The Bible shows God laughing
Psalm 2 pictures the rulers of the earth gathering against God and his chosen king. God’s response is laughter, not because rebellion and injustice are amusing, but because human pride cannot overthrow him (Psalm 2:1-4). It is the laughter of a king who is not threatened by a doomed attempt to take his throne.
That matters. God is neither anxious nor overwhelmed by the chaos people create. His laughter in this psalm is a warning to those who oppose him, but it also reassures those who feel that evil is winning.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
God can bring surprising joy
Sarah laughed when she overheard the promise that she would bear a son in old age. From her perspective, the promise seemed impossible (Genesis 18:12). Yet God did what he promised, and Sarah later spoke of laughter as something God had given her (Genesis 21:6).
Her son was called Isaac. The Hebrew name behind Isaac is connected with laughter. The name held both the memory of Sarah’s doubtful laugh and the joy of God’s unexpected gift. Sometimes God’s goodness arrives in ways that make us look back and say, “I never could have planned that.”
And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
Jesus used memorable, exaggerated pictures
Jesus often taught with images that would have caught people’s attention. He described someone trying to remove a tiny speck from another person’s eye while carrying a beam in their own (Matthew 7:3-5). The picture is deliberately outsized and memorable. It exposes hypocrisy without making light of the harm hypocrisy causes.
This kind of sharp, vivid teaching shows that holiness is not dull. Jesus wanted people to see themselves honestly, and sometimes an astonishing image is the quickest way to do that. His point was not to humiliate listeners, but to lead them towards humility and mercy.
God’s joy is never careless
A sense of humour can be kind, observant and life-giving. Scripture values that kind of joy. Proverbs says a cheerful heart brings good medicine, while a crushed spirit drains a person’s strength (Proverbs 17:22). God does not ask people to pretend pain is funny, and the Bible contains plenty of lament, grief and tears.
So, does God have a sense of humour? In the ordinary human sense, the Bible does not give a simple label. But it certainly reveals a God who laughs at arrogant evil, delights in surprising grace, and gives his people real joy. You can bring him your laughter as well as your questions. Both belong in an honest life with God.