Empathetic Jesus

Hebrews 4:15 makes an incredible statement – Jesus was tempted in every way as we are. Every possible way? Isaiah 53:3-4 says that Jesus was acquainted with sorrow, anguish, grief, sickness, and disease. Jesus was acquainted with sickness and feelings of anguish. Acquainted with means He had personal experience with those emotions.

Jesus was tempted to get mad at God, like when Joseph dies? Jesus was tempted to talk back to His parents? Jesus was tempted in lust, gossip, unforgiveness, retribution, greed, doubt, unbelief, etc.? Jesus knew the emotional pain of losing a loved one, being betrayed, the fear that a loved one would not get well, etc.

Because Jesus endured every possible temptation and was acquainted with our pain, He became empathetic, he learned how to commiserate with us and our pain and temptations. Empathetic means that when we feel pain or loss or disappointment, or fear, Jesus experiences those emotions right along with us. Because of His empathy, Jesus is uniquely qualified to comfort us and guide us out of temptation and emotional pain.

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