“And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me’” (Matthew 26:37-38).
“And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled” (Mark 14:33).
Jesus and Grief
For the next three days we’ll sit at the feet of Jesus during his agony on Gethsemane. We’ll see how Jesus responded to grief, pain, and suffering in relationship to himself, others, and God.
- “Man of Sorrows”: Jesus, Grief, and His Relationship to Himself
- “Watch with Me”: Jesus, Grief, and His Relationship to Others
- “Not My Will But Thine Be Done”: Jesus, Grief, and His Relationship to God
Holy Grief
We sing it every Good Friday: “Man of Sorrows, What a Name, For the Son of God Who Came…” Today we delve into the suffering Savior’s sorrow at Gethsemane. How does his candid lament and deep emotional sorrow impact how we view and express our grief?
God designed us as emotional beings. Emotions, feelings, and moods are God’s idea. Therefore, they are not, in and of themselves, sinful. In fact, they can be beautiful expressions of our creation in God’s image. Jesus was a deeply emotional being. His grief in the garden makes that abundantly clear.
Let’s ponder together each phrase from Matthew and Mark:
- Matthew pulls no punches as he informs us that Jesus was sorrowful. The word means to grieve, to be filled with sorrow, emotional heaviness, and deep sadness. Jesus is overflowing with grief. This reminds us of the language of the Psalmist in Psalm 42:5 and 6 where his soul is cast down and he’s in turmoil without and within.
- Jesus is troubled. The word means to be in distress. Jesus is in anguish; his heart is incredibly heavy; his chest feels crushed emotionally. The KJV translates it as “heavy”: Jesus is heavy-hearted and deeply troubled emotionally.
- In case we are missing the intensity, Matthew uses an intensive form of the word for grief in verse 38—Jesus is very sorrowful and deeply grieved. He is overwhelmed emotionally to the point of death. It sounds like a passage we’ve explored previously from Paul’s life in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 where Paul was utterly burdened beyond his strength so that he despaired of life and felt the sentence of death.
- In Mark 14:33, Mark adds the phrase greatly distressed. This Greek word means to be astonished. Jesus is “sore amazed.” The word means to feel terror and to be in shock.
“It’s Okay to Grieve—Deeply”
If you ever needed scriptural permission to grieve, if you ever needed a biblical reminder that grieve is normal, you should find it here in Gethsemane with Jesus. Let the words in the bullet points above sink in. May they be rich reminders that our sinless Savior is a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. Since it is honorably and holy for Jesus to grieve—deeply; it is honorable and holy for you to grieve—deeply.
Applying Gospel Truth to Your Grief Journey
As you reread Matthew 26:37-38 and Mark 14:33, along with the four bullet point descriptions, which word/phrase/explanation stands out to you? Why? How does it impact you? Resonate with you? In what ways do you identify with Jesus in his grief?
In what ways does Jesus’ holy grief “free you to grieve?” What will you do differently having entered and experienced the grief of Jesus?
A Word from Bob: Today’s post comes from my 31-day devotional from P&R Publishing: Grief: Walking with Jesus.
