What Did Jesus Feel?
James Girdwood examines what the Bible explicitly reveals about the feelings of Jesus rather than assuming how Jesus must have felt. The Gospels portray Jesus expressing compassion, love, grief, anger, humility, joy, zeal, sorrow, and other deeply human responses.
- Scripture repeatedly describes Jesus as compassionate toward people in need.
- Jesus expressed a wide range of emotions, including love, grief, anger, joy, sorrow, and zeal.
- Becoming more like Jesus involves considering not only what he did, but also what Scripture says about how he felt.
By James Girdwood
God asks us to copy him—to be like him. He said, “Be perfect” (Matthew 5:48); “be holy” (1 Peter 1:15, 16); “love” (1 John 4:11; Hosea 3:1). The book of Hosea itemizes more than 40 ways God expresses his love for his spiritual wife, Israel.
Jesus, too, asks us to follow his example. He specifically asks us to copy him in service and in love (John 13:12-17, 34).
My Christian parents always taught me to copy Jesus. It seems so natural. The Bible says as much in 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:6 and 1 Peter 2:21. In his challenging story In His Steps, Charles Sheldon shows many surprises for people who tried to do what they thought Jesus would do. A few years ago WWJD (“What Would Jesus Do”) bracelets were popular. The focus was always on the deeds of Jesus.
There is a whole branch of Christianity that focuses more on feelings. Our postmodern world emphasizes feelings. If I felt more like the apostle Paul, wouldn’t I be a better Christian? If I felt more like Jesus, wouldn’t I be more like Jesus?
I had never carefully examined this idea. What if I felt the same way Jesus felt about the same things to which he responded? It seemed like a worthy goal.
In The Lost Passions of Jesus Donald Milam examined how Jesus felt by studying what he said. He found Jesus especially eager for God’s rule, for private prayer, and for disinherited people. But I wanted to see what the Bible specifically stated about how Jesus felt in various situations. Studies about Jesus offered little Bible data about his feelings. What there was appeared remarkably subjective, culturally driven, or curiously opinionated.
Assumptions
We usually assume how Jesus would feel based on how we would feel in a similar situation. But usually the Bible does not directly say how he felt.
For example, how did Jesus feel when the crowds responded with delight at his authority or his gracious words? How did he feel when tempted by Satan? . . . when telling the good news? . . . when healing a leper? . . . when sternly rebuking an evil spirit? . . . when sighing deeply as the Pharisees asked for another sign? (Did he roll his eyes?)
How did he feel when he spoke about his coming abuse, rejection, suffering, and death? . . . when he wept over Jerusalem? . . . when the disciples demonstrated such small faith?
We think we know, but the Bible does not explicitly say. I suspect we often project onto Jesus how we would feel in a given situation. He was perfect. We are not. It is possible that our natural reaction may not have been his. Can we rise above ourselves and hear more clearly what the Bible actually says about him?
The Record of the Gospels
Most frequently, Matthew mentions the compassion of Jesus. When the Pharisees scoffed at his eating with sinners and when they sneered at the disciples’ eating grain on a Sabbath (Matthew 9:13 and 12:7; both quote Hosea 6:6), they heard Jesus speak words of compassion. Jesus felt compassion when he saw the crowds, harassed and helpless (Matthew 9:36) or simply hungry (Matthew 14:14; 15:32).
With compassion he reached out to the sick (Matthew 14:14), the blind (Matthew 20:34), the bereaved (Luke 7:13), the lepers (Mark 1:41), and the demon possessed (Mark 5:19). He sympathizes with our weaknesses and wants to help (Hebrews 2:17, 18; 4:14-16). Even his stories present compassionate people (Matthew 18:27, 33).
If I want to be like Jesus, I will feel compassion toward a wide range of people and needs.
John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20), said much about Jesus’ love. Jesus deeply loved his Father in Heaven (John 14:31). He loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in whose home he often stayed (John 11:3, 5). The Jews observed Jesus’ weeping at Lazarus’ tomb and said, “See how he loved him!” (John 11:36). He loved the rich young ruler who turned away (Mark 10:21). He especially loved his chosen disciples (John 13:1, 21, 34; 15:9-12). Actually, he loves all who keep his commands (John 14:21).
What a world this would be if we all loved those whom Jesus loved!
The gospels record more than Jesus’ compassion. Faith, or lack of it, amazed Jesus. He was astonished at the faith of the non-Jewish centurion. The man felt unworthy to have Jesus come to his house, but knew his servant would be healed if Jesus just gave the word. Jesus said he had not found anyone in Israel with such great faith (Matthew 8:10). On the other hand, those in his hometown amazed him at their lack of faith. Consequently he healed only a few people there (Mark 6:6). What amazes me?
He became grieved at hard hearts and angry at unreasonable accusers when he was trying to help people (Mark 3:5). He became indignant when the disciples pushed children away from him (Mark 10:14). His parable of the great banquet showed the master of the house becoming angry at guests who would not come to the banquet he had prepared (Luke 14:21). What grieves me? What angers me?
Jesus claimed to be gentle and humble. He invited others to join him. He said his yoke would be easy and his burden light (Matthew 11:28-30). Zechariah anticipated a demonstration of this attitude in Jesus’ triumphal entry, “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey’” (Matthew 21:5 citing Zechariah 9:9).
Jesus was so deeply moved and troubled that he wept as he joined the family mourning Lazarus’ death (John 11:33-38). Bible students are also aware of his deep distress in the garden.
He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:37, 38).
We can hear from the cross that he felt abandoned by God. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Yet even from the cross Jesus would forgive people, whatever they had done (Luke 23:34; see 42, 43).
He joined the joy of the 72 when they returned from their preaching tour (Luke 10:17-21). He offered them the full measure of his joy, prayed for them to have it, participated in their experience of it, and taught about it in his stories (Luke 15:5-7, 9, 10; John 15:11; 17:13). He felt joy facing the cross and waiting in the grave (Hebrews 12:2; Acts 2:26). Joy overshadowed the shame of the cross (Hebrews 12:2).
Zeal for his father’s house was clear in cleansing the temple (John 2:17). He felt it as a boy (Luke 2:49). He repeatedly expressed thanks (Luke 22:17; etc.).
He got hungry and thirsty and tired. Jesus was fully human. He loved to eat and drink with all kinds of people (Matthew 11:19). For 40 days he fasted before Satan’s major assault at the beginning of his ministry (Matthew 4:2).
He was tired from the journey as he sat by Jacob’s well, but he led the Samaritan woman to living water (John 4:6).
In the last week of his ministry Jesus, hungry, looked for figs on a promising tree. When there were none, he cursed it and used the occasion to teach the power of believing prayer (Matthew 21:18).
On the cross he asked for a drink. It helped him speak his last words with a clear, loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished” (Luke 23:46; John 19:28-30).
Feeling More Like Jesus
How I wish I felt more like Jesus felt in all these ways.
James Girdwood teaches in the Sack School of Bible and Ministry at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson.
