“The Emotional Pain of Christ”


BIBLE READING: Luke 22
DISCUSSION                                          
                As Jesus is partaking what will be called His “Last Supper” with the His disciples, He must have been overwhelmed with what all His mind was having to absorb.  In just this one chapter of Scripture that takes place over the course of just hours, we have Judas’ decision to betray Jesus, His last Passover, the Institution of the Lord’s Supper, His Arrest and Betrayal, Peter’s denial and Jesus before the Council.  Church, that is one full day of emotions!  Many times, when we talk about the suffering of Jesus, we focus on the scourging and the cross, but we shouldn’t overlook the emotional suffering that He had to endure.  You know the old saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, I’m not so sure I believe that statement.   There have been many times that I have had to deal with my emotions over something that someone said that was hurtful, that I would have rather they just punch me in the face.  I could never imagine all the physical pain that Jesus had to endure on His way to the cross, but I also could never imagine the emotional suffering He endured as well.  Just think about how we would feel if we heard and knew that someone really close to us was going to betray us.  Then imagine what it would be like to have one of your closest friends deny that they ever knew you.  Followed by you having to deal with the idea that those who were closest to you didn’t even truly believe what you had told them.  Then on top of that, dealing with the knowledge that within hours you were going to die one of the most brutal deaths known to man.  Just the anticipation of it happening must have been emotionally excruciating for Jesus to endure.  Nevertheless, He endured, and He did it all for you and me…let that sink in for a little while.


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