Introduction

Prayer

Have you ever wondered how Jesus really looked? Was he handsome? Was he tall, or was he short? Unfortunately, we can find no eyewitnesses who satisfy our curiosity. We can find no passages that talk about his appearance. What we can do is to use our own imaginations with the help of some historical facts that are available to us.

Jesus was a Palestinian Jew. That we know for sure. So we can say with confidence that he was not blond or blue eyed. Probably his skin was fairly dark. According to the custom of the Jewish male in ancient Palestine, he probably parted his dark hair in the middle and
let it fall to his shoulders. He grew a full beard and mustache. Some Biblical scholars claim that in those days anyone who spoke in the synagogue had to be fairly tall in statue. Since no one criticized Jesus for his external appearance, it is safe to conclude that he was a man of normal height for a Jew. It is also safe to conclude that he was slender in build, for his daily diet most likely consisted of figs, dried fish, cheap wine, and a few pieces of unleavened bread.

Jesus was in his early thirties when he began his mission. That is an established historical fact. A Japanese Christian writer named Shusaku Endo makes an interesting bservation: Jesus may have looked much older than his actual age. Endo’s conjecture is based in one obscure passage in the Gospel of John where Jews questioned Jesus, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (8:57) Endo surmises from this that perhaps Jesus looked close to fifty then. Why did Jesus look so old? Endo has his own idea. Jesus’ countenance reflected the fact that he had been taking the burden of every man and woman into himself.

Using our imaginations about the historical Jesus is an interesting intellectual exercise, to say the least. It may also be a good way to keep the image of Jesus vital and concrete in us.

Rev. Yugo Suzuki
Pastor, Japanese American United Church

Highlight of JAUC Worship Sermons

April 22th: “Feed My Sheep” John 21:15-19
Christ told Peter: "Feed my sheep." This indicates that Peter was completely forgiven by Christ. But as he was forgiven, Peter was completely transformed and was given a new responsibility. Later he went even to Rome to spread Christ's teaching. Meeting with resurrected Jesus brings a complete change in one's heart - like the transformation from weakminded, coward Peter to strong, brave Peter. By meeting with Jesus, you can be transformed too!

April 29th: “Seek God” Isaiah 58:6-8
Like the campus shooting at the Virginia university, there are many unreasonable sufferings in our lives. What should we do in such difficulty? The prophet Isaiah taught the Israelites, who returned from the Babylonian captivity, to seek God. Seeking God does not mean just sitting and wait passively. It means waiting for God’s voice while fulfilling the duties that God bestows on us. What are our duties? Isaiah says that it is “not to hide yourself from your own flesh” – For example, to help the poor in distress. Through unreasonable sufferings, God calls us to seek Him and become good neighbors to other peoples.

May 5th: “Snake and Dove” Matthew 10:16
This is the story of “the Good Samaritan.” If you were the Samaritan, and if there were two wounded men, what will you do? What we would normally do first is to check the condition of their wounds and treat the one with the more serious condition first. To practice love properly, we need prudence to grasp the situation accurately and insight to judge what should be done. The snake symbolizes prudence, and the dove symbolizes love and kindness. In the process of decision-making with others, we often disagree and become frustrated. But if we pray to be loving and humble, God will lead us to the best possible solution.

May 13th: “Abide in Me” John 15:1-6
We modern people are always considering how other people value us. Even when we are in a group, we suffer from a sense of isolation and loneliness. But sometimes, we hear news which deeply touches our hearts. For example, some days ago, a man saved the life of a person who fell onto the railroad tracks, risking his own life. Why does this kind of news move our hearts so deeply? Because it shows how we should live: To love each other. Jesus says, “Abide in Me.” The vine means Jesus, and the branches are us. Branches can bear fruit only when they connect with the vine. Only when we abide in Christ, can we love each other. Maybe other people cannot value this kind of lifestyle, but remember that the value of one’s life depends on how God sees it.

May 20th: “I Call You My Friends” John 15:11-17
There is a poem which repeats this phrase: “I am a rock, I am an island.” This poem shows the profound estrangement, the loneliness, and the sense of isolation which we modern people feel. But actually this is a cry for help. We know that there is something important lacking in our life. But what is it? The Bible tells us: Compassion to others. This love is the foundation of humanity. However, it must be based on the fact that God loves us first. Jesus says, “Love one another, just as I have loved you.” Because Jesus calls us friends, we can be compassionate with each other. Man is not an island. Jesus can transform us to become the instruments of reconciliation and peace.

From Rev. Yugo and Elizabeth Suzuki
To our many friends at JAUC, Elizabeth and I wish to express our most sincere gratitude for your many cards, gifts and kind words. We have only been with you a few months but you have taken us in and made us feel very much a part of your church family. We are also thankful for the many helping hands that have pitched in and spent countless hours to make both the Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas Luncheon such joyous and memorable events. You have served not only our church but have been a welcoming beacon to the larger community. We pray each of you will have a happy, healthy and blessed New Year.