Matthew: Healing in His PresenceSample

Jesus the Empathetic Savior

Have you ever been in a time of deep sorrow and anxiety? Did your circumstances overwhelm your heart to the point of death? If you’ve felt that way before, you are in good company. Jesus felt like that when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane.

As fully human, He dreaded the pain and suffering of going to the cross and being separated from the Heavenly Father. He knew what was to come, and yet Scripture tells us that Jesus prayed and asked God to take the cup away from Him. His final surrender was not His will, but the Father’s will be done. How incredibly hard, yet Jesus was thinking of the people like you and me who would ultimately benefit from his sacrifice for our sins. Jesus was fully the Son of God and He knew that dying on the cross was the ultimate way to conquer death and provide salvation for all who believe.

Now let's shift our focus to his disciples in the account. Did you notice anything? Jesus is bearing his soul to his friends, saying that He's “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” At that moment, he needed his buddies to be there for him and to pray with him. This isn't a big ask. Plus you would think it's pretty obvious that Jesus was troubled and needed company. He tells his disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

If you ever feel you are going it alone in your healing journey, be encouraged that Jesus feels your pain. His closest friends abandoned him at his greatest hour of need. So Jesus gets it. He knows what it's like to walk a dark path without the support of your friends.

Jesus understands the deep trouble and anxiety you face. In fact, He won’t let you go it alone. As your empathetic Savior, He’ll carry you through it.

Questions:

1. How does knowing that Jesus experienced deep sorrow and anxiety in Gethsemane change the way you approach your own struggles and healing journey?

2. In times of pain or fear, how can you rely on both God and the support of others to help you stay faithful, just as Jesus relied on His disciples?

3. If Jesus fully experienced human weakness yet still surrendered to God’s will, what does that teach us about the balance between our emotions and trusting God’s plan?