CONTRARY TO TRADITIONAL PAINTINGS, WHAT DID JESUS PROBABLY LOOK LIKE? I had a seminary instructor who would remind us that the real appearance of Jesus is open for debate, even though most of history's artwork depicts Jesus as a good-looking Caucasian man with an appealing, smaller-than-average nose and rockstar hair flowing over his shoulders. Though this is not something we want to get into a knockdown-drag-out fight over, that image is most likely not what our Lord and Savior looked like. Jesus was a Jew, so he probably had a prominent nose, darker skin, and a style of men's hair from that time, possibly cropped off the shoulders, maybe something like John, Paul, George, and Ringo—the Beatles. Christ’s unlikely depiction has been popularized by Roman Catholicism, who mostly portray Jesus as a baby in Mary's arms—to promote their Mary worship—or as an adult with an unapproachable, somber, serious look on his face and a gold circle (halo) above and behind His head. As my seminary instructor would say, that sort of a Supreme Dude with the regal, intimidating, alien demeanor would never get children to approach Him. Completely contrary to that traditional, stony-faced notion of Jesus, the Bible shows our Lord as a friendly, fun-natured Fellow. Years ago, on the wall of my New York office, my all-time-favorite picture of Jesus showed Him with a big-old smile. I bet the real Christ displayed overflowing joy to be speaking with the people He created, a divine man walking around with a heart-warming twinkle in His eyes.