“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy” (Hebrews 1:9)

When I was a young adult, several local churches organized a big outreach to pass out the ‘Jesus Film’ on videotape. I remember coming home from work one day to find a copy on my own doorstep. I eventually watched it and found it to be a well-done, accurate presentation of the gospel. But one thing has always stuck with me about that film, and many others like it: Jesus is so often portrayed as somber, aloof, and almost unapproachable. He walks around teaching and healing, but you rarely see him smile. That picture never felt quite right to me.

Scripture, it turns out, paints a very different portrait. The book of Hebrews quotes an Old Testament prophecy from Psalm 45:7, making it clear that it’s about Jesus. It says He was anointed with the "oil of joy" far above His companions. This wasn't just a fleeting feeling; it was a defining characteristic. It means He was happy, glad, and deeply approachable. I feel sure He walked around with a smile. I can imagine Him hugging His disciples, making them laugh, and helping them feel seen and loved. The crowds were drawn to Him because He was so full of life that they had to find out what it was all about. He was like no one they had ever seen.

Why Jesus Was Anointed with Joy

This profound joy wasn't a matter of chance; it was deeply connected to the very core of His being. The passage in both Psalms and Hebrews gives us the reason: "because you love righteousness and hate wickedness." His anointing with joy was a direct result of His perfect alignment with the heart of God.

The Amplified Bible offers a powerful description of this contrast: "You have loved righteousness [You have delighted in integrity, virtue, and uprightness in purpose, thought, and action] and You have hated lawlessness (injustice and iniquity)" (Hebrews 1:9a AMP). Jesus’s love for what is right wasn't just a passive opinion; it was a driving force that propelled Him to act. He saw that we were hopeless, cut off from God by sin, with no way to bridge the gap on our own. His love for righteousness compelled Him to confront and destroy sin and lawlessness through His ultimate act on the cross.

In doing so, He didn't just remove the bad; He offered us the good. He freely gave His own perfect righteousness to all who would believe. As Paul wrote, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His sacrifice, He made it possible for us to be presented to God as holy and blameless.

This is the very heart of His joy. Reconciling the world to God was His mission and His delight. We are so valuable to Him that He gave up everything so that we could be saved. The joy set before Him was the anticipation of seeing humanity restored to the Father.

The grace He offered was far greater than the sin that had caused the separation. Paul explains this incredible exchange: "For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" (Romans 5:15). The joy Jesus felt was rooted in this victory—the joy of bringing us home. He wasn't somber or distant. He was full of life, love, and a profound joy, knowing that with each step, He was getting closer to conquering sin and death for us.

We Have Been Given His Joy

Here is a beautiful truth for every believer: the joy that characterized Jesus is now available to us. Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians, starting with love and followed immediately by joy (Galatians 5:22-23). These are not qualities we have to strive to manufacture; they are the very character and nature of Jesus Christ Himself, deposited into our born-again spirits. The moment we believe, we receive His joy.

As we learn to live by the Spirit instead of by our old nature, this joy becomes more and more evident in our lives. It can overflow from us and become apparent to everyone around us. We don't have to wake up dreading the day. Because Jesus lives in us, we can wake up looking forward to life, filled with the same hope-filled joy that He carried.

It’s a wonderful reality to know that we have been made like Jesus. Just as He was anointed with joy for the incredible task set before Him, we too can experience this joy every moment of our lives. The key is to keep our focus on Him.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us with this thought: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders...and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him...so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Personal Reflection Questions

1. How does seeing Jesus as joyful and approachable change how you connect with Him?

2. When has serving a bigger purpose brought you joy like Jesus's?

3. What can you do this week to experience more of Jesus’s joy in your life?