Do you have long, shaggy hair, a goatee, and look downright heavenly in a white robe? We may have the perfect side hustle for you.
Men who can pass as the holy savior are in high demand in the state of Utah, where nearly three-quarters of the population identify as Christian, most of them members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In the Beehive State, Jesus lookalikes are making hundreds of dollars per hour for everything from posing with believers in graduation and wedding photos to making appearances at work and family events.
Why are Jesus lookalikes in such high demand now?
The Holy Photobomber
Family portraits. Wedding photos. Graduation shots. Christmas cards. For many Utahns, every important photo and life event is a way to put their faith on full display - literally.
The days of a simple cross necklace humbly displayed may be waning. In recent years, demand has skyrocketed for Jesus lookalikes to pose in photos with families and couples to showcase their true commitment to their lord and savior, a means to make material the bond and kinship they feel with Jesus.
The trend is so popular in Utah that many photographers have a friend who can serve as their own on-demand Jesus when couples want their portrait taken with the holy savior.
“Most Christians have Christian artwork in their home,” says 28-year-old photographer MaKayla Avalos, who uses her friend’s brother to pose as Jesus in photos with clients. “This is a way to make it more personal, more catered to an individual.”
A Higher Calling
For many of the would-be Jesuses, their impersonations go beyond a way to make a quick buck. Many report feeling a strong sense of meaning and importance when posing as Christ, as if they were being held to a higher standard when donning the robe and staff. One Jesus impersonator, Jai Knighton, says that his photographer even encouraged him to channel the savior as much as possible.
“Be the most Christlike person you can be,” the photographer said to him, “or people will be able to tell through the photos that it’s not real.”
Others say that dressing and acting like Jesus makes them feel famous. One impersonator, Terry Holker, even said that he had to tell a woman he wasn’t “the real Jesus” in the midst of a photoshoot when a stranger asked to speak with him and hold his hand.
For others, portraying Christ is an acting exercise. Knighton, says he based his Jesus on Jonathan Roumie’s jocular and playful portrayal in “The Chosen,” a popular television show depicting the life of Christ. “Stoic Jesus is intimidating,” explains Knighton. “A Jesus who smiles and pats you on the back is much more relatable.”
Related: What Did Jesus, Mary and Joseph Actually Look Like?
A Blurry Focus?
Whatever their reasons, there’s a clear and growing demand in Utah for Jesus lookalikes, and a market of tall, long-haired, bearded men more than happy to fill it.
If you’re in Utah and fit the physical bill, you may want to consider posing as Jesus. It may just bring you closer to God… for a couple hundred bucks an hour.
But what do you make of the Christians posing with these Jesus impersonators and sending out engagement notices and Christmas cards with His holy presence? Is it a meaningful way to showcase one’s faith, or does it strike you as a bit odd?
For many Christians, Jesus is always in focus. But does he literally need to be in the frame?
81 comments
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Reverend Paula Copp
It sounds like another grift to me… do I get to play Mary, mother of god? Grift is grift, right? (Of course I am being sarcastic.)
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Lionheart
You could, but ideally you need to be 13 or 14 years of age (8th grade), which is what I understand most say her age was at that time. 🤷 It’s weird how most images don’t show her to be that young. I think they like to keep it quiet and shove her age under the rug. 🤭
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ServantOfJudgement
Actually lionheart, Mary's age at the time was closer the the legal marriage age of Ohio and a few other states of the union., 16. As it turns out, when the life expectancy of a mother of the time was 30-40, that puts Mary the the "middle age" slot. Shall we tell all modern middle aged women they must wait til 60 to marry? Good luck with that.
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Lionheart
My Alexa friend says it’s generally believed she was between the ages of 12 to14 when she gave birth, which means she could have actually only have been 11 when she conceived if she was 12 when giving birth. However, I’m sure god knew what he was doing and what his needs were. There are many men like him, after all, they were created in his image….right?
I wonder if it was a cunning plan by Joseph with her being so young so that he didn’t get into any trouble. It would have been a great risk, but if it was, it payed off. People took to it hook, line, and sinker, and still do.
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ServantOfJudgement
Perhaps we should have a host of AI debate the topic when we have a beer and watch. Mine put her at 16. These AI assumptions are based on the normal culture of the time. You (Alexa)might actually be right at 13. That said, the Bible in many ways and places makes it clear God does things outside the cultural norm reliably and regularly.
Perhaps she was an old maid at the decrepit age of 18 or maybe 9 like some of those Muslims do.
I wonder.
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Lawrence Pearce
Post your photo for the Pope and Catholics to review. They are the experts on Mary. They will also want to see if you know how to hold baby Jesus in your arms.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
There was a time when I could have been a perfect Jesus. But no longer. Can’t even do Moses. But I’ve been absolutely killing the Santa thing at a local kindergarten for the past few years.
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Stacey Owens
When Christ appears, every knee will bow and every tongues will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
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Lawrence Pearce
Peter and the first Christians sold all they owned in anticipation of Jesus appearing in the clouds.
Christians have been waiting 2,000 years and the only thing they've seen so far are UFOs. Could Jesus be hiding in one of those flying objects and is he afraid to come out? What's he waiting for?
Peter and the first Christians are dead and gone, so they obviously believed a lie. They should have kept their homes, horses, farms and chariots instead of selling those and then suffering as homeless beggars in the streets.
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Stacey Owens
Peter and the first Christians died having faith in Christ, by this, it speaks volumes of Jesus Christ return. They endured until the end. They esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in the world they lived in: for they had respect unto the recompence of the reward. They had the holy spirit to strengthen them. A promise you fail to understand.
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Lawrence Pearce
Show the evidence that Peter or any of the 12 apostles were martyred. All we have is hearsay stories that originated from the Vatican centuries later. The book of Acts leaves Peter and the apostles in Jerusalem while they were walking past the Roman soldiers who had crucified "HeyZeus" and going to the temple to pray WITH the Pharisees who had condemned "HeyZeus" (as the word "Jesus" was pronounced at that time). They even invited Pharisees to join them in Acts 15. So it's more likely they were in Jerusalem when the Roman General Titus and his armies took over the city and tore down the Temple.
On a side note, martyrdom does not determine whether a religion is true. It just tells us the person was indoctrinated to become a martyr, like the kamikaze pilots in WW2 and those who strap on suicide belts for their religion. There is no biblical evidence that any of the 12 apostles had been martyred, not when they were best friends with Pharisees and Roman soldiers in Jerusalem! LOL
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Stacey Owens
One thing you express about yourself. you don't stand up for nothing, sad.
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Lawrence Pearce
"You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free" from false messiahs, false prophets and false religions.
When you get quiet and ask for guidance, the angels will surround you and bless you with peace and guidance. It's all about angels and the Spirit of God who are always with you and available for you when you call on them.
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Stacey Owens
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them. not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who listen to the voice of His command. / Bless the LORD, all His hosts, you servants who do His will. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Amen
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
You are more than naive, you're religiously delusional!
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Lionheart
How do you know for sure? Did you read that somewhere?
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Lawrence Pearce
Someone made it up like one of the oracles of Delphi and thousands of years later, a few people are still waiting for it to come true... while most have gone back home to use the restroom.
Let me give you a modern example: "Yay, someday the Great Genius Thomas Edison will appear in the clouds of heaven with millions of angels and then every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Edison is Lord of All Inventors, for it is he who invented the light bulb, the first voice recorder, the first movies and videos, the first electrical and lighting system, the first alkaline battery, the first medical fluoroscope, the first fuel cells and the world's first scientific research lab."
In this world, Thomas Edison beats every other man and woman for his achievements. Tesla was good but Edison was greater because his science labs are still churning out new inventions to this day and into the future!
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Lawrence Pearce
Thomas Edison also invented the first electric car with some help from his good friend Henry Ford. Edison was the World's Greatest Genius!
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Cheryl Pettijohn
Musk is the modern Edison, though Edison may have been smarter. Both used other peoples genius to advance themselves.
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ServantOfJudgement
Thomas Edison employed geniuses. He milked their minds and took their money before it ever touched their hands. The children of his employees were left with an empty paper bag when their parents died, which they put their tears in.
Edison burned elephants live on stage with high voltage to scare the crowd of Tesla'a alternating current, which powers the planet today. He lied and manipulated the press and people to push his agenda for dollars.
Lol, I don't think the egotistical greedy godless animal called Edison is worth worshipping but have at it.
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Beth
Is the plural of Jesus something like Jesi?
Seriously, I knew one of these "Jesus models" who modeled for religious artwork years ago. That stopped when he was convicted and imprisoned for a sex crime. What a non-Jesus-like thing to do. He probably modeled as Jesus after his release too.
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Lawrence Pearce
I know what you mean. One night I saw a "Jesus clone" pull a big roll of $20 bills from his backpack to pay for his snack foods at a convenience store. So I called it into the local non-emergency police line to give the location and description: "the guy looks like Jesus with long hair, beard and back pack at this location and he has a giant roll of $20 dollar bills."
A few days later I'm watching the evening news when I see his face. Turns out he was wanted for murder in Albuquerque New Mexico. He had seen an elderly woman pull out the giant roll of $20 dollar bills to give him one. He decided to grab the money over her dead body. Then he took the bus to the location near where I saw him.
Some of those Jesus clones are evil.
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Keith Graham Ainsworth
Shouldn't they also be of middle eastern appearance
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Lawrence Pearce
Everyone worships a god in their own image and likeness. It's why we find Moses claiming his god was an angry god who wanted to destroy all Jews who had griped and complained against him and his god after leaving Egypt...
"Let me alone so that I can destroy them and I will erase their name from under heaven, but I will make your descendants a stronger and mightier nation than them." - Deuteronomy 9.14 and Exodus 32.10
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Ari Joseph Bertine
I don't see any difference between taking a picture of your kids with Santa and taking a picture of your kids with Jesus--don't forget Santa has deific origins as well. It's just another type of bling people can choose to decorate stuff with.
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Lawrence Pearce
Superman, Santa Claus and Thomas Edison are better role models than 99.99% of all other celebrities.
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Patti Anne Lisenbee
You do know that Jebus didn't look like a white man with long hair and a beard, eh? He was very dark skinned - a Middle Eastern Jew! bigger nose, dark eyes, dark short hair and a beard, but no one knows how long or short it was. since Jebus was a homeless preacher, he usually didn't have a place to groom, so he was probably pretty scruffy. All these fake ones are just making a mint off religious people who want to look particularly holy. I think they'll all be surprised after death to discover it was all for naught?
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Lawrence Pearce
People worship gods who look like them. Example: The Buddha was reported to be a red haired man with a lineage from the northern Brahman priest caste of Caucasians. Yet if you visit Buddhist temples in Thailand or Japan, you'll see him depicted as an Asian man who looks exactly like them.
Nobody knows exactly what the Buddha or Jesus looked like. If we can find statements of witnesses of their times, we're lucky, like the descriptions of the Buddha.
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Lawrence Pearce
Wow. Why so much hate from a keyboard? I actually think Jesus could have been gay or bisexual.
The evidence is right there in the bible. First, Jesus condemned "looking on a woman with lust" but he didn't say a word against looking at a boy or a man with lust did he? Second, he told married men to "sell all and abandon your wives and children" which is NOT something a person concerned about women and children would say. The third evidence is when the Roman soldiers found Jesus in the garden with a naked boy. Mark 14.43-52 One more piece of evidence can be found in the Christian fortress called the "gay" Vatican which claims to have studied and applied the teachings of Jesus for almost 2,000 years. If you study the history of the Popes, you'll know of their crimes.
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John P Maher
REDICULESS,ASSININE,WHAT A WORLD and THEY CLAIM LIKE ALL THE CHRISTIANs to BE SO, SO HOLY, YEAH HOLY S--T !
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Mark Stephen Edwards
"They" are a sect.
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Lionheart
Yes, I know what you mean, it’s a bit like the cult of Christianity. For the most part they all mean well.
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Lawrence Pearce
The problem I've seen with the Mormons is that they obey their leader "El Presidente" with 100 percent devotion, so they will do whatever he tells them to do.
The worst example of this mindset was found in one of their monthly magazines. When someone asked, "If I only have enough money to pay rent or pay my tithe, which one should I do?"
The horrific answer came from the Mormon church leadership (that now has over $200 BILLION dollars in banks and investments)... "It's better for you to pay your tithe and become homeless" than to pay rent to keep your home and protect you and your children from living on the streets among thieves, alcoholics, drug users and predators. That advice is evil and something Jim Jones of the Jonestown cult might say.
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Lionheart
Yes, and then there are the Catholics that worship their Pope almost as much as their God, or Islamists that similarly worship/idolise Mohammed, and then there’s the Dalai Lama.
People love to idolize charismatic human beings. Copeland, Osteen, et al. It happened in Jesus’ time with many claiming to be a messiah. Even young Swifties today have their idol. 🤭
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Lawrence Pearce
True. Several years ago a friend invited me to an atheists convention. I didn't think they believed in any gods, but there they were, all huddled around a few of their atheist leaders, asking for their wisdom.
Another thing I noticed about the atheists was there was an open bar and everyone was smashing drunk and waddling from the bar to the bathroom and back! LOL
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Rev. BH
Doesn't just take atheists to appreciate and open bar.
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Lawrence Pearce
There is a cognitive disconnect in their minds. After all, they portray their ideal leader Jesus as a long haired, bearded hippie in a robe, but they want their men and boys to cut off their hair, beards and wear monkey suits!
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Thunder
If they want to be the most historically iconographic they should refer to the Alexamenos graffito for costume advice.
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Najah P Tamargo
Najah Tamargo-USA
Blahlahhahahaha. REALLY???? I would think "real Christians" would find imposters/look-a-likes, etc., blasphemous!!!! And since he died a couple of thousand years ago......who really "knows" what he looked like?!?!? Good grief!!!!
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Lawrence Pearce
The Mormons have obviously given up on looking for Jesus (HeyZeus) coming in the clouds. Instead, they are hiring bearded, long haired men who they think look like Jesus to come to their weddings, baptisms, chapels and bachelorette parties so they can experience spiritual and physical ecstasies with Jesus.
Jan Crouch of TBN did the very same thing with a lookalike Jesus. It's reported that she came with him everywhere he wanted her to go.
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Colleen McAllister
A bit odd to me. If Jesus isn't visible in the way you live your life then having a costumed person in your photos will not make it so. This borders on sacrilege. This is wrong on so many levels. And having some non Jew play dress up just makes it worse.
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Lawrence Pearce
"The world is a stage and we are all actors."
Mormon men should be concerned their women hook up with members of this cult of bearded Jesus impersonators. Hint: If the baby is born with a beard, your wife probably took off her holy underwear for a Jesus fakir.
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Stacey Owens
This is direct denial of the Word of God. Jesus is the vine not a actor. This is part of the great falling away. No Holy Spirit. The access to God is through a actor now. Straight Blasphemy.
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Lawrence Pearce
So you're against movies about Jesus, where an actor is hired to play his role?
Get your stones ready for the stoning!
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Stacey Owens
It would be a better effect if the true life appeared. Christ is not a image but the way, truth and the life. Which means, Christ would be at work in you. Not of our works less any man should boast.
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Lawrence Pearce
Ezekiel 18 says, "The person who sins shall die. The son shall not be punished for the sins of his father, nor will the father suffer for the sins of his son."
Therefore, there is no "original sin" because we are not punished for the sins of Adam or Eve.
Genesis 1 says God created us and declared that we are good. Therefore we are born good and without any "original sin."
Ezekiel 18 tells us how to instantly go from hell to heaven and that is by stop committing sins and start doing good works. Read Ezekiel 18 at Biblehub Com in the various translations until the message is fully understood, because it blows away all of the various cults.
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ServantOfJudgement
Sure Lawrence we were created good. We've been corrupted though. As a loaf of bread comes from the oven good, it soon becomes corrupted.
Just as the chicken knows 22 words upon hatching and the monarch butterfly knows to fly south when freed from it cocoon, so mankind knows sin upon birth for he needs no assistance with the matter.
In a sense you are correct, we do not die for Adam's sin, we die for our sin.
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Nicholas J Page
Really? How pathetic and how low can you get.
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Lawrence Pearce
Well they could hire people dressed like devils to pose for pictures. That would be lower and more pathetic.
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
I think its a great idea. It makes Jesus real.. & it keeps us in check for reflecting the living Christ to each other. In the concept of Jesus is in you heart when you accept him as your lord & savior, upon salvation, Jesus becomes love.
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William E Muldrew
Stop just stop
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James Mounts
Looks more like an Italian model of Michael Angelo's than a Semite. But then, maybe God really is Italian
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James Riggle-Johnson
This sort of sounds like a False Idol. I would think that the Jesus stand-in is only available for big bucks. I guess people who aren’t well off can’t have their pictures taken with Jesus. And what is up with the one guy having to explain he’s not the real Jesus? OMG, what is happening?
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Ellen B. Wentzel
Commercial
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Lawrence Pearce
Yeah, would anybody be surprised to learn that Mormon girls and moms are hooking up with the Jesus fakers on the side?
It's right there on Mormons org website with the headline: "Come Unto Christ" along with a photo of a fake Jesus looking directly into the camera. He has a crafty smile with a look in his eyes that says, "Come Unto Me all you Mormon females, you know you want to make babies." LOL
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Walter J. Holbrook
This is insane
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Steven Ferrell
If that is what they want to spend money on to show their faith, that is up to them. Christians of various groups, be it Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, etc. will have various artwork, or pictures in their homes. To each their own.
There are far worse things people could do or spend money on.
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Theresa C. Marquess
They can't possibly be serious, having men pose in photos as Jesus??? I've never heard of anything so ridiculous!
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Rev. BH
And of course a white, European Jesus, not a swarthy, tan, muscled Mediterranean carpenter/fisherman. Does he hold his bleeding heart, too?
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Sara Lizabeth Rawlins
Again, if I had a deviant mind, oh, the money I could make by being the photographer for Jesus and fleecing the family or business who wants a picture with said Christ-like figure. Truly, has the world gone totally mad? (Especially Utah and you know other states will want some of that Jesus action.)
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Carl Alexander Oxley
Getting a selfie with a fella who looks like Jesus according to Hollywood and European painters is pretty sad. If he existed at all, he was a little incel Jewish bloke with daddy issues. Also, Christianity forbids it's followers from prostrating themselves before graven images. So get rid of the crosses, and blokes nailed to crosses. It's in your magic book.
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Lawrence Pearce
FYI, the Mormons have thrown away their crosses and their crucifixes. You won't see any cross on any of their chapels or temples or on necklaces worn on their chests. So you're eligible to join the LDS Mormon church now. LOL
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Cheryl Pettijohn
This is a fad that will fade. If someone can make a few bucks with it, so be it.
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Rory Jay Morris
I certainly hope they find men with long black hair and dark skin, I don't understand the fictional characterization of a man such as he.
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Cynthia A. Hannah
Good morning,
I hope you are all in a place of Peace. I hate to disappoint you all, but The Master of Love didn't look like that as depicted above. That is the adopted version of me. Master had textured hair that could be roped and Earth-toned skin very handsome and tall with piercing eyes. You all stop this mess and tell it like it really is... I AM and always was.
Minister Cynthia Hannah
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Cynthia A. Hannah
Ill send you a picture of how Master looked Don't be surprised its not what you think but that's the beauty of this !!
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Cynthia A. Hannah
Ill send you a picture of how Master looked Don't be surprised its not what you think but that's the beauty of this !!
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Cynthia A. Hannah
Ill send you a picture of how Master looked Don't be surprised its not what you think but that's the beauty of this !!
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Philenda L. Daniel
Jesus was angry about the Temple being used for a marketplace. He stopped the distribution of merchandise through the Temple because it disrupted the sanctity of the Temple. Most of the trading and selling had to do with selling animals like doves for sacrifices, and money changers for those that were not local people. Gentiles occupied the outermost court of the Temple Jesus in his anger and disgust knocked over tables, chairs and ushered out animals from the Temple all together. So, this new bit of commerce and money exchanging using a false image of Jesus… seems to me a new way to disgrace the Sacred and the Holy by flipping a coin for a fake photo. It is completely tacky... corrupting the Sanctity of Christ. Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; John 2:13-22, Mark 3:5, Also...John 2:17
The only man that I’m aware of, at least in this lifetime, who came close to Christ-like just died a few days ago. President Jimmy Carter lived his life as he believed. I’m not saying he was perfect but he spent his life in service to others and never bragged about it. From saving Canada during the very first nuclear meltdown to building houses for Habit for Humanity up into his 90s. I’m not a Christian but I’ve read the Bible. Maybe instead of pretending to be Christ folks should just live up to his teachings? Oh yeah, their too woke.
Carter was "righteous in a good and so-so way. My vote goes for St. Francis of Assisi.
Sorry but Jimmy Carter never looked anything like the bearded, long haired hippie Jesus. He also never walked on water, turned water into wine or healed anyone, so he doesn't pass the test. Next.
I’m confused, where did I say anywhere that Carter looked like Christ or performed miracles? I said he lived his life according to the teachings of Christ. Isn’t that what Christians are instructed to do? Carter actually tried very hard to live his life according to the teachings of Christ. Maybe your reading comprehension needs a little work.
When did HeyZeus Jesus build houses for the homeless? Never.
When did HeyZeus Jesus run for President/ Caesar? Never.
When did HeyZeus Jesus send his wife to endorse Jim Jones and pose for photos with Jim Jones? Never.
Jimmy was a nice religious guy, but he was a doom and gloom president who deliberately turned off the Christmas lights at the White House in 1979 and 1980 and told Americans "we will run out of energy in 8 years." LOL
Some 45 years later, the Christmas lights have been on and Jimmy Carter's prophecy about "the end of all energy" was false.
You still missed the point of my post but I’m not surprised)massive eye roll)
And my claim is that you totally missed who and what Jesus was all about.
If you actually read his words and followed his actions, you'd know that to obey Jesus means Jimmy would have to sell all he owned, become a homeless preacher, sleep by the side of the road, never wash his hands before meals and never know where his next meal would come from, just like Jesus told his disciples to do.
That was 2,000+ years ago. Life was way different back then. You really think that is a good idea in this day and age? But if you really think about it Carter, for this crappie world we live in today, lived his beliefs. He also taught Sunday school. But since you like to stir the pot, you do you. Honestly, it’s folks like you that make me glad I’m not a Christian. Now, go pick a fight with someone else. I’m tired of you.
So you claim Jimmy Carter was a Christian and you say you're glad you're not a Christian, so why are you praising him? Makes no sense.
Probably because many of the folks who identify as Christian that I’ve interacted with walk around with a mouth full of scripture and a heart full of hate. Especially about the LGBT+ community. And don’t start spouting off about what Jesus said about them as that would be zero. And don’t go cherry picking in the Old Testament (the Torah). And the Rabbis and sages who have been over the meaning of the most quoted scripture about ‘homosexuality’ have already said non jews have twisted it to their needs. So I see Carter as an exception among Christians. This is my experience so with all the hate and ugly I’ve seen and experienced from folks who identify as Christian, I’m glad I’m not one. I would very much dislike being taught all the hate. Do you identify as Christian? It wouldn’t surprise me. Maybe take a look in the mirror and in your heart. Why are you so ugly to the LGBT+ community? Jesus didn’t tell you to be.
Hardly so Lawrence. In no wise or way has Jesus ordered all people to sell their possessions. Non believers aren't actually able to comprehend what the document says. When you interpret it of your own wisdom, you'll get it wrong 100 percent of the time. The bible actually tells you that.
Lol, sell all your stuff, that's funny. It's puzzling to see unbelievers quote the bible more than even bible thumpers do, way way more. Even so they don't grasp what they've read, literally proving the document valid in the process.
What an amazing author.
Not even when compared to the incumbent president?