Jesus Smiled.

²¹ At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. “I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.  (Luke 10:21  The Message)

Jesus smiled. That sounds like a good Bible verse to me, how about you? I wonder why we never read it anywhere in the Scripture? We read where He wept and where He was angry but I cannot recollect anywhere that we read He smiled. I am sure that He did. I am sure that He smiled a lot. Why is it important to know whether or not He smiled? To help us relate to His humanity.

The Church has a way of portraying Jesus in one of two ways. One picture depicts Him as being serious all the time; holy and reverent. Walking around with His hands clasped together with a look of sternness on His face. This picture sets Him apart from defiled humanity and puts Him out of touch with the regular folk. The other picture sometimes portrays Him as that of a good man that went about doing good all of the time. Healing people, showing them compassion, forgiving there mistakes. Sort of like a “good old boy” relationship. Being buddy, buddy with everyone; even those who opposed Him. The truth is both pictures are distorted.

Jesus was very serious about His mission and never took it lightly. He is Holy and was always reverent toward His Father. This seriousness drove Him to be compassionate and He is very understanding of our humanness; but He never excused us for being “just human.” Jesus came to take our sins upon Himself and die for them. He was more than just a good man. God filled a human body in order to relate to other humans. His being in a human body allowed Him to experience human emotions, human desires, human fears, and human frustrations. Therefore He is able to relate to us. His Divinity as God allowed Jesus to overcome the fallen human nature and thereby had no sin. You and I are forgiven when we allow Him to impart His Divinity unto us by way of the Cross. Being human does not excuse our sin.

Jesus is as human as you and I are. What we feel, He feels. He was joyful and happy because God sent Him into the world that the world might be saved through Him! Yeah, He smiled. He smiled when people believed in Him and accepted Him; and He still does.