On my desk at home, I have a small 5 x 8 photo of Jesus laughing. I remember first seeing the photo much larger, hanging in the mess hall of the Baptist camp I grew up attending in the summers. My brother and I would often call it “Bob Marley” Jesus.

It was a hard picture to see at first, strange, foreign, even scandalous. Jesus lived a hard life; the scriptures call him a man of suffering. Jesus had a serious mission; the most important mission ever. I didn’t think laughter had any room in Jesus' important calling.

The images of Jesus I was familiar with were serious Jesus, or suffering Jesus, or angry Jesus casting out money changers, but never laughing Jesus. Jesus was serious about sin, stern about brokenness, angry at our fallenness. Laughter conveys joy, pleasure, friendship, and leisure; certainly, Jesus had no time for these. Many of my fellow campers struggled with this image; many found it life-changing. A Jesus that could laugh was a savior they, and we all, needed in a broken world.

The picture sits on my desk because I have come to realize Jesus had joy. He told his disciples in John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Jesus not only has joy but has joy in his disciples. Imagine Jesus being joyful of us. He is.

Jesus not only finds joy in us, but the Son of Man can also find pleasure with us, Luke 12:32. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” The Triune God is pleased to give us the kingdom. It is hard to think of God as joyful and pleased in our presence, but God often is, even in our brokenness.

Not just joy and pleasure, but Jesus calls us friends.(John 15:13-15.) Imagine having friends and never laughing with them. I don’t think they would be very good friends.

Jesus is serious, Jesus did suffer, and Jesus also laughs with us, perhaps at us because we are his joy; he is pleased, and he calls us friends. This is gospel, this is good news.