Was Jesus ever stressed?

Feb 6, 2023 |

One night, he experienced overwhelming stress because he knew he’d soon face arrest, torture, and even execution. It created an unimaginable weight.

Like many people do when stressed, Jesus escaped to a quiet place—a garden of old growth olive trees on the side of a mountain. He brought a few friends for emotional support and prayer. Overwhelmed with exhaustion, his friends couldn’t stay awake as he pleaded with God for another way. But he knew there was no way around this moment, he needed to bear this cross.

Jesus said his soul was grieved to the point of death—that’s how he described the stress he felt. He reportedly suffered hematohidrosis, a rare condition caused by acute emotional stress where the sweat glands rupture, causing them to excrete blood. He was clearly challenged by what he was facing even while knowing that his death would show his love and would change the world.

His adversaries captured him later that evening in the garden. Yet, despite his inability to find solace, Jesus found the strength to face his accusers and submit to them willingly and without violence, knowing that his death would further spread his message of radical love.

Scripture References: Romans 5:6-8

Watch this message on Anxiety.

Most of us feel anxiety about a lot of different things, whether big-scale issues like war, the economy, and massive political shifts, or those everyday personal concerns like jobs, families, and relationships. None of our anxiety is news to Jesus. And Jesus offers us a perspective-shift that lets us navigate uncertain and overwhelming futures. Watch more messages from this series..