What does jesus and god look like

God the Father is spirit (John 4:24) and cannot be seen. In Exodus 33:20, God specifically taught, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." John 1:18 declares, "No one has ever seen God."

When God has shown Himself to people, it has been through forms others can visually recognize. For example, God's presence was made visible in a cloud to the Israelites in the desert with Moses. God also appeared as an angelic visitor in Genesis 18 to Abraham. The Lord spoke to Elijah in the quiet following a storm.

On one occasion, Moses asked the Lord to "Please show me your glory" (Exodus 33:18). We read, "And he said, 'I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name "The LORD." And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,' he said, 'you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.' And the LORD said, 'Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen'" (Exodus 33:19-23).

This took place when Moses received the Ten Commandments from the Lord on Mount Sinai the second time in Exodus 34. No description was given of how God looked, but, "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him" (Exodus 34:29-30). Even seeing God from the back was enough to cause the face of Moses to glow in such a way that others were afraid to come near him (Exodus 34:34-35).

In the New Testament, God revealed Himself in human form through Jesus Christ, the Son of God and second Person of the Triune Godhead. He was called Immanuel, meaning "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). John 1:14 teaches, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

The Bible also notes that in the future, there will be a time when God's children do discover God's appearance: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:1-2, emphasis added).

Is God male or female?

Has a person ever seen God?

What did Jesus look like?

Seeking God - Why is it important?

How can I come to really know God?

What Does God Look Like? - Comparison to Man
Ask children, “What does God look like?” and their responses usually include: “He is very old, has a long white beard, bushy white hair, and wears a flowing white dress or robe.” Frequently cartoonists add sandals and unruly white eyebrows. Whether it’s a towering figure or simply an enormous hand descending from Heaven, man’s concept of God’s appearance appears to bear little resemblance to our own. This may seem puzzling as Genesis repeatedly states that we are created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27). The Hebrew word for “image” (tselem) translates as “an outline or representation of an original as a shadow is the outline of the original.”

This image of God was imparted only to humans. While God is not confined to human form, imperfect and finite man shares in God’s nature, with communicable attributes (life, personality, truth, wisdom, love, holiness, justice). We have the capacity for an amazing spiritual relationship with Him, giving us insight.

What Does God Look Like? - The Encounters
Any insight as to, “What does God look like?” requires an extraordinary encounter. In Genesis 32:22–28 Jacob, the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israel, after wrestling with God, was left crippled. “Jacob named the place Peniel—“face of God”—for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared’” (Genesis 32:30). God came as close to Jacob as possible—the Creator’s hands were physically placed on him.

It is not permissible for God’s face to be literally seen (Exodus 33:20). When Moses encountered God as a blazing bush, he feared looking at God (Exodus 3:6). Even Moses’ intimate relationship in which the Lord spoke “face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10) contained limitations. In seeking God’s glorious presence, Moses is reminded, “...you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:11, 20-23). “Face to face” indicates intimate conversations shared between two close friends. This mutual trust allows them to communicate honestly and openly with one another (Deuteronomy 12:6-8).

The Old Testament’s examples of God’s appearance centered on His glory and heavenly presence dwelling within objects of His choosing: the Tabernacle (Numbers 12:5; 16:19, 42), pillar of cloud and pillar of fire (Numbers 14:14). In the New Testament God reveals Himself by appearing to us through His Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ.

What Does God Look Like? - The Invisible God
In response to, “What does God look like?” an omnipotent and omniscient Creator sent a child. “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God...For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ” (Colossians 1:15, 19). There is no mention of any distinctive features in this Child’s personal appearance, only specific elements–-lying in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth, and a star over a house. Yet the shepherds and the wise men immediately recognized Jesus as they glorified, praised, and worshiped the Living God. “The son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly...” (Hebrews 1:3).

With unconditional love and grace, God created us in His own tselem (image) while giving us a glimpse of Himself in Jesus Christ—“No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart; he has told us about him” (John 1:18). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). We may not yet fully see God’s face, and yet He fully looks upon us with unfailing love.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? - We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.

What is your response?

Yes, I am already a follower of Jesus

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