The glory of Jesus Christ is that he is always out of sync with the world and therefore always relevant for the world. If he fit nicely, he would be of little use. The effort to remake the Jesus of the Bible so that he fits the spirit of one generation makes him feeble in another. Better to let him be what he is, because it is often the offensive side of Jesus that we need most. John Piper’s Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, p.93
In a world full hippie, Rastafarian, black, rock & roll, hip hop, and effeminate Christs, what Piper says is a much needed reminder: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and it is that immutability that keeps Him relevant for not only my generation for every generation before and after.
Agreed. However, just to clear something up, Jesus did have a dark skin tone. Not to say He was African, but Jews generally had a dark skin color, and so Jesus would most likely have been “black.” I mean, I understand what you were saying, but I was clarifying for others. :)
Oh most undoubtedly He had darker skin than He is often depicted. He was a Jew after all. And if the Song of Solomon is viewed as an allegory of Jesus & the Church, it could be notable that the bride is “very dark, but lovely” (Song of Solomon 1:5, ESV).