A man of joy

God the Father has set his Son above his companions, anointing him with the oil of joy.

-Hebrews 1:9
 

One of the stereotypes of Jesus that has persisted over the years is Jesus as a serious, detached person, standing aloof from those around him. I find it hard to relate to such a caricature. But, if you read between the lines of the Gospels, you see that Jesus had to be anything but that wooden stereotype. Instead, Jesus clearly was a man of joy, one who loved life and lived it to the fullest. Anyone who loved people like he did, hung out with “sinners,” and was the go-to person for children, prostitutes, and tax collectors had to be someone who radiated infectious joy. 

Stepping into the spotlight

When Jesus was around 30 years old, he began his public ministry. It may seem strange that Jesus, the Son of God, would patiently wait around working as a carpenter throughout his twenties before launching his ministry. However, this wasn’t unusual in that day and age: Men usually started ministering around the age of 30. In addition, some of the most famous Jewish leaders, such as Joseph (the one with the “Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”) and David (the guy who toasted Goliath), began their leadership at this age. His public ministry lasted a mere three-and-a-half years (not even the length of a U.S. Presidential term) before he was killed. 

Jesus selected 12 common men from various walks of life to be his disciples (students and followers). Jesus and his “band of brothers” travelled throughout Palestine preaching and teaching. Jesus spent a lot of time talking to religious leaders who were suspicious of his claims, but he seemed to prefer hanging out with commoners and people who were looked down upon by the religious authorities. His principal message was that he was the Messiah, the “anointed one” who the Old Testament predicted was going to come and free Israel and serve as king. He performed many miracles (which Christians believe demonstrated that his authority was from God), showing compassion for the hurting. 

Fulfilling his purpose

Jesus may have attracted massive crowds of enthusiastic people wherever he went, but he didn’t win any Mr. Popularity awards within the ranks of the Jewish religious leaders, known as the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They saw Jesus as a threat. The Jewish people may have been ruled by the Roman Empire, but the religious leaders had a positional standing and degree of local authority, which was something they didn’t want to give up. After Jesus started teaching ideas that weren’t in line with their perspective and after they saw how powerful he was becoming among the masses, they concluded that they had to get him out of the picture. 

Although Christians believe he was innocent of any charges of rebelling against Roman authority, Jesus was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to be crucified, a grizzly method of execution used by the Romans in which a condemned man was tied or nailed to a cross. (See the “Questioning Why Jesus Was Crucified” section later in this chapter for more information.) He lay on the cross for several hours before dying, after which he was buried in a tomb. Because leaders heard of his claims that he’d be raised from the dead, they put a huge boulder over the entrance to the tomb and posted Roman guards outside of it 24/7 to ensure that the disciples didn’t make any funny business.
 
Christians believe Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day following his death and that he appeared to his followers on several occasions over the next forty days (see the “Peering into an Empty Tomb: Revisiting the Resurrection” section). The Gospel writers make it a point to say that his appearances weren’t just some spirit, angel, or hologram like you see in a Star Wars film. Instead, they say that his resurrected body, although different from an earthly body, was still every bit as real and physical. Notably, he ate and drank with the disciples as well as touched them. Then, after forty days, he ascended into heaven, where he remains to this day, all the while being actively involved in the lives of all Christians (see Chapter 7). However, he promised that he’ll return once more, which you can read all about in Chapter 9.