Mark 14:33-34 – And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”
Jesus Christ lived a perfect human life, and the four gospels include some 60 times in which His emotional life is mentioned. Jesus experienced some very real down times as I explore further in my book and sermon-series Spirit-Filled Jesus:
Jesus’ Emotions in Matthew
- 26:37–38 – “sorrowful and troubled”; “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.”
- 27:46 – “Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying…‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”
Jesus’ Emotions in Mark
- 3:5 – “anger, grieved” (ESV, NASB, NKJV); “anger and sorrow” (HCSB); “anger and, deeply distressed” (NIV); “angrily…deeply saddened” (NLT)
- 7:34 – “He sighed” (ESV, NLT, NKJV); “He sighed deeply” (HCSB); “deep sigh” (NASB, NIV)
- 8:12 – “sighed deeply in his spirit”
- 14:33–34 – “greatly distressed and troubled…‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.’”
- 15:34 – “Jesus cried with a loud voice…‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”
Jesus’ Emotions in Luke
- 12:50 – “Great is my distress” (ESV); “what constraint I am under” (NIV); “how distressed I am” (NKJV); “I am under a heavy burden” (NLT)
- 19:41 – “He wept.”
- 22:44 – “in agony” (ESV, NASB, NKJV); “in anguish” (HCSB, NIV); “in such agony of spirit” (NLT)
Jesus’ Emotions in John
- 11:33 – “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (ESV); “angry in His spirit and deeply moved” (HCSB); “groaned in the spirit and was troubled” (NKJV); “a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled” (NLT)
- 11:38 – “deeply moved again” (ESV), “angry in Himself again” (HCSB), “deeply moved within” (NASB), “again groaning in Himself” (NKJV)
- 12:27 – “Now is my soul troubled.”
- 13:21 – “troubled in his spirit” (ESV); “deeply troubled” (NLT)
Do any of these emotions surprise you that Jesus had? Does it help you see that He can relate to you in your struggles (and yet He never sinned)?
Text DEVOS to 99383 to be woken up with bold, unapologetic Bible teaching straight to your phone Monday-Friday bright and early. Click here to download a free Elijah study guide and find the sermons that accompany these Devos .