Last week, I celebrated my 33rd birthday. Usually I don’t get too excited about getting older. But this year’s a little different. In fact, I’ve been looking forward to it much like I looked forward to turning 10 as a kid (“I get to turn a whole decade old?!”). Thirty-three, after all, is a “Jesus Year.”
Jesus did his most important work in the three years before he died at 33, which is why some believe the age is important, sacred even. Is it actually life-changing, though? Or just a nice way to spin getting older?
Read More: A Miraculous Birthday Breakthrough
I did a little digging online to find out what other people were saying. I came across article after article citing research from a 2012 study conducted by the UK social site, Friends Reunited. According to Time magazine, “70% of respondents over the age of 40 claimed they were not truly happy until they reached 33.”
Psychologist Donna Dawson explained it like this: “By this age innocence has been lost, but our sense of reality is mixed with a strong sense of hope, a ‘can do’ spirit, and a healthy belief in our own talents and abilities.”
I thought about how Jesus changed the world in his 30s. And all that he accomplished in those three years of ministry, and that last year specifically. It makes me believe that big things can happen in the span of any year, regardless of how old you are.
Is there something really special about 33? I can’t be sure, but I can’t wait to find out.
What about you? What’s been the best year of your life so far?
