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What makes God laugh? It’s not the easiest question to answer. But there are some guidelines and ideas that may help us navigate this question and better understand the character of God and what it means for us.
Jesus Reflects God’s Character
Because Jesus is God the Son, his words and actions help us wade through this question. We know that Jesus wept, got angry, communicated with sarcasm at times, etc., so he is capable of showing human emotions even though he is the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).
There Is a Time for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a time for weeping and a time for laughing, which may suggest that Jesus, who experienced humanity in this world, also had times of laughing even though the New Testament (NT) doesn’t tell any stories about him laughing.
God Laughs
God the Father is portrayed as laughing in the Bible. He does not laugh in delight, but in a scoffing manner at the plans of the wicked (Psalm 37:12-13). This generally characterizes how God “laughs” in the Old Testament (OT). He scoffs at those who hate him and attempt to thwart him. As the all-powerful Lord of the universe, no one can thwart or oppose God. But the Bible also tells us that God takes no pleasure in the deaths of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23).
Does God have a sense of humor? We think so (1 Kings 18:26-27). But like all things in our fallen world, laughter and mocking can go too far and become sinful. If we want our laughter to reflect God’s, we should test ourselves to ensure we are taking joy in the right things in life by reflecting God’s Holy Spirit within us.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Do you think God has a sense of humor? Explain.
- Why do you think God created humans with senses of humor? Have you ever known someone who seems to have no sense of humor? Explain.
- Are there times when humor is inappropriate or our senses of humor can become a little much, or possibly even sinful? Explain.
- Why is it significant that Jesus displayed a breadth of emotions during his earthly ministry?
- Ecclesiastes 7:6 says, “A fool’s laughter is quickly gone.” What does this mean?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
