The Bible doesn't say how tall Jesus was or really give us any specific information about how He looked. The only people whose physical height the Bible mentions are Saul (1 Samuel 9:2), Goliath (1 Samuel 17:4), and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:3). The one verse that mentions Jesus' physical appearance is Isaiah 53:2, which says, "he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him." What we can deduce from this is that Jesus was a generally average-looking person.
Anthropologists who have studied ancient cultures have been able to approximate the average height of people in the ancient world. There are differing opinions, of course, but many would place the average height of first-century Jewish males living in Israel at 5'1" (155cm). Based on this information, it is likely that Jesus was between 5' (152cm) and 5'2" (160cm) tall. Today's average height for males in the Middle East is 5'4" (165cm) to 5'8" (177cm). Worldwide the average is between 5'2" (158cm) and 6' (184cm), varying by country. Thus, in modern minds, this height for Jesus may seem short. But, again, He was average looking, neither notably tall nor short for His time.
Knowing who Jesus is, and based on many artistic renderings of Him, we may naturally envision Him as exceptionally tall or good looking. Humans have a tendency to equate physical appearance with personal characteristics. We imagine our heroes to be physically imposing and attractive. Jesus, being God incarnate and our only Savior, is, of course, much more than just a hero. He is our Lord and worthy of all our praise (Philippians 2:1–11; Colossians 1:15–20). It is only because of Him and through faith in Him that we can be saved (Ephesians 2:1–10). Knowing His preeminence, it is normal that we would want to think of Jesus as physically superior and stunning. But that is not a biblically accurate thought.
Jesus was not the most attractive or impressive person. He was average looking. It is the love of Jesus that draws people, not physical beauty or prowess. This was true for Jesus and it is true for all of us: "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). "For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). When we are image bearers of Christ on the earth, it doesn't matter what we look like because the love of God is what shines through us and draws people to Himself.
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