Jesus Was a Man of Joy!

How do you picture Jesus? Cold? Austere? Super-holy and righteous, with really pale skin and the frail body of one accustomed only to books and women's work? I don't. I think--to use the words of one unknown north carolinian, Jesus loved with wild abandon. He was fully immersed in this world, in ways we can't begin to understand. From his ignoble birth in a dirty animal pen, to his life on the run in Egypt, his questionable upbringing, his years of studying both His father's trade and His FATHER's Word--Jesus was busy and ENGAGED. He did not tune out and shut down, except when He retreated to be with the Father. Otherwise, Jesus was here, in the moment. And full of love.


My favorite book on the person of Christ was written by an actor. (There's an uncommon sentence.) I have read it more often than any other book. It is called, In the Footsteps of Jesus by Bruce Marchiano. This book--(click here to see the book and my 2001 review--still up at Amazon)--by an actor who played Jesus, is an incredible testimony--and in my opinion is better than the film Matthew, though I like the film too. His is my very favorite portrayal of Jesus on film; these pictures show just why. Marchiano, along with the Christian director and others, spent much time in prayer and gained tremendous insight while filming the entire book of Matthew. (The film is also available as "Jesus the Christ" in a shorter, movie-length version.)

But the greatest insight for me is from Hebrews 1:9: "He was annointed with the oil of joy above all His brethren." The writer goes on to explain his conviction that Jesus was the most joy-filled man who ever lived. And I agree. It makes sense, doesn't it? Jesus was fully engaged, in love with the people, filled with joy at the chance to heal them, at the chance to teach them and watch their faith grow. He loved them so much. Marchiano writes:

Jesus joyful--I'd never given it consideration one way or the other. Generally Jesus seemed to be presented as solemn and serenely detached, and the only place I'd ever seen Him smile was in children's Bibles. . . . Yes, Jesus smiled; yes, Jesus laughed. Jesus smiled bigger and laughed heartier than any human being who's ever walked the planet. It's been revelation to a lot of people from both in and out of the church, their eyes opening wide after lifetimes of misunderstanding the Lord to be an aloof, pious, and sanctimonious figure. . . .

He's not this overbearing, heavy handed figure waiting for someone to make a wrong move. . . . Can't you just see Him sitting on a tree stump with a giggling baby girl wrapped in His arms? What a glorious picture! I have no doubt that Jesus would have been giggling and playing and beaming with love for that little girl with all the fullness that God is.

After all, think about how you feel and act with one of your own giggling wonders wrapped in your arms. Can you even begin to measure the way your heart bubbles in a moment like that? How much more the Son of the Living God, whose love for one of His little wonders so dwarfs anything you or I can begin to feel.

As wise and perfect as He was, no one can tell me He would have suppressed all the joy in His heart and sat there insisting on reverence and piety in a moment like that. Jesus had no need to maintain some air of poise, trying to impress people with His holiness. He had no insecurities, and His holiness certainly wasn't wrapped up in outward appearances. He had nothing to prove and no reason to hold back. He was God, and He had no problem being who He fully was and fully living what He fully felt, every full moment of every full day.

And that word 'full' is really how I came to see the joy of Jesus. It wasn't so much just a smile and a laugh, for as hard as He laughed and as big as He smiled, that's how hard He wept and how deeply His heart broke.

The joy of Jesus, I discovered, was wrapped up in His living in all the fullness of life's ultimate adventure--a bigger-than-lifeness, robustness, victoriousness that comes with living 100 percent in the Father's will 100 percent of the time. . . .

With all the joy, excitement, and passion Jesus displays in Matthew, I don't think we even remotely came close! That's just how joyous, exciting, and passionate I believe Jesus truly was 2000 years ago and truly is today. As far as we went, I don't think we even came close.