Back in my college days, I wrote love letters to my girlfriend. I tried to be creative and fun. One time I mailed a handful of whiskers. I had shaved off my beard (which she didn’t like). It was a vivid, visual reminder that I was thinking of her. 

When she opened the envelope, the shavings scattered all over the place like ugly, black glitter. She wasn’t impressed. But, two things happened: 1) she married me and 2) of all the love letters we shared, that one still stands out as the most memorable.

Did Jesus have a beard?

As a faithful, law-abiding Jewish man, Jesus likely would have had a beard. Jesus would have carefully taken care of his beard by putting oil on it, and he would have refrained from clipping the corners.

Then, there’s this prophecy in Isaiah 50:6 where the servant of the Lord is speaking, and we rightly identify that these words God gave to the prophet Isaiah represent the future Savior, Jesus. He says, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.”

Jesus offered himself. All of himself. All of his life. All of his love. All of his pain. All of his body, including his beard.

Forgiving forever all of your sins. Inviting you to give him all of you.