The Bible does not provide a specific physical description of Jesus, emphasizing instead His identity and mission as the Messiah. Isaiah comes closest to describing Jesus by indicating that His physical appearance was not distinctive (Isaiah 53:2). Artistic portrayals of Jesus often reflect the culture of the artists, which is why Western art tends to depict Him as white. This is not inherently wrong unless those images become idols (Exodus 20:4) or distort His universal role as Savior. The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians that believers of all ethnicities and nationalities are unified in Christ (Galatians 3:28), so depictions of Jesus as one ethnicity or another should not divide believers. Ultimately, Jesus came for all people, and His appearance has no bearing on the salvation He offers to every nation, tribe, and tongue.
The Bible provides no physical description of Jesus, but in a lot of Western art, we see Him portrayed as white. Why is this? Well, put simply, artists throughout various regions of the world have created paintings and artistic depictions of a Jesus whose looks match that of their own culture.
In the Western world, there is more exposure to art of European origin which tends to portray Jesus as white. However, art originating in other continents like Africa and Asia portrays Jesus as looking more similar to the respective culture in which the art was created. Having artistic interpretations of Jesus in a way that looks similar to the beholder can be a powerful way for people to conceptualize Jesus as one who came to Earth and walked among us as a normal, average-looking person.
Based on the region where Jesus was born—in the Mediterranean/Middle East—He was likely not white, but rather had a more olive or tan complexion with dark hair and eyes. Isaiah 53:2 says of the Messiah, "He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him." Jesus looked like a normal person. Nothing about His appearance indicated He was the Son of God.
Paintings depicting Jesus as white even though he probably wasn’t is not a problem unless someone turns the image into an idol. This is true of any artistic interpretation of Jesus. People automatically tend to imagine that Jesus looks like they do, but Jesus' physical appearance does not pertain in any way to the redemption and salvation He brought to the world. Jesus is the Savior of the whole world—people of all ethnicities, nationalities, races, and skin colors can be reconciled to God and have their sins forgiven through Christ’s death and resurrection (Matthew 28:19; Galatians 3:8, 26-29).
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