 Corinthians 1:17-31).
Wisdom doesn't get more profound than this. The darkest, most tragic moment of human history became the means by which our Creator could offer us the light of His Spirit, His forgiveness, and His everlasting life.
By the redemptive wisdom of Christ, wasted, ruined, and hopeless people learn to love as they have been loved, to forgive as they have been forgiven, and to salvage as they have been salvaged.
Father in heaven, Your Son is known for rescuing the kind of people we are inclined to condemn. Something has gone terribly wrong. Please don't let us rest until we too are showing every day, and in every way, the redemptive wisdom of the cross.
Feel free to pass along this newsletter to your family and friends.
(an article by RBC Ministries President Mart De Haan)
According to Buddhist folklore, two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed. As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!" "Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her."
A Question of Wisdom—The insight of the second monk raises an interesting question for followers of Christ. If we acknowledge examples of moral and spiritual insight in another religion, do we weaken our case for the distinctiveness of our own faith?
I ask the question because I believe we actually strengthen our case by seeing that one of the things the Bible does is help us see wisdom outside of its own pages. By being our inspired standard for wisdom, the Bible shows how to recognize (1) natural, (2) religious, and (3) moral insights in the world around us. Most important, the Scriptures show us how these first three kinds of wisdom can help us see our need for (4) the redemptive wisdom of the cross.
Let's take a closer look at how the first three kinds of wisdom can help us build bridges to those outside of our faith, without compromising the distinctiveness of Christ in the process.
Natural Wisdom—The Old Testament book of Proverbs gives us examples of practical insights that abound in the cultures and religions of the world. Solomon's wisdom shows us how to learn from the animals, from agriculture, and from personal reflection on how life works. Many of his wise sayings illustrate the value of a natural wisdom that can also be found in other religions.
Wise is the one who is not too big to learn from the ant (Proverbs 6:6-8).
The most important battles are fought in the mind (Proverbs 16:32; 25:28).
A benefit of such natural wisdom is that it can help anyone live a more thoughtful life. A downside is that natural wisdom does not by itself give us hope in a world where all of our accomplishments are subject to change and loss (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11).
Religious Wisdom—People of many cultures have found it difficult to think that the wonders of the natural world have no counterpart on the other side of death. As a result, many religions have tried to give their followers hope beyond the grave. While the following quotes are from the Bible, they have parallels in other religious systems.
Those who hope only in this life are destined for despair (Ecclesiastes 2:15-20).
Nothing is more relevant than the eternal (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
By believing in life after death, people of many religions have found courage to make sacrifices for a better world beyond. But eternal perspectives have also been a problem. By minimizing the importance of this life, many have wasted the earth's resources, waged unnecessary wars, and sacrificed their lives at the expense of others. Religious wisdom does not make people good merely by offering the hope of immortality.
Moral Wisdom—From Moses to Jesus, the Scriptures show that spirituality without morality can result in everything from false gods to religious exploitation of the poor. According to the Bible, moral wisdom is so important that our Creator wrote His laws not only in stone, but also in our hearts (Romans 2:14-15). The result is that the Bible resonates with a universal human conscience when it says things like,
Do to others as you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12).
Don't return evil for evil but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
Once again, however, we are faced with an insight that is incomplete. When we think about the moral wisdom of love, our problem is not so much in knowing but in doing. No matter how much we want to love, we easily slide into self-centered thinking that causes us to hurt and be hurt. None of us gives or receives as much love as our hearts long for.
Redemptive Wisdom—Because we are all wounded people, we need more than natural, religious, and moral wisdom to do the right thing. We need a redemptive insight to help us deal with the wrongs we have done to others and that others have done to us.
This was the kind of wisdom Jesus offered when He stepped into our broken world and said,
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
Those who are well don't need a doctor, but those who are sick. I have not come to call good people, but sinners to repentance (Mark 2:17).
Christ's invitation to hurting, helpless people was not new. For centuries, Jewish prophets had been declaring that the most high God lives not only in the heavens but also in the dark valleys of crushed and shattered people who recognize their desperate need of Him (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15).
What was new with Christ was that at the crossroads of the world, and on the center page of human history, God unveiled the secret of His redemptive wisdom. By an act of immeasurable love, our Creator became our substitute, dying in our place, for our sin (1 Corinthians 1:17-31).
Wisdom doesn't get more profound than this. The darkest, most tragic moment of human history became the means by which our Creator could offer us the light of His Spirit, His forgiveness, and His everlasting life.
By the redemptive wisdom of Christ, wasted, ruined, and hopeless people learn to love as they have been loved, to forgive as they have been forgiven, and to salvage as they have been salvaged.
Father in heaven, Your Son is known for rescuing the kind of people we are inclined to condemn. Something has gone terribly wrong. Please don't let us rest until we too are showing every day, and in every way, the redemptive wisdom of the cross.
Feel free to pass along this newsletter to your family and friends.
woensdag 11 augustus 2010
In the beginning
By Michael Ford
It may be the most important true-false test ever taken. Why are there so many attacks upon the Book of Genesis, especially the first 12 chapters? Those who do not wish to be part of the dispute often ask, "What does it matter whether the stories about Creation, Adam and Eve, the great worldwide Flood, Abraham, and others, are true anyhow?"
The simple answer is that every Great Doctrine of the Bible begins in Genesis, in the first 12 chapters of God's written record. If those accounts can be proven false, then all that the Bible claims becomes suspect. After all, why should you believe the Bible if it is based on myths and fairy tales in the first 12 chapters? That is precisely why Bible disputers so studiously ignore the great mass of evidence to the contrary.
The Bible is not only accurate in its statements in the first 12 chapters, but it also further fits together perfectly with the rest of Scripture, disclosing the very Person of our Lord Jesus Christ...
From the CSE newsletter
It may be the most important true-false test ever taken. Why are there so many attacks upon the Book of Genesis, especially the first 12 chapters? Those who do not wish to be part of the dispute often ask, "What does it matter whether the stories about Creation, Adam and Eve, the great worldwide Flood, Abraham, and others, are true anyhow?"
The simple answer is that every Great Doctrine of the Bible begins in Genesis, in the first 12 chapters of God's written record. If those accounts can be proven false, then all that the Bible claims becomes suspect. After all, why should you believe the Bible if it is based on myths and fairy tales in the first 12 chapters? That is precisely why Bible disputers so studiously ignore the great mass of evidence to the contrary.
The Bible is not only accurate in its statements in the first 12 chapters, but it also further fits together perfectly with the rest of Scripture, disclosing the very Person of our Lord Jesus Christ...
From the CSE newsletter
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