The white Jesus

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blueluna5

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2018
657
393
63
Jesus is depicted as a white man and that poses a challenge when trying to present the Jewish Jesus.
So how does one present a case against someone who has been disturbed by the misrepresentation of Jesus?

I tried uploading a video but the extension is not allowed.

The following are the words of a Bishop residing in South Africa:


"The day I will see a white man dying for a black man, then I will believe in the white Jesus dying for black people. As far as am concerned, the black man is still hanging on the cross, surrounded by the two thieves on the left and on the right. These are the Europeans and the Chinese who are busy crucifying Africa on the same cross. We cannot even talk about the death of Jesus, let's talk about the dying of Africa constantly. Let's not create Theology of poverty and misery and glorify the death of Jesus when our brothers and sisters are still dying. The death of Christ, is a symbolic death, the death of truth, the death of the poor, the death of the marginalized, the death of the children of the soil and if religion is used to pacify that, then that is the doctrine of demons. For he came to set the captives free and until Africa is free, there is no Jesus who has died on the cross. We are still dying to date. It cannot take one man to save the world yet we have 20 million Africans who died in the sea during slave trade. Is these God not tired of drinking blood, how much more blood does he need. Can you look at Congo, give me the 15 million that died plus the 25,35 million. Calculate all the wars that has been fought in Africa, how many more millions. Your telling me all this blood that has been spilled is worth northing except the blood of one man who hang on the cross. Theology must not be used to create a sympathy for the white man. Theology must be used to evoke the African to start thinking. Have we come down from the cross yet or the Romans, they have not changed, they are still Europeans, they are still nailing our hands, the chastising of our work, putting on crowns of thorns on our heads, managing our minds and what we think. Piercing our sides,poking our reserves of food and etc. Nailing our feet, passports we cannot travel without this and that. Can you tell me that Jesus died on the cross?The day I see a black man free, I will start talking about Jesus who died for the sins of the world.He could not have died for a black man and the white man who believes in him did the crimes that he did".

He is very persuasive and have caught the attention of many people. his words reminds me of the Jewish people who rejected Jesus with the expectation of being delivered from the Roman oppression.

I am a black woman who believes that Jesus died on the cross to save humanity from it's sinful state. but how can I convince a black person holding on to the image of Jesus being depicted as a white man?

Let us kindly engage in a manner that will bring glory to God.
I don't know the exact pigmentation of his skin as I was not alive then. However Morgan Freeman is black and played God in a movie.

I guess if I'm forced to be a preschool teacher to adults I'll give answers like I would to kids.
 

Lucy-Pevensie

Senior Member
Dec 20, 2017
9,386
5,725
113
I understand, black people in my country don't relate to the Jesus that is being portrayed to them. I became interested in this topic when I was confronted with questions about the white Jesus.
"We're sorry we preached the gospel and hurt your "feelings"with our visible portrayal of Jesus in our art, illustrations & films."
Is not the attitude we should even consider.

Race baiting is the worldly pursuit of an alternative morality.
I personally think of the earthly Lord Jesus as a 1st century Middle Eastern man. Specifically Jewish.
If anyone would like to portray the Lord as African in appearance or Asian or as any other human "race". I can see no problem with that.
As long as it's the real Jesus with the real gospel. Not a false messiah like Haile Selassie.
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,212
2,547
113
personally if anyone is really having an issue with the color of his skin instead of just connecting with him and growing him then I would say they have the mentality.
I never saw Jesus have an issue with skin color he looked to the soul
 

bojack

Well-known member
Dec 16, 2019
2,309
1,006
113
How about looking how Josephus described Our Lord and Savior:


“At that time also there appeared a certain man of magic power … if it be meet to call him a man, [whose name is Jesus], whom [certain] Greeks call a son of [a] God, but his disciples [call] the true prophet … he was a man of simple appearance, mature age, black-skinned (melagchrous), short growth, three cubits tall, hunchbacked, prognathous (lit. ‘with a long face’ [macroprosopos]), a long nose, eyebrows meeting above the nose … with scanty [curly] hair, but having a line in the middle of the head after the fashion of the Nazaraeans, with an undeveloped beard.”


^
This portion is very interesting:


Black Skinned and Hunchbacked!

he was a man of simple appearance, mature age, black-skinned (melagchrous), short growth, three cubits tall, hunchbacked, prognathous (lit. ‘with a long face’ [macroprosopos]), a long nose, eyebrows meeting above the nose
I do not accept this description of Jesus either at all .. There's a reason Jesus was not meant for us to know what He looked like .. Hunchbacked implies imperfection and Passover lambs were to be without spot or blemish ..
 

bojack

Well-known member
Dec 16, 2019
2,309
1,006
113
I do not accept this description of Jesus either at all .. There's a reason Jesus was not meant for us to know what He looked like .. Hunchbacked implies imperfection and Passover lambs were to be without spot or blemish ..
God will deal with racists just the same .. Miriam spoke against Moses wife, she was an Ethiopian .. God sought to kill Miriam but Moses interceded for her, God told him He would spare her but she would still be struck with leprosy for a week .. How appropriate , if you had leprosy you were to announce your coming with warning hollering ''unclean, unclean'' .. Too bad the gossips of today aren't struck and made to do the same because it spreads and infects like leprosy ..
 

bojack

Well-known member
Dec 16, 2019
2,309
1,006
113
To be honest, I'm proud and glad each people and culture can reasonably claim Jesus as their own who accept Him .. Yet His own rejected Him except for a relative few .. Go Figure !!!
 
Jun 25, 2020
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I think that we have a commission from God to represent Him as accurately as possible which means as the Scripture portrays Him. We have no obligation to satisfy everyone's questions , concerns and unbelief. His word stands regardless of my suffering , misunderstanding , belief or unbelief. That is what we are to preach and teach.

I think it is obvious from the Scripture that Jesus was named Yeshua and was a Jewish teacher and considering his lineage , he was most likely brown or some similar category. I suppose he would have looked like Israelis do today. Perhaps like a middle Eastern Arab. But most likely not Caucasian. Although , the Bible does teach a common ancestry back to Adam and Eve and again back to Noah and his family. So while it may be a small percentage , Jesus had a little bit of everything in him as do we all. The Bible calls him the second Adam. I have talked to people who have used ancestry dot com and come back with results that while they had a relatively high percentage of one or a few ethnic strains , they also had dozens of small amounts of other ethnic groups to.

An interesting fact is the issue of his race did not seem to matter. He was a Jewish teacher sent to the Jewish people. I say if someone wants to focus upon the 0.00001 % of Jesus that was white , that is their free choice to identify with him that way. Likewise any other people group. The most accurate biblical portrayal is Yeshua the Jew who was middle eastern. The fact that we are all from Adam and that Yeshua came as the second Adam to deliver the first Adam seems to be the larger focus. He had within him , all ethnic groups regardless of how small or large a percentage so all groups can rightfully claim him as their own.

But once we get beyond ethic groups and skin color , the more important issue is culture. The Bible teaches that we are adopted into His family and we are adopted into His kingdom culture. We are sojourners here and our real citizenship is in heaven. So we hold these connections loosely. we are long term residents here but our citizenship is in Heaven. Our culture , whichever ones those are , need to conform to His kingdom culture. Not to a particular worldly culture.
 
Aug 14, 2019
1,374
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About a year ago, Science constructed this image who they claim was Jesus:

The thing tha5 bothers me with this rendering is this guy looks confused or bewildered. Like he's doing a homer Simpson doh! Jesus being sinless had what's called the internal gaze. When He looked at someone with that penetrating gaze it could be a bit uncomfortable. The scientis5s missed the mark even 8f they got His ethnicity right.
 

Pulie

Active member
May 26, 2020
216
94
28
personally if anyone is really having an issue with the color of his skin instead of just connecting with him and growing him then I would say they have the mentality.
I never saw Jesus have an issue with skin color he looked to the soul
I want to go to a white community and give them the pictures of a black Jesus while preaching the gospel. I wonder what their reaction will be?

There is a lot I can tell you to show you that those pictures are a stumbling block.
What are the things that I do that will make a white man not to listen to the gospel?
Or they won't even bother to listen to me based on my skin color?

Your not giving me a practical solution.

Black people are woke now and will not bother to listen to the gospel because of the white Jesus that is portrayed. Remember Africa is not a country but a continent, so some issues will differ from country to country.
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
25,470
13,784
113
I want to go to a white community and give them the pictures of a black Jesus while preaching the gospel. I wonder what their reaction will be?

There is a lot I can tell you to show you that those pictures are a stumbling block.
What are the things that I do that will make a white man not to listen to the gospel?
Or they won't even bother to listen to me based on my skin color?

Your not giving me a practical solution.

Black people are woke now and will not bother to listen to the gospel because of the white Jesus that is portrayed. Remember Africa is not a country but a continent, so some issues will differ from country to country.
Bear in mind that people who love their sin will grasp any reason to reject Christ. Skin colour is only the excuse.

If we embrace the truth that there is only one race (though diverse ethnicities), then we also need to embrace the corollary truth that all humans are sinful, regardless of the melanin content of their epidermis.

Perhaps instead of using pictures, use word-pictures. :)
 
E

EleventhHour

Guest
Bear in mind that people who love their sin will grasp any reason to reject Christ. Skin colour is only the excuse.

If we embrace the truth that there is only one race (though diverse ethnicities), then we also need to embrace the corollary truth that all humans are sinful, regardless of the melanin content of their epidermis.

Perhaps instead of using pictures, use word-pictures. :)
We all bleed red.
 
May 31, 2020
1,706
1,559
113
I couldn’t care less as to the pigmentation of Jesus on Earth or in Heaven. If He’s Black, that means a Black man loves us more than anyone else loves us.
 

Pulie

Active member
May 26, 2020
216
94
28
With the Gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation, Romans 1:16.

While you're digging up something else to use, let us all know what this new gospel is when you find it.



Nor should we minimize the fact that Blacks enslaved more whites than blacks have ever been enslaved.

Worldwide.

Black still enslave blacks.

Native Americans enslaved blacks.

Blacks sold blacks to whites.

Let's stop the cherry picking, it is to have an unjust balance as Scripture says. Proverbs 11:1.
Interesting "blacks enslaved more white people than blacks". How can you support that?

Yes blacks still enslaves blacks

Native American enslaved blacks. There are no Native Americans in my country. It's the white people who colonized us and gave us the Bible while exploiting our resources.

Yes blacks sold blacks to whites. White people didnt bother to reject the offer instead they indulged in the evil act and caused further harm.

We are all guilty of sin and we should all acknowledge our evil behaviors. Those that are hardened will simply learn the hard way. God has a way of dealing with a hardened heart.

God is exposing people and will continue to expose them. So let's leave everything in the hands of a just God.
 
May 31, 2020
1,706
1,559
113
Black people are woke now and will not bother to listen to the gospel because of the white Jesus that is portrayed.
Shaking dust off feet 🦶🦶
 

Pulie

Active member
May 26, 2020
216
94
28
Bear in mind that people who love their sin will grasp any reason to reject Christ. Skin colour is only the excuse.

If we embrace the truth that there is only one race (though diverse ethnicities), then we also need to embrace the corollary truth that all humans are sinful, regardless of the melanin content of their epidermis.

Perhaps instead of using pictures, use word-pictures. :)
So the white man will reject the gospel based on the pictures and the colour of my skin. The black man will reject the pictures of the white Jesus and view it as an attempt for the white people to control them once again.

May God give us the wisdom to address such matters in the church.

Yes we are a human race and we are all sinners.

I don't use pictures, I wanted the other party to see the problem that lies with the white Jesus. Honestly, what your saying is ideal but there are deep underlying issues that cannot be solved by telling people what to do.

I guess we will do what we can and leave the hardened hearts in God's hands.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,129
3,689
113
Jesus is depicted as a white man and that poses a challenge when trying to present the Jewish Jesus.
So how does one present a case against someone who has been disturbed by the misrepresentation of Jesus?

I tried uploading a video but the extension is not allowed.

The following are the words of a Bishop residing in South Africa:


"The day I will see a white man dying for a black man, then I will believe in the white Jesus dying for black people. As far as am concerned, the black man is still hanging on the cross, surrounded by the two thieves on the left and on the right. These are the Europeans and the Chinese who are busy crucifying Africa on the same cross. We cannot even talk about the death of Jesus, let's talk about the dying of Africa constantly. Let's not create Theology of poverty and misery and glorify the death of Jesus when our brothers and sisters are still dying. The death of Christ, is a symbolic death, the death of truth, the death of the poor, the death of the marginalized, the death of the children of the soil and if religion is used to pacify that, then that is the doctrine of demons. For he came to set the captives free and until Africa is free, there is no Jesus who has died on the cross. We are still dying to date. It cannot take one man to save the world yet we have 20 million Africans who died in the sea during slave trade. Is these God not tired of drinking blood, how much more blood does he need. Can you look at Congo, give me the 15 million that died plus the 25,35 million. Calculate all the wars that has been fought in Africa, how many more millions. Your telling me all this blood that has been spilled is worth northing except the blood of one man who hang on the cross. Theology must not be used to create a sympathy for the white man. Theology must be used to evoke the African to start thinking. Have we come down from the cross yet or the Romans, they have not changed, they are still Europeans, they are still nailing our hands, the chastising of our work, putting on crowns of thorns on our heads, managing our minds and what we think. Piercing our sides,poking our reserves of food and etc. Nailing our feet, passports we cannot travel without this and that. Can you tell me that Jesus died on the cross?The day I see a black man free, I will start talking about Jesus who died for the sins of the world.He could not have died for a black man and the white man who believes in him did the crimes that he did".

He is very persuasive and have caught the attention of many people. his words reminds me of the Jewish people who rejected Jesus with the expectation of being delivered from the Roman oppression.

I am a black woman who believes that Jesus died on the cross to save humanity from it's sinful state. but how can I convince a black person holding on to the image of Jesus being depicted as a white man?

Let us kindly engage in a manner that will bring glory to God.
This so called bishop should spend more time quoting scripture instead of his opinions. Jesus didn’t die to change our lives here on earth, but to deliver us from sin that one day we could spend eternity with Him. Maybe this is one reason we are not to make images of Jesus. Who cares what he looked like? He was full of grace and truth. That’s what I see when I look at Jesus.

We have no idea what Jesus looked like in the flesh. His body was prepared by God, not Mary or Joseph. He was not of the seed of man, but God.
 
E

EleventhHour

Guest
Interesting "blacks enslaved more white people than blacks". How can you support that?

Yes blacks still enslaves blacks

Native American enslaved blacks. There are no Native Americans in my country. It's the white people who colonized us and gave us the Bible while exploiting our resources.

Yes blacks sold blacks to whites. White people didnt bother to reject the offer instead they indulged in the evil act and caused further harm.

We are all guilty of sin and we should all acknowledge our evil behaviors. Those that are hardened will simply learn the hard way. God has a way of dealing with a hardened heart.

God is exposing people and will continue to expose them. So let's leave everything in the hands of a just God.

I think when we regard slavery according to the colour of people's skin, we are missing what slavery has always been about....... which is free labour.

One group or individuals exploiting others because they had the position and power to do so.

Racism was created to justify that behaviour, however it is not the reason for slavery..

Slavery provides a big economic advantage.
 

Pulie

Active member
May 26, 2020
216
94
28
Shaking dust off feet 🦶🦶
Yes you can shake the dust off your feet and someone will take off where you left. Please don't take my words out of context. They make more sense in their context.