The gospel writers paint their portraits of Jesus using an array of brilliant "emotional" colors. In our quest to be more like Jesus, we often overlook the human side of our Savior. Jesus emotions reflected the image of the Heavenly Father without any deficiency (or distortion). In addition to possessing a divine nature, Jesus humanity was clearly evident during His thirty-three years on Earth (with three years of public ministry).
While some individuals tend to think that being unemotional means being more spiritual, the Bible shows that Jesus exercised a healthy amount of emotion with self-control. To see if your basic feelings match those Jesus, here are ten emotional situations that Jesus found Himself in:
1.
Jesus had joy
at pleasing His Heavenly Father: Jesus was a man
who knew joy. Jesus told His followers to abide in His love just as He stayed
in His Father’s love. What joy was Jesus referring to? The joy that came from
complete obedience to His Father: from
fulfilling His mission n earth, and from pleasing His Father in Heaven.
Because Jesus knew the joy of what was to come: being
reunited physically with His Father in Heaven, and having secured for eternity
the salvation of all who would believe. Do you find delight in pleasant
circumstances or knowing that all is well in your world? Or do you know deep
joy by focusing on the eternal rewards of obedience to your Heavenly Father,
sensing His smile as you surrender daily?
2.
Jesus showed
forgiveness in the face of betrayal: Prior to being arrested, Jesus told His disciples that all
of them would eave Him that night because of Him . They essentially
deserted Him during His darkest hour even though just hours earlier at The Last
Supper they had each claimed they would never leave His side. Jesus extended grace
toward all of them after rising from the dead. He even made sure that he
reiterated His love for Peter three times.
The same number of
times Peter denied His love and even knowledge of Jesus. Jesus commanded us to be different from the
world by loving our enemies and praying for those who harass us. Can you extend
grace, love, and forgiveness to those who have wronged you in a very personal
way?
3.
Jesus had
exhaustion from the demands of His ministry: Do
you ever start to think I can’t face any more people or pressures right now? Do
you find that to cope you need to slip away and have some quiet time to
yourself? If you feel that way after trying to be all things to all people,
then you need boundaries in your life and work and a reminder that you are not
responsible for everything. But if you’re feeling that exhaustion and overwhelm
because of a continual pouring out in ministry, Jesus did too.
Even the Son of God had to withdraw by Himself from the
crowds after an extended time of ministry in order to refuel and re-energize
through rest and quiet communion with His Father. When you need to get
away from people, is it because you’re tired of them? Or is it because you long
to be with Your Father to refuel, refocus, and reprioritize?
4.
Jesus had anger
at the hypocrisy of the religious: Instead of
being angry with sinners and how they lived, Jesus was indignant toward the
religious who showed a spotless spiritual image on the outside, but cultivated
critical, hardened hearts on the inside. Jesus used harsh words toward the
religious elite of His day.
Do you feel anger toward leaders in the church and religious
community who abuse their power, care more about their own comfort and image
than that of other believers? Are you enraged by anyone who would, in the name
of Christ or spirituality, lead other believers astray or interfere with the
discipleship and growth of a new believer? Do you loathe legalism to the point
of calling it what it is?
5.
Jesus was
disgusted at the greed, racism, and oppression of the poor: Jesus
was absolutely indignant toward the money changers in the temple because the
religious leaders were financially oppressing those who wished to honor God
through a sacrifice in the temple. Their unlawful money-changing and
price-fixing tactics in the Court of the Gentiles prevented non-Jews from
honoring God with sacrifices. Their actions were downright racist and Jesus was
disgusted with it. This exclusion, racism, and profiteering from the good
intentions of others enraged Jesus into pulling a cleanup act in the temple
with a handmade whip. Sharp words weren’t cutting it anymore. This time He
overturned tables, threw chairs across the room, and left the place a horrible
mess. Does oppression of the poor, exclusivity in worship, unethical handling
of the church finances, or an attitude of racism in the church provoke disgust
in you?
6.
Jesus had
sorrow at the ravages of sin and death: When Jesus’
close friend Lazarus died and his sister Mary said those words wrought with
disappointment, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32), Jesus evidently felt sorrow. Certainly, Jesus knew that
He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead and that is why He let him die and
remain in a tomb for four days. Yet we
read that, “When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come along with
her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled” and “Jesus wept.”
(John 11: 33-35)
Jesus saw the ravaging result of sin and He knew better than
anyone that death was not a natural part of life. Coming face to face with the
agony that humans experience from the sting of death moved Him to weep. Does the loss of a loved one move you to tears?
While we have the hope and assurance that those who are trusting Jesus alone
for their salvation will live eternally, the temporary separation caused by
death still grieves the heart of God.
7.
Jesus had
compassion for the unsaved and exploited: Jesus had
compassion on those who were suffering, whether it was from physical ailments
or the direct result of sin Regardless of how they got where they did, Jesus
saw people as created in the image of God and showed compassion on them even
the dirty, disfigured, leprous, rebellious, contagious, and forgotten.
When you see someone who is living with the consequences of
their sin does it make you cringe or cry? Is your heart moved to pray for that
person’s relief, healing, comfort, and salvation? Is your compassion strong
enough to cause your hand to extend in action, help, or hope for another?
8.
Jesus was
frustrated with slow learners and their lack of faith: In
Matthew 17, when a man brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus,
claiming Jesus’ disciples couldn’t cast out the demon, Jesus’ harsh words were
evidence of his growing frustration with people who had seen all the signs and
should’ve known better than to doubt who He was Jesus also expressed
frustration at His own disciples who just didn’t get it.
After teaching
earlier in the day about the Kingdom of God and growing in faith, Jesus was
awoken from a sound sleep by his disciples who were accusing Him of not caring
if they drowned in a storm that was threatening to overturn their boat. Jesus
responded by commanding the wind and waves to be still. While you are following
God’s command to disciple young believers, you can rest assured that Jesus
understands your frustration when someone has been taught in the Word of God
and given the best instruction available and still can’t apply their faith in a
stressful situation.
9.
Jesus was in agony at His impending suffering: When
Jesus sweat blood and tears in the Garden of Gethsemane just before being
arrested, it wasn’t out of fear of what was to come. It was more like agony
knowing He would bear the sins of the world on His shoulders. He knew He would
endure the temporary separation from His Father.
That caused Jesus to pray so intently and in such agony that
He sweats blood and tears as He prayed. In His humanity, He dreaded what was to
come. In His faith and pure obedience to His Father, His agony made for
surrender. Do you dread an upcoming challenge? Jesus understands, and sympathizes
with our weaknesses. He has endured more suffering than we will ever have to
experience ourselves.
10.
Jesus had
empathy for the pain of others: We have no
record of Jesus feeling sorry on any of His personal suffering. Jesus was
empathetic toward others and the physical and emotional pain they were
experiencing. As much as Jesus suffered physically through His
arrest, torture, and crucifixion, His heart and mind was on the emotional pain
His mother was experiencing as she witnessed the torture and death of her
firstborn son.
Her care and provision, after His death, was paramount on
His mind. Do you hurt along with others when they hurt physically, emotionally,
and spiritually? Jesus never minimized anyone’s pain, compared it to someone
else’s, or told someone “don’t cry.” He hurt along with them.
“Jesus did not come to change the mind of God
about humanity; Jesus came to change the mind of humanity about God.” (Richard Rohr) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“10 Real-Life Emotions Jesus Expressed” by Cindi McMenamin
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