Israel Centeno

Recently, a troubling phenomenon has emerged: artificial intelligence-generated images depicting Jesus in ways that distort His essence and message. This is not a critique of the quality of these illustrations but rather of the liberties some have taken in representing the Lord. These depictions show Him in armor, as a soldier, or even as a bodybuilder—completely misrepresenting who He truly is.

This isn’t about puritanism or moral outrage. It’s about the discomfort of seeing how, even after more than 2,000 years of the Gospels, some people still fail to understand Jesus’ message. These images seem to resurrect a misguided view of the Messiah: a powerful, authoritarian leader meant to impose earthly dominion. This distorted portrayal aligns with ideologies or identities that have nothing to do with His divine mission.

But Jesus is not the political or military king some still expect. Jesus is the Lamb of God. That is who He is.

Jesus Is Love

Jesus is gentle and humble of heart. His message is clear: “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36). He did not come to enforce His will through power or violence but to redeem us through sacrifice, love, and total surrender.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus reveals who He is and what He asks of us. He told Peter to put away his sword, showing that violence was not His path. He willingly allowed Himself to be led to the cross, emphasizing that His mission was not to build earthly kingdoms but to open the gates of Heaven. Jesus is love.

His kingdom is not built on pride, self-exaltation, or exclusion but on humility and service. He taught, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12). He reminded us that the path to the Kingdom of God is narrow, that we must leave everything behind to follow Him, and that we must take up His yoke, which is easy and light.

The Kingdom of God Is Not for Pharisees or Zealots

Representing Jesus as a warrior recalls the image of the Messiah that the Zealots envisioned—one who would liberate Israel through armed struggle. On the other hand, the idea of a stern, distant Jesus who harshly judges evokes the Pharisees, who sought perfection and exclusivity in religion.

But Jesus showed us another way. He sat with tax collectors and prostitutes, the marginalized of His time. Not to condemn them but to offer hope: “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32). His message was for everyone, especially the broken, the weak, and the lost.

Jesus did not come to consolidate structures of power or represent a specific ideology. He came to demonstrate that God is love, and only this love can transform the world. His cross is not a symbol of defeat but of victory over sin and death.

The True Jesus

The Jesus revealed in the Gospels does not need armor or swords. His strength lies in His humility and mercy. He taught that the Kingdom of God belongs to those who become like children, who recognize their smallness and trust fully in the Father.

This is why images of Christ as a figure of domination, a symbol of power, or a representative of human ideals are profoundly wrong. They not only distort His figure but also betray His message. At times, it seems the world belongs to those who fail to understand the true message of Jesus. But the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who love and live to please God.

Jesus did not come to impose but to redeem. His kingdom is not of this world, and those who seek an earthly leader in Him forget His words: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39).

A Call to Rediscover Christ

Now, more than ever, we need to return to the figure of Jesus as He truly is: the Servant who washes His disciples’ feet, the Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, the Savior who gives His life so that we may have life in abundance. Jesus is not a muscular hero or a bellicose leader. He is the Son of God, the embodiment of infinite and eternal love.

Let us remember His words and His example. His armor is humility, His sword is the Word of God, and His yoke is love. Let us not distort His image or His message. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That is who He is.