Jesus' Emotions in the Gospels

Abstract

Jesus' Emotions in the Gospels investigates richness and variety of the emotional life of Jesus as depicted in the four gospels. Attention is often paid to the events of Jesus' life, his teaching, and his ministry -- but rarely is Jesus' emotional life considered. Stephen Voorwinde presents all sixty references to the emotions of Jesus as they appear in the gospels, enabling readers to think deeply about how they can relate to the different aspect of Jesus which each evangelist presents. Readers are introduced to the 'compassionate king' of Matthew's gospel, and to the 'man of sorrows' in Mark's gospel. The Jesus of Luke's gospel is seen as a 'sympathetic son' and finally the Jesus presented by John as 'loving Lord'. Voorwinde builds a careful picture of Jesus within the theological framework of each evangelist, considering the Historical Jesus debate, the synoptic problem, and the individual literary characteristics of each evangelist. The emotional challenges posed throughout the New Testament gain new s gnificance when considered side-by-side with the emotional character of Jesus.