Jesus Did NOT Have Long Hair
[Editor's Note: See the adjacent article for the historical proof that Jesus did NOT wear his hair long. The Biblical proof follows.]
Christ INSPIRED Paul to write the words concerning long hair in I Corinthians 11. Christ had neither a halo, nor a long-haired, effeminate look! Your Bible explains (I Cor. 11:1-11) that a woman's hair is given her for a "covering" and a sign of being under authority. A woman's long hair gives her a softer, feminine appearance, which is pleasing in God's sight. I Corinthians 11 never mentions anything other than HAIR in discussing "coverings" of the human head, and obviously shows women should have longer hair, for a "covering," and men should not.
Remember, the Creator says, ". . . to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and TREMBLETH AT MY WORD"! (I Sa. 66:2) Do you tremble before the Word of God (Christ Is the "Word," remember, PERSONIFIED!), or do you wish to argue with it, placing your own personal interpretations on it, to suit your own human convictions?
Jesus NOT a Nazarite
Don't deceive yourself into believing for one moment Christ had taken any "Nazaritic vow" of sorts. He superseded the Nazarite, and the Levite. He became the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews, 7th chapter), and did not fulfill any of the Scriptural obligations laid upon a "Nazarite" (Numbers 6:3, 6).
For example, He on occasion touched a dead body (Matt. 9:25). And shocking as it may be to many who believe in total abstinence from all alcoholic beverages, Jesus drank WINE from time to time (Matt. 11:19), and His first miracle involved creating fine WINE, MORE THAN A HUNDRED GALLONS OF IT, from water. For a full explanation of this subject, write for the free article "Is Drinking a Sin?" Furthermore, those under a Nazarite vow let their hair grow long as a token of humiliation. It was a sign of shame. Notice, too, that as soon as the time period of the Nazarite vow was over, the one who undertook the vow was to shave his head! (Numbers 6:18)
Frankly Jesus Christ — as a human being — was of quite ordinary appearance. It was His message, not His looks, that was striking. We are told, "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him" (Isa. 53:2).
Jesus looked like any other normal Jew of His day! On a number of occasions He was able to pass through crowds because He looked just like anyone else (John 8:59; 10:39). Judas had to use a special sign, a kiss, to point out to Jesus' enemies which one He was. Judas would not have had to do this if Jesus had long hair.
The Jesus Christ of the Bible was a medium-built, dynamic and rugged individual. Jesus, remember, was a carpenter, a builder in the hard and stony hill country of Galilee. He had worked with heavy stones and timbers all His life.
Jesus DID NOT Break the Laws of the Land
Continually, people cite the case of Jesus chasing the cattle and money changers out of the Temple, believing it to be an example of LAW-breaking on Christ's part. Apparently, they have never READ the Scriptural account, or if they did, they read it only cursorily, and without real understanding.
Read it, in your own Bible. You'll find the account in Matthew 21:12-16; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47, and John 2:14-17.
Actually, Jesus drove out the cattle, and overturned the various money-changing booths and ordered their owners and proprietors out of the Temple TWICE. John's Gospel illustrates the first occasion, during an earlier Passover season, and the other three speak of the later occasion, at Christ's final trip to Jerusalem.
Here, Jesus appears, NOT as a "vagabond" or "wayfarer" who is creating a disturbance against established authority, but as the PROPRIETOR of the Temple, and the direct Representative of its ultimate Owner, God the Father. He said, "It is written," thus citing the greatest LAW common to them all, that of the Word of God, "My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."
Christ was in authority here, not a casual visitor. Not ONCE did the money changers (Roman money had to be changed into Jewish, in which Temple contributions were collected, and no doubt shortchanging occurred, considering the differences in value of the two types of coins and the general tendency of human greed!) nor the owners of the cattle, nor the Jewish religious leaders, SAY ONE word about anything "unlawful"!
If He broke the law, why not arrest Him? But no LAW was broken, it was being UPHELD! Christ CITED the law, when He quoted Isaiah 56:7! He, then, was a representative, BOTH of the PROPERTY (the Temple), and the LAW!
Remember, too, that even when false witnesses were being bribed to bring false charges against Him during His trial, NOT ONCE did anyone bring up the issue of 'Christ chasing the cattle and money changers out of the Temple, even though He did so TWICE, about two years apart!
Some have assumed Christ's plucking of the corn (wheat) in a field, or healing on the Sabbath, were ILLEGAL ACTS.
Not so! There were laws requiring the landowner to leave some produce on the stalk or the vine for the hungry traveler (Lev. 19:9-10; Lev. 23:22), laws which were stringently enforced, even by the Pharisees themselves.
What about healing? Some have contended Jesus' healing of a deformity on the Sabbath was a breaking of some LAW. But notice the example, found in Mark 3:1-6.
Jesus was in a local synagogue, confronted by a man with a horribly deformed hand. The Pharisees "watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him."
Notice, they were not enforcing or interpreting any duly constituted LAW, but were "watching" suspiciously to see whether they could accuse Him of having violated any of their humanly devised traditions. After the healing, Jesus asked them, "Is it LAWFUL to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill?"
Jesus knew what He did was LAWFUL.
He knew that their own laws, even including their religious traditions, allowed an act of mercy on the Sabbath day (pulling a helpless animal out of a ditch was lawful!). Nothing UNLAWFUL about this healing, was there?
They, too, knew it was lawful, and that's precisely why they didn't answer but went out silently.
One protester claimed Jesus "insulted" the High Priest on the occasion of Jesus' questioning prior to His murder.
But why not read the account, for yourself?
You'll find it in John 18:21-23. Jesus had said, "Why askest thou me? Ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by STRUCK Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?"
Jesus then said, "If I have spoken EVIL, bear witness of the evil: but IF WELL, why smitest thou me?"
Not one word from the. High Priest! He, himself, did not answer Jesus' truthful statement. The High Priest's question, itself, was hypocritical.
Jesus gave a straightforward, truthful answer to a misleading question. A pompous officer then STRUCK Jesus. This WAS an insult. This most certainly WAS illegal. But what was Christ's reaction upon being struck, illegally, by an officer? Just calm, studious, patient truth. He said, "If I have told the truth, then why do you strike me?"
No, Jesus DID NOT break the laws. He urged His own disciples to OBEY THEM, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do NOT ye after their works: for they say, and do not" (Matt. 23:2-3). Plenty of hypocrisy around, even in Jesus' day.
The "establishment" of His time, remember, constituted a captive, mostly irreligious populace, ruled by a puppet king, and the Roman Governor. The religious leaders (Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Essenes, etc) were various MINORITY groups, and, even though the masses generally feared the Pharisees because they were in charge of the synagogues and therefore leaders in the community; and the Sanhedrin because of its legislative and punitive powers, the MAJORITY of the people were not really "religious" in a devout sense.
Thousands of them were shocked by what Jesus said and did. They FOLLOWED AFTER HIM; He DID NOT seek them out!
Christ Subject to Civil Authorities?
Christ broke no laws, and never urged anyone else to do so. Had there been a conflict between the laws of the land, and the higher laws of God, which were believed and OBEYED by Jesus, here is the Bible teaching on what Christ would have done.
"We ought to obey God rather than men," said the Apostle Peter, answering religious persecutors (Acts 5:29). "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God," said the Apostle Paul (Romans 13:1-7), urging Christians in Rome to OBEY the civil government insofar as it did not conflict with GOD'S laws.
"Whosoever therefore resists the power [civil authority], resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil."
How does this square with the nebulous personal ideas and interpretations of various "spiritual" leaders who urge upon their followers RESISTANCE toward society? Paul, remember, was talking to Christians, inspired by the very Jesus Christ who lived IN Paul (Gal. 2:20), and was urging Christians who lived right in the capital city of the greatest totalitarian, tyrannical police state to ever exist that they should re-main OBEDIENT!
Read on in Romans 13: "Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to exe-cute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause PAY YE TRIBUTE [taxes!] also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute [taxes] to whom tribute is due; custom [duty, or import taxes — Greek telos, meaning an "impost" or "levy"] to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor" (verses 3-7).
Remember! Paul was personally taught of Jesus Christ! (I Cor. 9:1; 15:8; Gal. 1:12-18) He was not expressing some human-oriented "ideas" of his own (write for our free article "Do We Have the Complete Bible?" which explains whether Paul's writings are truly on a par with SCRIPTURE!), but the directly inspired WILL OF GOD, and teaching of Jesus Christ!
Not only did Christ and all the New Testament leaders urge OBEDIENCE to civil authority, but they urged Christians to PRAY for guidance for their civil leaders. Notice I Timothy 2:1 and 2: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for ALL THAT ARE IN AUTHORITY; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty"!
No, the Christ of the Bible was not a lawbreaker — but the greatest example of OBEDIENCE TO LAW in all history! Are you willing to accept the true Christ — the LAW-abiding Christ of the Bible?
Jesus Was NOT "Anti-Establishment"
Jesus Christ was followed, sought after, looked for, eagerly listened to, by the general public, the "silent majority" of His day!
Read these scriptures: "When he [Jesus] was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him" (Matt. 8:1). "The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying . . ." (Matt. 13:1-3). So you see that Jesus taught the general public as well as His own disciples. (See also Matt. 23:1)
Now, notice His nationwide following. "And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases" (Luke 6:17). Also read the account where Jesus was welcomed with great ceremony by a large group of Jerusalem's citizens. You read of it in Matthew 21:1-11.
The Pharisees were afraid — deeply worried — about Christ's nationwide support. Notice it in John 12:19 — "The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him." That is why He was tried and crucified.
Notice the example of Christ's personal feeling toward soldiers, even "enemy" soldiers, of an occupying army! Read the account for yourself in Luke 7:1-10. Here Jesus gladly healed the servant of a Roman centurion in Capernaum. Further, Jesus' teaching, even in the Sermon on the Mount, was humble COMPLIANCE with harsh mistreatment from the military. The example of "compelling" a person to "go a mile" was DIRECTLY related to the practice of Roman mail carriers requiring persons along their route to CARRY A BURDEN a certain distance (Matt. 5:41). Christ said NOT TO RESIST this harsh and illegal practice, but to humbly acquiesce.
No, Jesus was NOT coming "head to head" with the "establishment."
Rather, He was busily performing that great JOB He had been given to do: "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work" (John 9:4). He was calling and training His disciples to carry on after His death and resurrection (Matt. 28:19, 20; 4:18-22; 10:1-16; Luke 10:1-11; Mark 16:15), and was continually setting an EXAMPLE of perfect mannerisms, culture, language, habits, speech, and outgoing LOVE toward all men (I Peter 2:21-24; Luke 4:16-21) and was KEEPING OUT of "politics" and heated local issues!
Notice Jesus' answer to Pilate's questioning: "My kingdom is not of this world . . ." (John 18:36).
Christ plainly urged His disciples to COME OUT of this world (John 17:6, 8, 14, 16; I John 2:15; Rev. 18:4; II Cor. 6:14-17; I Cor. 5:11) and NOT to become "political activists" or to attempt to INFLUENCE in politics!
Jesus was widely accepted by the general populace. It was the minority religious leaders who persecuted Him! Even the Roman Government remained largely aloof, including' Pilate's infamous "washing of the hands" during Jesus' trial.
Again, the FALSE claim that Jesus was an "activist" type of vagabond who sponsored "street rallies" is TOTALLY erroneous! God prophesied of Him, "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street" (Isa. 42:2). Time and time again, when Jesus' remarkable teachings resulted in the gradual gathering of a crowd, even about a house which very definitely appears to have been His own, Jesus attempted to ESCAPE such large crowds by either taking a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, by going into a different part of the country, or, even as in the case of the "Sermon on the Mount," by climbing a high mountain nearby, where the majority of the crowd could not follow.