Jesus saves — but his lookalikes are earning mountains of cash.
Models who bear a strong resemblance to the Son of God are in increasing demand, with Christians hiring them to pose for family portraits, wedding announcements, Christmas cards and anything else that requires a divine presence, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Long hair and beards might seem undesirable in most workplaces, but they’re mandatory in this unexpectedly booming industry, where the divine doppelgängers can earn up to $200 an hour.
Bob Sagers, who stands at 6ft 5in with a beard and shoulder-length mane, now models as the Messiah after being scouted at an indie music festival in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“I make for a pretty tall Jesus,” said Sagers, who has been posting as the religious figure for four years.
But becoming the savior isn’t as simple as having a beard or the athletic “body of Christ.”
Oftentimes, the models must don Jesus’ robes and tote his staff, as well as embody Christian characteristics.
Jai Knighton, a professional model who has appeared as Jesus in various family portrait shoots, recalled one client telling him to be “the most Christlike person you can be, or people will be able to tell through the photos that it’s not real.”
Meanwhile, lookalike Terry Holker’s methodist modeling was so convincing that a passerby seemingly thought he was the real deal.
The 50-year-old was reportedly doing a shoot in the Salt Flats when a woman approached him and asked if he could walk with her and hold her hand.
When Holker informed her he wasn’t the “real Jesus,” she replied that she’d been looking for a sign of the Lord while driving by and that’s when she saw him.
But the lookalike models aren’t the only ones getting attention from the booming Jesus craze.
MaKayla Avalos, 28, said doing these heavenly photo-ops caused her photography business to experience a biblical boom.
In 2020, the Ogden-based snapper had reportedly hired a family friend to pose as the Good Shepherd with her kids to make it “more personal.”
When she uploaded these photos online, Avalos was swamped with requests from people seeking similarly sanctified pictures, and has now shot 50-60 groups in this fashion.
However, she does warn prospective customers: “If your kid doesn’t like taking pictures on Santa’s lap, he probably won’t like this experience with Jesus, either.”
