Compare two pictures above, the colour Jesus doesn’t play any role, cause Jesus has more symbolic meaning what makes it better and clear as icon perception.
The guy in the front makes this picture complete, otherwise picture will be very flat.
I disagree with you. If he was facing into the picture and there was some interaction between him and what’s going on elsewhere, then yes it would be a really interesting shot. To my eye (and it’s just my layman opinion) he is looking elsewhere, out of the frame. You can’t see any expression on his face and he just doesn’t seem to belong in the shot.
His face doesn’t play any role in the picture, take off that guy and you will get huge space. Good thing is all the characters are face off as well as front guy. Right distance between rest of persons and the guy makes this picture well balanced and I repeat ones again – not flat.