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CONNIE: Hello, I'm Connie Jeffery,

LONNIE: And I'm Lonnie Melashenko. Connie, I have to admit that that question about Jesus spending New Years Eve in Times Square kind of caught me by surprise.

CONNIE: Why's that?

LONNIE: Well, I know our topic today is "The Joy of Jesus," but trying to picture Jesus spending the evening among the wild revelers--well, some of our listeners may feel just a little uncomfortable with that.

CONNIE: I have to admit, the idea seemed a bit shocking to me at first too, but . . .
LONNIE: I think I know what you're going to say--isn't it true that Jesus was accused of being too lighthearted while He was on earth? Didn't the Pharisees even accuse Him of being a "glutton and winebibber?"

CONNIE: Don't get me wrong. I didn't mean to suggest that Jesus would be out partying and getting drunk on New Years Eve, but I think He knew how to be joyful.

LONNIE: And how to bring joy into others' lives. And I'm glad that this image of the joyful Jesus is becoming better understood these days. Perhaps one of the people who's done more to bring this idea across is a man by the name of Bruce Marchiano--who played the role of Jesus in the well-known "Matthew" video series.

Recently I was able to get Bruce on the phone, and he shared with us the wonderful story of how He came to understand and portray the joy of Jesus.

LONNIE: Bruce, Welcome to the Voice of Prophecy broadcast.

BRUCE: Thank you Lonnie, it's good to be with you.

LONNIE: I must tell you that in just re-reading some of the portions of the book this morning, I was so moved and emotionally in tears. It was profoundly dramatic, and touching, personally.

BRUCE: I appreciate you saying that, thank you.

LONNIE: For the sake of our listeners, you were involved in a very special project with portraying Christ in the Gospel according to Matthew. Tell us a little bit about how that evolved, and how this brought you a particular perspective on the joy in Jesus.

BRUCE: Yeah, I don't know if it gets more special than walking in the footsteps, if you will, of the Son of the Living God, walking through the most significant events in human history. I'm an actor by profession, and I received the Lord as my Savior in 1989, and in 1993, I was approached by a director who was putting the Gospel of Matthew on film, and he was looking specifically for a born again believer, professional actor, to play Jesus, and we agreed to work together, and before I knew it, I was memorizing every word Jesus spoke as recorded by Matthew, and looking afresh, and that's a big thing right there Lonnie. You know these Bible stories become so familiar to us, but for the first time, I had to sweep aside preconceived notions and really dig into what I would call "The Reality of the Day", and the reality of the man, as opposed to the religiosity, a tall, aloof figure, you know with arms outstretched, and pristine hair, and everything. And part of that whole discovery that blossomed out of that fresh look was joy. I remember my very first meeting with the director, and he's an intensely praying man, and he said, "Bruce, I have one word for you, Joy." And He opened his Bible to Hebrews 1:9, and I'll quote it loosely, "He was anointed with the oil of joy above His brethren." And I remember the director, and he said, "Bruce, it was joy that set Him apart, and I'm convinced that this is what the Lord would have us do in the film is present Jesus possibly for the first time ever as a Man of joy.

LONNIE: And Bruce, you know, as I've watched Matthew unfold, the first half-hour or so, that is one of the things that just kind of jumps out and grabs you. This guy isn't acting, number one, you were incarnating yourself in the person of Christ, and that has probably forever transformed you as a person, but your smile, that magnetic warmth of joy, it just comes out and grabs you. It just takes a hold of that whole picture.

BRUCE: Yeah you know, it's so interesting because of my acting background, my dark looks, before I knew the Lord, I was always type cast in dark rolls.

LONNIE: Is that right?!

BRUCE: Yeah, so joy was never part of the program.

LONNIE: It's kind of like you can't wipe the smile off this guy's face, he's always so happy!

BRUCE: You know Lonnie, that's the thing about joy, it's a thing you can't just wipe off your face, or out of your heart, and you know interestingly enough, when the director said that word to me, it was a bit of a surprise. You know, I had never thought of Jesus as joyous, but you know, without having the time to go into detail, my goodness, I took that word he gave me and took it to the Lord in prayer and I took it to my reading of the Word, and suddenly Lonnie, I saw it everywhere. Just explosive joy, and then you think about Jesus and the Last Supper, and again I don't remember exactly what He says, but He says, "I've done these things so that My joy might be in you, so that your joy might be complete, and we talk about the joy of our salvation. So Lonnie, joy is definitely part of Jesus' program.

LONNIE: Well you know, I'm reading your book called In the Footsteps of Jesus, One Man's Journey where you talk about the experience of putting the movie together. I was profoundly moved at how this impacted even non-professing, non-Christian, necessarily, individuals behind cameras, and scripts, and gripped people out there who are on the set with you who at one point, was it the director? Who just kind of confessed, "He's not acting, he is this person, and he's projecting love, and care." You were incarnating Christ right there on the set.

BRUCE: You know Lonnie, when I got offered the opportunity, I looked at the calendar and I had seven weeks before the cameras were to roll, and I knew that the only thing that was going to make it work was not so much for me to pretend to be joyous or loving or compassionate or merciful, but for me to grow in those characters. In other words for me, for the first time in my Christian walk to pursue Christlikeness. Suddenly I saw the goal of my Salvation here on earth, not so much for me to grow and become a good little Christian boy, but for me to grow in becoming like Him. And Lonnie I can't explain to you the hours I was on my face begging the Lord to fill me with joy, to make me a joyous person, to fill me with forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and love. And hopefully that's what I brought onto the location.

LONNIE: You know, what some of it resulted in was the spontaneity, for example, the leper coming to Jesus, and you allowed him to tackle you, and you rolled on the ground, and part of this probably wasn't even scripted, and you spontaneously laughed the laughter of God, and joy of celebration, helping people find joy in Jesus is what you were discovering in that movie.

BRUCE: Yeah you know, what an actor does is he puts himself in another person's shoes, and you know if I can guide my audience through this, you know, put yourself in Jesus' shoes that day. Can you imagine having the ability to reach your hand into another person's life? A person's life that is just so shockingly devastated on every level, and in the blink of an eye, see them liberated from that devastation. I mean, is that a boring experience, I mean is that a lukewarm thing? I tell you, there is nothing more exciting, and Jesus walked in that excitement every day of His life.

LONNIE: Bruce Marchiano from the movie On the Book of Matthew and also Acts, taking us a little behind the scenes and sharing the rewards and challenges of the Matthew production. And thank you for bringing joy to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

BRUCE: I appreciate that Lonnie. Thank you.

CONNIE: Bruce's testimony of finding joy in Jesus is exciting

LONNIE: You know, Connie, one of the ways Voice of Prophecy has tried to focus on this joyful aspect of knowing Jesus is through music--especially at our Family Reunion Concerts.

CONNIE: Here's a joyful selection from the 1999 concert, "In My Heart There Rings a Melody":
"In My Heart There Rings a Melody", VOP Family Reunion, from A New Name in Glory CD

CONNIE: Keeping that melody of love in your heart certainly can add joy to your life. That was taken from the CD "A New Name in Glory" produced by Voice of Prophecy at our 1999 Family Reunion Concert in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

LONNIE: You know Connie, there are musicians who have been around for forty years that were at that concert, and they said they've never experienced the kind of joy and worship in Jesus that we experienced, and there were people who wrote in from South Africa and around the world that said, "You know if that's the kind of thing that Christianity does to people, I want to be a part of it." I've never seen such a group of happy Christians as we had there at our musical, and that was in spite of some folks like the Chuck Fullmore Trio, here he is battling and dying of cancer. Bob Edwards talked about the tragic death of his son, and yet inner joy and peace.

CONNIE: There's another concert coming up soon, isn't there Lonnie.

LONNIE: Yes, we'll be in Fort Worth, Texas on March 3 with more than 100 musicians singing great Christian songs.

CONNIE: Information about all of our music, and about upcoming concerts is always available at our web page, which you'll find at VOP.COM.

LONNIE: The Internet is an important part of our ministry, because it reaches worldwide. You'll find lots of helpful information there, transcripts of programs, and streaming audio--so you can listen to past programs anytime, anywhere.

CONNIE: And you can also enroll in our online Bible School--the Discover Bible Lessons--which allow you to study the great themes of the Bible right in your own home.

LONNIE: And of course it's a great place to send us feedback or suggestions. We read every e-mail that comes in--including ideas you share, prayer requests, and comments on our programming. So stop by toady at VOP.COM.

CONNIE: As we focus on the theme of "The Joy of Jesus" today, Lonnie takes us into a Bible story--about a man who really needed that joy in his life. Share with us, Lonnie, "The Joy of Jesus--Part 1"

LONNIE: His name was Lev. He sat behind a table, collecting money. All day long, that's what he did. Just sat behind the table, waiting for people to bring him money. He wasn't a businessman who gave people merchandise in exchange for their money. He wasn't a clerk at a 7-11 standing behind a counter, handing out cigarettes and soft drinks in exchange for people's money. He just sat behind his table and took the money and handed out receipts.

Fishermen who had toiled hard all night, on their feet, out on the lake, risking their lives doing back-breaking work, would come ashore with their catch. If they sold the rewards of their sweat and good fortune for a hundred dollars, they couldn't take it all home with them. First they had to go over to Lev's place and line up in front of his table, waiting their turn to give him six or seven of their hard-earned dollars.

The Roman tax on produce was only five percent, but every tax collector worth his salt knew how to tack on an extra percentage point or two to enrich himself.
And what did people get in exchange for the money they gave to Lev? Not even a smile or a thank you. Lev could just sit there, six days a week, taking in the money, growing fat and lazy, profiting from other people's hard work.
That was bad enough to make his neighbors hate him and the local preachers condemn him. But there was something worse yet about Lev. He was a collaborator.

Maybe you've seen documentaries, as I have, of events that took place in 1944 and 1945 when cities in France were liberated from Nazi control by Allied troops. Most of the French people rejoiced. But there were some who were not happy--the opportunists who had cooperated fully with the Nazis. Now they were condemned as "collaborators" and justice came quickly from their neighbors--often in the form of a noose about the neck or a bullet in the forehead!

Yes, Lev was a collaborator, but the army of occupation was still in control, so he was safe from revenge--for the time being. But not safe from his neighbors' resentment.

Lev's tax table made him wealthy, but at the expense of his neighbors' respect. Some would say at the cost of his very soul.

The tax table where he sat day after day, raking in the money, separated him from his community, from his religion, and--if he were to believe the teachings of the religious authorities--even from his God. It can't have been a very satisfying life.

Lev--we usually call him Levi-Matthew (or just Matthew)--lived 2000 years ago, but people still face the same sort of dilemma: the choice between making a lot of money or living a satisfying life. Valerie Young, publisher of the Changing Course Newsletter, shared the dilemma insightfully recently in an essay. I'm quoting:

My nephew Jason was pretty excited about starting college. "Do you have any idea what you'd like to do when you graduate?" I asked.
"Something in the sciences," he said adding, "and where I can make a lot of money."

"Is that all?" I asked.
Jason paused for a moment before replying. "Well, I just hope I can find a job I don't hate too much."

Time for a little auntie-to-nephew pep talk. "You have your whole life to look forward to," I said. "Don't you think you should shoot higher than just short of miserable?"

Jason looked confused. "What should I be shooting for?"
Clearly I was going to have to spell it out. "Satisfaction, fulfillment, meaning, you know--HAPPINESS!"

By the look on my dear nephew's face I knew he wasn't buying it. This got me thinking about the great debate raging in the hearts and minds of many working adults today: Money vs. Happiness. (end quote)

Valerie shares a modern perspective on Matthew's dilemma. She uses a powerful metaphor later in the essay when she calls a good salary and retirement plan "golden handcuffs" that shackle people to unsatisfying jobs and stress-filled lives.

Day after day, Matthew sat behind that table--that golden table. In my mind's eye, I can see the legs of that table turning to gold--golden bars that imprisoned Matthew in an ever-darkening dungeon of disillusionment and despair. No one who came to that table left, wishing him "Have a nice day!" No. Everyone looked at him with hatred, wishing he'd curl up and die so they wouldn't have to part with their hard-earned money.

Matthew's tax booth became a vortex of despair and darkness, sucking the life and joy out of all who came there, and most of all out of Matthew himself.
But his booth was near enough to the shore that he could observe what was happening down by the Sea of Galilee. Suddenly one day, people began coming by with smiles on their faces. Why, some even smiled at him!

Then there was the lame beggar who hobbled down to the dock one morning and in the afternoon came RUNNING up the street laughing, smiling, singing, shouting the praises of God. He even stopped and did a whirling little dance of joy right in front of Matthew's table.

You couldn't help but notice that kind of thing. The whole atmosphere of Capernaum was changing. Fewer people shook their fists and glared at Matthew when they saw him on the street. There seemed to be a sunlit spot, somewhere down by the lake, where people's lives were being changed--recharged--and filled with joy!

Soon he discovered that at the center of that sunlit spot stood a Man. A Man whose life radiated joy, healing, forgiveness, and satisfaction even more powerfully than Matthew's life reeked of illness, unforgiven debts, and frustration.

There came a day when Matthew slipped out from behind his table--just for a few moments--and went to listen.

The Teacher spoke of love, kindness, and forgiveness. Words that floated on the fresh, spring air like butterflies of happiness. They almost brightened even Matthew's face.

But then he realized that such things were not for him. Forgiveness was for the righteous--those who devoted their lives to memorizing and reciting the Law--not for the likes of him. Not for sinful, despised, outcast tax collectors.
The smile that had toyed with the corners of his mouth flitted away and, Matthew trudged away, back to his little booth, behind the golden bars of his tax table, and sat down once again, in the dark dungeon of despair.

Head hanging, he hardly noticed the excitement that began to brew around his booth, but when he did look up, he discovered that the Teacher had followed him. The Teacher was standing at his tax table! And suddenly the atmosphere of that dark vortex of despair seemed changed, recharged, filled with light and happiness.

He looked up into the Teacher's face, and the Teacher returned his gaze. And then spoke two words: "Follow Me."

"Follow Me"? . . . How could a sinner like me follow a Teacher of Righteousness? Why does He want me to come with Him? I am so far from God that . . .

The questions tumbled through Matthew's mind, but all seemed to be answered in a microsecond in the smile and wide-open arms of the Man who had invited him.

None of the questions, none of the doubts, none of the despair had any relevance anymore. The Teacher had invited him. The Teacher had accepted him. The Teacher--Jesus--wanted him.

"And Levi [Matthew] rose and followed him," (Mark 2:14, NEB)
And there was joy in Matthew's heart, and there was joy in Jesus' heart. Joy that would soon overflow in a celebration--a party--that would shake the foundations of the city.

But we'll have to save that story for next time--two weeks from today--when we look at "The Joy of Jesus--Part 2"

Today I'll close with a personal question--addressed to you, wherever you are.

Friend, are you imprisoned in any way--separated from Jesus? Does your life seem like a dark dungeon? Jesus wants to bring His light and His joy in. He wants to break the bars that imprison you. He comes to you today and says "Follow Me."