Christian maturity does NOT mean learning to shut off your emotions. Jesus wasn’t emotionless. In fact, the Bible shows us Jesus experiencing some of the same powerful emotions that we experience, yet Jesus was sinless. Let’s explore some of His emotional responses and see what we can learn from His perfect example.
Jesus wept (John 11:35). Weeping and laughter can be natural responses to powerful emotions. In John 11, we read of the sickness of His friend Lazarus who died before He arrived to see Him. Though He knew he would die and that He would raise him from the grave, Jesus wept.
Weeping is a natural response to powerful emotion. Jesus did not consider the expression of grief to be a sign of weakness or a lack of self-control. When Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus, He already knew what He was going to do (John 11:11–15, 23). Yet when He saw Mary and those with her weeping, Jesus was deeply moved—and He wept (John 11:33–35).
Weeping is okay. A sad event, a touching part of a movie, or the death of a loved one may cause us to weep. It does not mean that we are weak; it means that we are human. Romans 12:15 tells Christians to “weep with those who weep.” (ESV) Likewise, Jesus was neither controlled by grief nor insulated from it.
Jesus had compassion (Matthew 9:35-38). Compassion shows empathy and concern for others. Jesus had compassion for the people who crowded around Him. He saw that they were “weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Jesus saw more than a crowd – He saw people and understood their needs.
Jesus was angry and grieved (Mark 2:27-28, 3:1-5). He was angry with those who were more interested in trapping Him for “breaking” the Sabbath than in seeing a man’s hand healed. Mark tells us that Jesus was angry and “grieved at their hardness of heart” (Mark 3:5, ESV). His anger was not selfish or uncontrolled. He was angry because their hearts were hardened to what was right. Anger can be a proper response to wrongdoing – what matters is why we are angry and what we do with that anger.
Jesus in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37-39). This is a beautiful sequence of emotions expressed in prayer to His Father. Jesus was “sorrowful and troubled” (v. 37 ESV) as He faced what He was about to endure. He knew that He would soon bear our sins on the cross (Isaiah 53:5–6; 1 Peter 2:24), an ordeal far greater than the physical suffering alone. He did not hide His emotions but expressed them. He took those emotions to His Father in prayer and then submitted His will to the Father’s: “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (v. 39 ESV). What a great model for Christians!
Being a Christian does not mean being emotionless. Jesus wasn’t. He experienced grief, compassion, anger, and sorrow, yet He never sinned. So when emotions run high, remember His example: acknowledge what you feel, take it to God, and never let your emotions take control of your obedience to Him.
Feel deeply – but let God, not your feelings, determine how you respond.
