Connections: "Do You Believe?"          April 12, 2026

Do you wish you could have walked alongside Jesus with the disciples? Do you wonder what his human personality was like—the tone of his voice, the expressions on his face, his body language, his tendency toward humor, the foods he liked best, how he felt about animals, and what he and his friends enjoyed during their brief leisure time? Do you think he gazed at the stars or found shapes in the clouds? Did he stand on the seashore with his feet sinking in the sand as the waves ebbed and flowed? Did he appreciate a friend’s embrace?

I certainly wonder about these things. The New Testament gives us wonderful stories about Jesus, but most of them relate to his ministry rather than his identity as a human person. We can tell that he was kind, compassionate, and honest, but we can’t know the sound of his laugh or the way his eyes grew tired at the end of a long day. 

Even though we can’t know any of these things for certain, we can trust in Jesus’s humanity as much as in his divinity. He wouldn’t have drawn so many people without a friendly personality, a dynamic presence, a welcoming aura. Peter wrote his letter to people like us—people who were never physically close to Jesus. “Although you have not seen him, you love him,” Peter wrote, “and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (vv. 8-9).

We have not seen Jesus, but we love him. Why do we love him? Because the power of who he is surpasses physical boundaries. Because we connect to him in the stories we read about him. Because of his compassion and directness. Because others clearly loved him too. Because we feel his presence in our souls.

• If you’ve seen films or television shows about Jesus, what is your favorite portrayal of him? Why do you think this performance resonates with you?
• When you read stories about Jesus in the Gospels and other New Testament writings what do you like most about him?
• Can you sense who Jesus truly is even though you can’t see him physically?
• How can you cling to the “indescribable and glorious joy” that comes from knowing our risen Lord—not just as a divine being but as our beloved friend?

Kelley Land, a graduate of Mercer University (BA in English, 2000), has worked as an editor of Smyth & Helwys curriculum and books since 2001. In addition, she is a freelance editor for other publishers and authors. She also serves on the board of directors at Macon Little Theatre. Kelley enjoys spending time with her young adult daughters, Samantha and Natalie, her husband John, and the family’s two dachshund mix pups, Luke and Leia. She is often found playing board games with a group of rowdy friends. She loves author Louise Penny’s Three Pines mystery series and the TV show Doctor Who.