Joy and Humor
OPENING THOUGHT
In his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, Phillip Yancy reflects on a document from 1514 that someone forged under the name of Publius Lentulus, the Roman governor who succeeded Pontius Pilate, which contained the following description of Jesus:
He is a tall man, well shaped and of an amiable and reverend aspect; his hair is of a color that can hardly be matched, falling into graceful curls … parted on the crown of his head, running as a stream to the front after the fashion of the Nazirites; his forehead high, large and imposing; his cheeks without spot or wrinkle, beautiful with a lovely red; his nose and mouth formed with exquisite symmetry; his beard, and of a color suitable to his hair, reaching below his chin and parted in the middle like a fork; his eyes bright blue, clear and serene….
Yancy recognized this Jesus from the oil paintings hanging on concrete-block walls of his childhood church. The forger gave himself away, however, with his next sentence: no man has seen him laugh.
No one can read the gospel accounts without concluding that Jesus had a sense of humor. He painted outlandish pictures in his sermons (cf. Matt. 7:3-5). He gave his disciples playful nicknames, like “Sons of Thunder,” “Rock,” and “The Less.” He called Herod a “fox.” He chose a wedding as the occasion for his first miracle (John 2:1-11). Laughter and joy are essential traits in our Lord’s personality.
EXPLORING GOD’S WORD
Luke 2:8-20
What was the shepherds’ initial reaction? What did the angel say about it? Are we supposed to fear Jesus?
The angel brought “good news of great joy.” What was this news? Who was it for?
Imagine you were one of the shepherds when the multitude of the heavenly host glorified God. What do you think you would have felt?
What did the shepherds do after the angels went away?
God could have sent Jesus in any form. Why do you think he sent him as a baby?
Matthew 9:14-17
What is the purpose of fasting?
Why do you think Jesus compared himself to a “bridegroom”?
How was fasting among Jesus’ disciples like putting new wine in old wineskins?
Matthew 11:16-19
What is Jesus’ basic complaint?
What accusations did Jesus’ generation make against him and John? Were they fair? What are we meant to learn from them?
Jesus’ saying, “Wisdom is justified by her deeds,” is hard. It may help to revisit v. 16 with the understanding that Wisdom is personified as a woman in Proverbs 8-9. Also, Luke 7:35 has “children” where Matthew has “deeds.” Jesus is telling his critics to look at the fruit of his movement. What’s the fruit of a dry, joyless religion? What about a religion that brings you peace and causes you to glorify God?
John 10:7-14
Why did Jesus come to earth?
What does he mean by “abundant life”?
Why do Christians sometimes struggle to find joy through their faith?
Read and discuss Philippians 4:4 and 1 Peter 1:8-9.
