Our culture often pictures Jesus as a somber, wimpy mama’s boy. This article challenges that view, revealing Jesus as a vibrant, joy-filled figure whose influence drew diverse crowds through the joy of the Lord, as described in Galatians 5:22-23. This view, reflected in artistic paintings of the past, has permeated our culture for hundreds of years. If those same artists painted him today, they would likely portray him as a “Pajama-boy.”
That perception is a lie. Here’s why. In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul wrote, “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control . . .” Did you catch that? Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. If joy is a fruit of the Spirit, then Jesus must have been full of joy!
The Magnetism of Jesus
Many believe people were drawn to Jesus only because of his miraculous signs. Those played a part, but his magnetism was the joy of the Lord. Consider his influence! People flocked to him. Little children approached him (Matthew 19:14). Grown, burly fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, followed him (Matthew 4:18-22). He befriended tax collectors (Matthew 9:9-13) and prostitutes (Luke 7:36-50). Crowds surrounded him on multiple occasions. What kind of somber, wimpy mama’s boy has that influence? Would you want to spend time with someone like that or someone full of the joy of the Lord? Clearly, the latter.
Jesus or Eeyore
When my two children were little, they loved watching The Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh. Each episode featured Christopher Robin and his friends. Tigger, the tiger, was always full of life and vigor. Kanga, the kangaroo, served as the wise mom with her baby, Roo. Winnie-the-Pooh, the main character, always found trouble. His best friend was Piglet, a little pig. Then there was Eeyore, the donkey, who was Tigger’s polar opposite. While Tigger was joyous, Eeyore was full of doom and gloom, complaining constantly and finding negativity in everything. Be honest: would you rather spend time with Tigger or Eeyore? Who would leave you with a smile and hope in your heart? Jesus left people with a smile of wonder and hope in their hearts.
Happiness Versus Joy
Joy is easy to identify. It is exuberant. A newborn baby brings joy to a family. Both fiancés experience joy when an engagement is announced. A man finds joy after landing a job he relentlessly pursued for eight months. There is a distinction between happiness and joy. Happiness is a state of mind based on circumstances, whereas joy is birthed within the heart. We ask people if they are happy, meaning, “Are your circumstances good?” But we never need to ask if they are joyous because joy is obvious. It bursts forth naturally.
Joy Springs Up From Within the Heart and Exudes Life
Giving joy requires sacrifice. You must intentionally reject attitudes that are not joyous. This means dying to the flesh. Joy cannot coexist with complaining or skepticism. It has no place with slander or gossip. Joy does not drain life but produces it wherever it is found. It advances God’s Kingdom.
Joy feeds the soul. Jesus knew this joy and lived it. If joy produces life within you, as it did with Jesus, imagine the impact you could have by ministering that joy to others in your sphere of influence, just as Jesus did. Viewing joy as a ministry shifts your thinking from passive to aggressive. Instead of joy being something that happens to you, it becomes something you cultivate from within. You start seeking opportunities to spread it. Boisterous influence is at the heart of joy. Because Jesus was full of joy, he gave it freely. As a follower of Jesus, if you reflect him, joy will exude from you and breathe life into others. I urge you to cultivate your relationship with Jesus. Like a runner who sweats or a fish that swims, both produce water naturally. Similarly, the more you invest in your relationship with Jesus, the more life-giving joy you will produce.