Emotions
Relatable • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Relatable: Emotions
Big Idea: Jesus wasn’t untouched by emotion; He experienced them just like us.
Let’s be honest. Most of us have been taught that Jesus was stoic and to be spiritual is to be stoic. What does stoic mean?
Definition of Stoic: Describing someone who is seemingly unaffected by pleasure or pain, often exhibiting calm fortitude in the face of trouble or loss.
Where do we get this idea of Jesus? Paintings?
Image #1: Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, - Jesus: pale, distant, looking like He’s never had a bad day or a loud laugh.
Image #2: Jesus laughing painting.
When I look at my Bible, I don't see a Savior who was emotionally numb. I see a Man who experienced all the different emotions this life can bring.
Where are your emotionally today? Good, bad, or ugly? Wherever you find yourself, I have good news: We have a Savior who has been there and can relate.
B.B. Warfield in his classic essay The Emotional Life of Our Lord, noted that Jesus' emotions were not "out of control" but were the perfect human response to the circumstances He faced.
Think of it this way: instead of his emotions controlling him, they were the perfect reaction to whatever was happening. When things were sad, he felt exactly the right amount of sorrow; when things were wrong, he felt exactly the right amount of anger. He wasn't stoic or robotic; he was just perfectly in tune with the moment.
Grief from his friends death.
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept.
Troubled means: to shake with emotion.
Dr. David Jeremiah - Jesus wept responding both physically and emotionally as He identified with their sorrow. The Lord sees and feels the anguish of God’s people when their loved ones die.
Ill: I held it together until I couldn’t.
Where is God when it hurts? He’s there, deeply moved with grief right beside you.
Jesus felt anger
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
Religion hates this verse. We try to sanitize it. We say, Oh, Jesus was just... firm. No. The text says He was angry.
Angry at who and why?
Look through the Gospel’s. Our Lord never becomes angry at sinners, but He did express anger toward the self-righteous Pharisees and their stubborn hearts.
Because in verses 2-4: Religious people were using the Law (not working on the Sabbath) to block a man with a disability from being healed.
In the book “The Problem of Jesus” by Mark Clark he writes: If you’re angry at injustice, you’re not un-Christian. You’re actually reflecting the emotional life of your Savior. We call this righteous anger.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with sorrow by looming trouble ahead of you?
37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Verywellmind.com: Life stressors and unexpected negative events, can cause you to feel overwhelmed, says Dr. Romanoff. She explains that you may also feel overwhelmed if a series of stressors accumulate and pile up on you.
Like: Loss of a loved one, excessive workload or a stressful work environment.
Conflict in personal relationships with friends or family members.
Relationship difficulties or break-ups
Financial problems, Health concerns, and traumatic experiences.
Have ever been frustrated? Yes it’s a secondary emotion.
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.
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Can you hear Jesus’ possible frustration?
Compassion
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Joy
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Ever be publicly shamed or humiliated? How about Jesus?
Roman crucifixions were intended to be a form of extreme dehumanization, shame, and public humiliation, which included stripping victims naked.
While art often shows a loincloth covering Jesus, biblical accounts (John 19:23-24) state his clothes were divided and lots were cast for his garments.
Artistic License: The loincloth first appeared in Christian art around the 5th century. Artists likely added it to focus on the spiritual significance of the event rather than the graphic reality of the torture.
Despite his shame and agony, he showed compassion, caring for his mother, Mary, and praying for the forgiveness of his persecutors.
Closing: So, what do we do with this? We stop pretending. We come to Him just as we are.
With our grief, angry, hurting, rejoicing, frustrated, or overwhelmed. He’s not shocked by your emotions.
He’s relatable because He’s already worn them just like you and me.
Listen, here’s why this matters. If Jesus didn't feel, He didn't heal. If He didn't experience the mess of human emotion, then He’s just a philosophy.
But the Gospel says He became flesh. He had grief. He got frustrated. He got overwhelmed. He got angry.
He felt it all and He did it without sinning, so that when you feel those things, you can run to Him instead of from Him.
Call to Action: Stop trying to be spiritual by being un-human. Be human. Be messy. Bring your overwhelm, your tears, and your anger to the One who had them first.
He’s not judging you; He’s empathizing with you.
