Does Jesus have a Tattoo?

Tattoos were taboo in most churches a few decades ago, but currently, many churchgoers have tattoos. I once worked with a minister who had his body almost completely covered in them. One day, he noticed I was trying to read one of the tattoos on his arm and asked me if I knew that Jesus had a tattoo, to which I answered, "No." He then asked me to read Revelation 19:16 and went on his merry way.

On his robe and on his thigh is this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.

Revelation 19:16 (NIV)

If you read the verse, you might conclude that Jesus indeed has a tattoo. What do you do then with verses prohibiting tattoos?

Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:28 (NIV)

Jesus, being a Jew, would not ask His people not to tattoo themselves and then announce He has one. That does not make sense. I believe that Jesus' tattoo in Revelation 19 is not literal but symbolic. Just as no one believes, an actual sword will come out of His mouth, which is what Revelation 19:15 says; I do not think Jesus would ink himself, especially when we consider that tattoos are something most pagans use to symbolize unions with their gods.

Some people may say that Leviticus is part of the law, and since we are no longer bound to it, Christians can get tattoos. That sounds reasonable, but it is not entirely accurate, for if we follow such logic, we would have to throw the Ten Commandments out the window, for they are also part of the law.

So, does Jesus have a tattoo? I leave it up to you to decide the answer to that question, but before you run to get one, please consider that most people who get tattoos do not stop with one. Tattoos can become an addiction. Tattoos can cause skin infections, are painful, and are expensive. Also, consider how the Holy Spirit must feel when He sees His temple, which is your body, covered in graffiti.

Shall we argue about the subject or judge tattoos as good or bad? I don't think so. Each of us must decide what to do. As for me, call me religious or old-fashioned, but I do not want to risk disobeying God over something as unnecessary as tattoos. If I am wrong, I can always get one on the other side of heaven, but I prefer to keep my skin intact as long as I am on this side.