What You Can Learn from the Emotions of Jesus

Jesus controlled His emotions perfectly.

Photo by Simon Berger from Pexels

Our emotions can easily overpower everything else.

It’s easy to lose control of our emotions and do or say something we will regret later. How can we learn to better control our emotions in the situations we face each day?

We must look to Jesus Christ - our perfect example in all things.

Let’s notice three specifically recorded emotional responses of our Lord: Compassion, sorrow, and anger.

Compassion

Here are some examples of when Jesus was moved with compassion for others. You can also see how He responded to feeling compassion.

• When he saw the multitudes (Matthew 9:35-38) = Healed, Taught, and Preached.

• When he saw a great multitude (Matthew 14:13-14; 15:29-32) = Healed and Fed.

• When he saw a great multitude (Mark 6:33-44) = Taught and Fed

• When the multitude had been with Him for three days and was hungry (Mark 8:1-2) = Fed Them

• When the blind men pleaded with Him to heal them (Matthew 20:29-34) = Healed

• When a leper begged to be healed (Mark 1:40-41) = Healed

• When he saw the widow of Nain who had lost her only son (Luke 7:11-16) = Comforted her and Raised her son

Every time Jesus was moved with compassion, He was moved into action to help. How can we apply what we learn from Jesus?

When you see someone who has spiritual or physical needs, do you feel compassion for them? When Jesus was moved with compassion, He took action to help.

Do we fool ourselves into thinking we are compassionate but then never act to help others?

But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:17-18)

The Good Samaritan had compassion, and he stopped to help even though it cost him something (Luke 10:33). Will we stop to help someone even if it costs us time, money, or sleep?

God commands Christians to have compassion for each other.

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9)

Sorrow

As we read the Gospel accounts, we find several examples of Jesus experiencing sorrow.

• When he came to Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-38; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:44)

• When the Pharisees sought a sign to test Him, He sighed deeply with grief (Mark 8:11-12)

• When Jesus saw Mary weeping over the death of Lazarus (John 11:33-36)

• When he told the apostles that one of them would betray Him, He was troubled in spirit (John 13:21)

When Jesus saw people’s unbelief, it caused Him great sorrow. When people reject Christ, does it cause us sorrow? Knowing the eternal home of the unbeliever should concern us and move us into action

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8).

Does the suffering of Jesus cause you grief? It caused Jesus sorrow to know what He would suffer for us. Knowing that He suffered and died for us and in our place should motivate us to live for Him.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Does the sorrow of others cause us grief? Jesus wept when He saw the anguish of other people. We are commanded to weep with those who weep.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)

Anger

There are only two times in the Gospel accounts where Jesus is specifically recorded as being angry.

• Grieved and angry because of the hardness of the religious leader’s hearts regarding His healing on the sabbath day (Mark 3:1-5)

• He was very displeased when He saw His disciples rebuking those who wanted to bring their children unto Him (Mark 10:13-14)

Do we get angry quickly? A Christian must be slow to get angry

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20).

Maybe we struggle with getting angry about the wrong things - about things that don’t matter. Significantly, Jesus is mentioned explicitly as being angry only twice in the Gospel accounts.

Christians are told, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:26-27).

Is anger the motivating factor behind trying to teach others? Jesus is never mentioned as being angry when he tried to teach the Pharisees and Scribes (who often tried to entrap Him)

Jesus never became angry because His audience didn’t understand Him the first time He taught something. Jesus often repeated His teaching – even to the Apostles.

Jesus responded emotionally with compassion, sorrow, and anger and did so without sinning.

He is our perfect example (1 Peter 2:21), the one we must imitate – including how we respond emotionally. Let’s strive to become more like our Lord every day – including how we respond emotionally.