Images of Christ

What shall we say regarding the paintings and statues that depict our Lord Jesus Christ? While one may acknowledge their artistic merit, we must speak honestly and humbly: such images are the imaginative renderings of artists and sculptors. They are not faithful representations of our Saviour. What does Holy Scripture reveal on this matter? As Christians, we affirm with joy that in the incarnation, the eternal Son of God took on human flesh. He walked among his contemporaries—seen, touched, and heard by them. This, however, is not our present experience. Yet the Bible does offer us a glimpse, however veiled, into the appearance of the Messiah during his passion: “His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance... He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Is. 52:14; 53:2) – a sorrowful image that speaks to the depth of what our Lord endured for the redemption of his people. It is no wonder, then, that the Church longs for her Be...