I recently read the book “Heaven is for Real” by Todd Burpo. It is a story of his son, who died as a young boy and went to Heaven then returned and shared his experiences with his family. One of the questions that was commonly asked for a few years was if he saw Jesus and what Jesus looked like. For a long while the young boy saw many paintings and depictions of Jesus but said they were not accurate. That is until he saw the painting by Akaine Kramarik, a young child who had visions of Jesus as well. The picture is below:
This picture of Jesus was one I had never seen before. According to this picture, it looks like Jesus has trimmed his hair and is caught up with the modern-day look!
Compare that picture with the picture below:
This picture is one of the most famous LDS paintings out there, by Del Parsons. According to Mormon folklore, a prophet told him this was the most accurate depiction of Jesus and was therefore approved for world-wide distribution.
However, there is another Jesus painting by Heinrich Hoffman that, according to this blogger, is the current LDS prophet, Thomas S Monson’s favorite picture of Jesus as shown below:
I’ve never seen Jesus or had a vision of Jesus, so I really can’t judge which one is more accurate than the other. I’m sure Jesus could really make himself look however he wanted himself to look, really. I guess sooner or later all of us will find out though!
Just for fun, I’ll add a little poll. Which Jesus do you think is the most accurate?
Grace for Grace 
25 comments
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May 20, 2011 at 5:45 am
Cal
Can’t decide!
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May 20, 2011 at 8:04 am
Craig
I also like some of Liz Lemon Swindle’s paintings of Jesus,
http://www.reparteegallery.com/m-159-liz-lemon-swindle.aspx
and Jim Caviezel’s portrayal in Mel Gibson’s, The Passion.
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May 20, 2011 at 8:48 am
Doc
It seems to me we alsways project a little of ourselves into pictures of the savior. None of those pictures look particularly middle eastern or Jewish.
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August 15, 2014 at 11:42 am
moe
Jesus is the son of God, he has a gene like no other, he could’ve looked like anything, not just middle eastern or Jewish
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May 20, 2011 at 8:14 pm
larryco_
Jesus was of semitic, mediterranean origin. He would have had a medium-brown complex, dark eyes, prominent nose, and short – probably curly – hair (I don’t think Paul would have been so critical about men with long hair it the Savior wore His that way). He probably had a beard, but it’s interesting that the earliest depictions of him show Him show Him clean shaven. It’s always seemed the the culture of the artist has had more to do with the depiction of Jesus than the cultural of Jesus (1sr century Palestine) does.
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April 17, 2014 at 11:44 am
Francine
I saw the movie, and I loved the inspirational message of hope with the knowledge that heaven is real. However, I was somewhat taken aback at the end with the picture because, as you indicated, it was not historically correct. In an interview, Akaine Kramarik said the model was a carpenter that knocked on her door.
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May 20, 2011 at 8:17 pm
larryco_
Oh, why don’t I proof-read better: make that “complexion”, and just one “show Him”. urgggh!
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May 22, 2011 at 7:26 am
ray
I thought his book painted a portrait of Jesus that fit all too neatly into the evangelical vision of things. The fact is, we don’t know what Jesus looked like — at all. He certainly didn’t look like the Danish Jesus whose likeness is hangingin our chapel. Some scholars argue — correctly, I think — that if anything characterizes the physical appearance of Jesus it was his ordinariness. If true, that should be of great comfort to most of us ordinary people.
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October 5, 2014 at 6:06 am
ben
Yes we do. people have died and came back to life that is why I believe it is akraine kramariks ” prince of pease”
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May 26, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Jason
I had a vision of Jesus Years ago just after I became converted. I actually thought it might of been John the Baptist for awhile because I had been thinking something about John at the time of vision or there abouts, but it didn’t feel right, But when I realised it was Jesus I felt a great peace & conviction come to me,. He was standing at an outside entrance that seemed to lead to the Celestial Kingdom. As though he was saying this is where you & others who are worthy will first enter.
And i’m telling this not to boast but as a Witness & that the first picture is definetly the closest to how Jesus looked, Mainly because of the Wavy hair, eyeBrows & the Beard may have been just a bit more bushier on the sides.
AnyWay
ThankYou Lord Jesus
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February 1, 2012 at 7:31 pm
graceforgrace
Hi Jason,
That is an amazing thing that you had a vision of Jesus! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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April 1, 2012 at 9:34 am
missjanenc
In the Prince of Peace version Christ looks like one of the BeeGees. I’m surprised he’s not wearing a white suit.
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June 2, 2018 at 2:22 pm
stacees777
Ha! I was thinking more like Kenny Loggins ha ha ha
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July 4, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Briana
The reason why I voted for Akaine’s “Prince Of Peace” painting was because Jesus of Nazareth probably Did NOT have long hair!! Why would Jesus not practice what he preaches? He said in 1st Corinthians 11:14
“Does not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man has long hair, it is a shame to him?”
.. So, Jesus didn’t have long hair.. Not to mention back then Jewish Guys probably thought oh long hair as a feminine thing like Breast: only women have them!
I also appreciated this Blog! I think all paintings are nice overall.. But I guess it defeats the purpose if it doesn’t truly show what they intended.
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September 9, 2012 at 1:11 am
Acropolis's friend
The guy that really looks like Jesus can be seen here: http://www.squidoo.com/Jesus_Photographs
His website, that shows some of the best pictures of Jesus I’ve seen, can be found here: http://www.versaillesexquisites.com and http://www.versaillesexquisites.com/1/jesus.html
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September 21, 2012 at 9:10 am
brother sibanda
the hofman painting was the hand of God who inspired the drawing
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October 7, 2012 at 9:07 am
Karen
Whoever wrote this was completely wrong about Todd Burpo’s son dying. The boy NEVER DIED. Read the book, you will love it.
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January 7, 2013 at 5:26 am
Aaron
We don’t know what Jesus looked like, although Isaiah tells us he was plain looking. I found Tod Burpo’s book completely off-putting as soon as his son described Jesus. Joseph Smith never described Jesus other than to say he was a glorified being. We too have the Danish Jesus hanging in our chapel. I doubt Jesus looked anything like what we imagine.
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February 10, 2013 at 9:36 am
ladyson
I am very please for this work Jesus apeared in the form of the sky in Tucson Brother Branham had revelation upon Hofmann work he proved that was exactly the face of Jesus Christ
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March 13, 2013 at 7:08 pm
Cal
Hey, I read that Todd Burpo book, too!
I just finished a book by Mel Bond called “Why Jesus Appears to People Today.” In it he describes one of his encounters with Jesus in heaven. He said,
“I turned around to see Jesus about 200 feet behind me. I began to gently run toward Him and He did the same. Jesus had this great, warm and friendly smile. I really do not have the adequate words to describe the divinity that is placed in a person’s life when looking into Jesus eyes. . . . The experience of being in Jesus’ presence and looking into His eyes caused me to feel like I was the most important person in all of existence to Jesus. Please know this: Jesus feels the exact same way about every human being.”
Isn’t that neat?
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May 5, 2014 at 6:04 am
Selly
One night in a dream i saw Jesus with 2 crowns on his head, seated in a golden seat as king, riding on a cloud. He actually looked like the first portrait. (Akain Kramarik’s depiction).
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August 15, 2017 at 8:09 pm
tosufferforsouls
On June 23rd of 2017, I was being prayed over at a healing service. They asked me what I needed through prayer. I told them that I had been struggling with shame for over half of my life. After they prayed over me, while my eyes were closed and flowing with tears, they asked me what I saw. I simply said, through choked up tears, “Jesus is there.” They asked for more detail, but I honestly couldn’t think of how to describe without telling the whole event.
I returned to my hotel where I meditated over my vision of Jesus being there. The scenario background was darkened not like a light off just an even darkness. My view point was third-person. On the right was Jesus in a red robe illuminated. He had dark wavy hair and a beard. He was completely facing left–all I saw was his side. I was on the left with my back towards Him–the scenario was made into something beautiful. Yet, I could tell that, as I stood there, I didn’t know He was there.
Pulling back, I didn’t know what the red robe even was. I decided to just Google: “Jesus Red Robe” When I looked, there He was three pictures in. It was an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There is a great story beyond that. I am Catholic and I realized a week later that I had consecrated myself as a child to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. So, at that time of the event, I had already consecrated myself to His Sacred Heart. Soon after, my shame melted away. Even though I would tell everyone in my entire life, that Jesus loves you despite anything you do. Every year of my life to everyone I know. NOTHING. NOTHING. NOTHING can separate you from His love. I was so far-gone to that shame I didn’t believe it myself. However, when I saw it was His love from His Sacred Heart. I did. I melted into His love.
I’m here to say, I believe He appears to us in many different ways to different people. I don’t know if those above would be who Middle Eastern or African visionaries would see. I know that my vision of Him was perfectly suited.
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December 30, 2017 at 7:06 pm
Joe
I was involved in a car accident when I was 17.
I blacked out from exhaustion working in a hot kitchen afternoon till late that evening.
I came conscious with the feeling of another presence in the car.
I looked to my left and saw a man just like the above image with short waivy hair and a short trimmed beard.
I could clearly see his countenance because he wore a bright glowing robe.
A car accident came next but I was not injured.
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February 5, 2018 at 11:14 am
Chad Luke
I don’t put much credence in comments that Christ would look like this or like that because He was born in the area He was. His Father was Elohim. We are told that He looks nearly exactly the same as His Father.
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December 21, 2018 at 12:43 pm
Mike Rob
Jesus was not handsome for a reason. Nowhere near as handsome as those Caucasian men in those paintings. What is the issue with just depicting HIS natural appearance and stop painting him into hot white man. As shallow as most people are by nature, if Jesus looked like that, honey everbody would’ve followed Christ, and wouldn’t had to be crucified! I mean just use your common sense, imagine somebody looking like that AND DOING ALL THOSE WONDERFUL THINGS HE DID, He would have been worshiped! We were the same people back then that we are today, a hot mess. We worship shallow things instinctively, beauty, status is top of the list. So please stop with these these white Hugo boss looking models. Jesus was a black unatractive man. Lets stop lying. Its a form of blasphemy.
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