If Jesus returned to earth and looked the same as before, would people have a hard time accepting him?

Yes people would initially until he starts healing people… but he might just be growing a movember stash with a beard.

Once his authenticity gets established, there will be less and less concerns on his appearance and eventually people would focus more on the fact that indeed there is an afterlife.

It’s hard for me to really answer because I know it just wouldn’t happen. Well, I’m 99.9% sure it wouldn’t happen.

I guess he would simply prove himself by performing a miracle. Naturally, it would be a huge spectacle and everyone would watch on CNN. Then everyone on the planet would convert to christianity and we’d live happily ever after.

They had a hard time accepting him even in his own time… dressed appropriately for the party at hand.

[Mod Says:] Knowing how questions regarding beliefs can get, the user has requested that the moderators ensure that it remains on topic.

A gentle reminder to all that the question is not if Jesus will return, nor is it a debate on the image in question and how it pertains to scripture or the bible.

The question is roughly “If Jesus came back looking different than the iconic portrayal, would be be accepted?”

Please respect the asking user by not deviating from the topic.

Thanks!

A question I asked about a year ago and its answers might interest you?
I think it is related to your question.

I couldn’t quote the exact verse, but the way that the second coming was described, it’d be done in a way you’d damn well know who it was when it happened.

But I bet people would be skeptical if he appeared as the more accurate picture. The west has been so conditioned to see Jesus as a western european that they can’t put two and two together that he was more than likely dark skinned and a jew on top of that.

I think he’d have to let his hair grow to flowing locks and wear a white robe. One hopes he would have a compassionate look on his face.

Personally, I’d have a hard time accepting him at all and looks have nothing to do with it.

However, I think looks would factor into it for many people after all society, at least in my little patch of suburbia, places a pretty high value on aesthetics and I’ve met many, many, people whose perceptions (and not just first impressions) are strongly biased by it.

With time and greater “evidence” I’d guess looks would matter less and people, in general, would do much as they do now, believe what they want and hear what supports their position (at least until something they can’t ignore forces them to rethink their stance).

In the end though, how much clear evidence would there be, how much would each person require, and to what standard would each hold it? I don’t think looks would be much of an issue at that point (long term) but I suspect, on the whole, it would still come down to being a matter of faith.

If it were up to the media it would turn into a circus quicker than you can blink. You’d have to take that into account too. Wouldn’t look pretty, that’s for sure.

As for myself, I’ve always figured he was close to black, or very dark skinned at least. I expect the beard would be longer than your first picture too. I’ve always thought the blond Jesus looked stupid.

His message, delivery, and carpenter wizardry would surely get him noticed. Then, once he did the loaves and fishes trick, then he would be a youtube, facebook and America’s Got Talent phenomenon. Love him or hate him, Jesus, like John Lennon was, is still cool. I would love to have a chat with him and look into that schizo-like 3 persons in one claim. (I should capitalize those him’s for the old fashioned wordsmiths)

@gorillapaws, the Bible tells us the things that will happen before Christ returns. When people witness these things there will be no doubt that Christ has returned.

Regardless of what Christ looked like when he returns, most who do not believe or accept Him now, will reject him then. The rejections would have little to do with what He looks like.

They may indeed not recognize him but his timing would be perfect if he showed up today and the OWS protestors would recognize him as the father of all protests when Jesus arranged the first ever Occupy Jerusalem thus pissing off the entire Roman Empire. Giving your life for your cause shows dedication and leadership and Jesus would be immediately welcome and wouldn’t have to shave or anything as he would fit right in.

Irrelevant. It is written that Jesus will be unmistakable on His next visit.

I don’t think many people could agree on accepting a “messiah” in this age, regardless of his appearance. I’ve seen films that present that scenario, including the CNN coverage that @Blackberry imagined above, but I just can’t believe that a large number of people today would accept it, even if they are actually awaiting a messiah. I think that their doubt would be too great.

We don’t know what he looked like before, now do we?

@perspicacious we knew he was a Jew from around 0 A.D. We know he would probably look similar to other people of his race (the Bible probably would’ve mentioned something somewhere if he looked Korean in a land that had never seen a Korean before).

There are a lot of interesting responses thus far. Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts. One thing I’m wondering is that it seems people are confident they will know Christ because they are expecting certain prophesied events to take place from the scriptures. If Christ did return, but he went “off script” from what is supposed to happen, would that make you doubt his authenticity? What if he refused to perform miracles and be treated like a stage magician? Or a lab rat?

@gorillapaws Jesus was a Gallilean Hebrew.