Jesus Was A Bore, Right?
Flannel graphs weren’t the first to depict Jesus as one-dimensional.
The Greeks painted him with the iconic look we associate with Christ today — a white man with a hipster beard, piercing eyes, one snip short of a mullet, and a snowy gown accented by a royal blue Miss America sash.
The “Jesus Film Project” and almost every other movie about his life and ministry make Jesus out to be a stoic goodie-two-shoes who wouldn’t dare step outside of a regal routine or do anything so worldly as to actually smile at a funny joke.
With these images as the foundation for our impression of him, and after centuries of depictions that have, of course, fallen short of our Savior, we have gathered the notion that Jesus Christ was an absolute bore.
But, I don’t buy it.
How can the God-man whose introduction to ministry was changing water to wine for a wedding feast be a social drain? How can the Christ who said, “I’ve come that they may have life and have it abundantly,” not be the prime example of how to live a rich and full life? And, how can the Light of the World, the Author of Life, the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” be little more than a wet blanket?
“Christ is not the drain of the party. He is the Life.”
We tend to treat Jesus more like a helicopter parent, hoping he’d stay out of the basement when we have people over than we do a friend, a pal, a brother who has the secret to the most fulfilling celebration in the universe. And, while we have this idea that Jesus was a constant wah-waaaah to the party, biblical evidence suggests just the opposite.
1 Chronicles 16:27 says, “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.”
Psalm 16:11: “You make known the path of life; in your presence, there is a fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
And Jesus says in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Jesus was the pinnacle of true, lasting joy — he created joy! — and it is more than safe to assume that people loved to be around him. So, why do we make him out to be so boring?
When the movie “Son Of God” came out in 2014, I was hopeful to see my Savior sit around a campfire with his friends, the disciples, hanging out and laughing. Instead, I felt like I watched another regurgitated version of the same old Hollywood Jesus, monotone and lifeless.
I don’t know what kind of humor he might have had or what kind of games were his favorite — I don’t know if he played corn hole or had a wicked ping pong spin or simply liked to hangout with his buddies — but I’m confident our Savior enjoyed himself with a joy that is deeper and more profound than we can ever attain on this earth.
As we gear up to be the Church where we play this summer, remember, first of all, it’s okay to have fun. John Piper, author, pastor, and the spokesman for Christian Hedonism since 1986, famously said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
Secondly, remember Christ is not the drain of the party. He is the Life. Not every euchre tournament needs an alter-call but, Jesus yearns to be at the center of every aspect of our lives, from Sunday morning to Saturday night. He has never been nor will ever be a bore.
Jesus Christ is so much more than what our flannel graphs, museum paintings, and Hollywood movies can depict. He is not one-dimensional, and he is certainly not a wet blanket. Christ came to fulfill our joy, and true joy will burst at the seams when he is at the center of our play.
As the Church, let’s come together, laugh together, play together all to the glory of our loving God who is right there with us, smiling.
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
