The question of how one would physically recognise Jesus is interesting because of the number of people who claim to see the face of Jesus in clouds, drying plaster and the like. How do they know?
We know how pious artists portray him, but that means nothing; in real life Jesus (if he existed) might have been short and fat with a bald head and a spotty face. If a Christian saw an image like that in a cloud would he cry �Ooh, look! Jesus!�? If not, why not?
And those visions of Mary seen by hysterical teenage RC girls always look like the picture of her above their beds: tall and slim with a peaches-and-cream complexion, sometimes blonde hair and blue eyes (!) and graceful hands that never saw a day�s housework. In real life Mary (if she existed) might have been short, she would probably have had a swarthy complexion, dark or black hair and a Jewish nose. She might have been rather plump due to a diet of fatty lamb and olives. Again, if those girls saw an image like that in a field would they cry �Ooh, look! The Virgin Mary!�? If not, why not?
Ah, what fun we do have on this site�