Emotions - Engaging God with All of You Part 4 - Jesus Felt Fear
Notes
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Jesus empathizes with us in our feelings of fear.
Jesus knows what it is like to feel fear.
In this sermon, we will explore how he experienced this emotion in the gospels without sinning.
Our key passage is Hebrews 4:15-16
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
We then take courage, for Christ Jesus is with us in our emotions, giving us the empathy and strength to process our emotions for his glory and our spiritual growth.
Fear -
What is it?
How does it show itself?
How do we process it?
What is fear?
Fear is a basic motivating emotion that God gave us for survival. It is triggered by real or perceived threats to a person's being. When activated, it immediately prepares the body for action to deal with the real or perceived threat.
This preparation is known as “fight-or-flight-or-freeze-or-fawn-or-flock-or-frenzy”. It starts in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that processes our emotions. The real or perceived threat is then sent to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus, in conjunction with the sympathetic nervous system, readies the body for action by flooding it with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. All this can happen in a matter of moments, which is essential if there is a true threat afoot.
Fear, in the Scriptures, falls into two categories: the fear of man/ the world and the fear of God. We are called to fear God and not man/the world. This is best summarized by Jesus in Luke 12:4-5.
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
How does fear show itself?
It shows itself in the actions of “fight-or-flight-or-freeze-or-fawn-or-flock-or-frenzy”.
Fear can be experienced in feeling scared, helpless, or frightened.
Fear can be experienced in feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or worried.
Fear can be experienced in feeling insecure, inadequate, or inferior.
Fear can be experienced in feeling weak, worthless, or insignificant.
Fear can be experienced in feeling rejected, excluded, or persecuted.
Fear can be experienced in feeling threatened, nervous, or exposed.
There are many factors that influence whether we fight, flee, freeze, fawn, flock, or frenzy. It is helpful to identify your tendency.
If you tend towards “fight”, then you will face your fears head-on, often with the aid of the emotion of anger expressed in feeling aggressive, hostile, or provoked.
If you tend towards “flight”, then you will avoid your fears with criticism, often with the aid of the emotion of anger expressed in feeling critical, sceptical, or dismissive.
If you tend towards “freeze”. Then you will deny your fears, often with the aid of the emotion of anger, expressed in feeling distant, withdrawn, or numb.
If you tend towards “fawn”, then you will try to show feelings of appeasement, but you will feel anger in the form of bitterness, indignation, or violation. This will set you on a cycle of emotional denial.
If you tend towards “flock”, then you will seek community to address your fear. Depending on the community, it may help with feelings of trust, security, or belonging. It may also hurt, stimulating feelings of being let down, betrayed, or resentful.
If you tend towards “frenzy”, then you will use busyness to address your fears, giving you a sense of control. Sometimes it gives energy to address the fear, but if not, it will trigger the emotions of stress and anxiety, compounding your fear further.
When we identify our tendency, we are better equipped to come to Jesus with our emotion of fear to find mercy and grace to help in our time of need.
Lament helps us not be carried away by our fears, and it brings the fear of the Lord into proper perspective, which, when focused on in light of the gospel, soothes our fears.
Jesus experienced fear in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:39-46, and on the cross in Mark 15:34.
And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus knows fear. He understands your fear.
In preparing to take on the sins of the whole world, he experienced fear so intense that his sweat became like great drops of blood. This is known as hematohidrosis, where the small blood vessels rupture due to intense fear.
I've been afraid, but not this afraid. I have never sweated blood. Maybe you have.
He knows fear; he was forsaken on the cross by the other two persons of the Trinity. He cries out, “My God my God, why have you forsaken me?” Feeling the fear of being forsaken, hung out to dry, left alone to his very core.
He, being alone, feeling alone, went to the cross for you and me.
I want you to know Jesus knows your fear; he understands fear.
Please come to him in lament with your fears. Let him replace your fear with the fear of the Lord - a reverence and awe in the awesome God he is.
