Ray Bradbury wrote a short story about Earth explorers who having reached another life-bearing planet at the end of The Galaxy-- found they had just missed the physical presence of Jesus Christ.
I always took "made in Our image" to mean we were created sinless with the potential for eternal life and free will. Other earthly creatures are sinless, but their lives end on earth and they are driven by instinct.
Now, before anyone loses their mind, I love animals (they taste great) but don't think they live forever as we will.
I believe Christ appeared as he did so we could accept Him. This could be why He came when he did, before the common ability or desire to save a likeness of Him, that way everyone could see Him as best to understand and accept Him.
And now to really blow a extreme conservative Christian mind, I believe if females were the dominate sex of our species, He would have appeared as a She. I don't believe God is a male or a female.