The Emotion of the Cross
Last night, I had the privilege of watching The Chosen: The Last Supper – Part 2 with several from my church and His House Recovery, a ministry we are blessed to serve. It’s been such a joy to witness these women grow in their faith and experience the powerful work of God in their lives. One of the most touching moments for me was hearing their heartfelt “amens” as the movie unfolded. Their excitement and engagement with the story of Jesus reminded me of the transformative power of the Gospel.
But amidst all the powerful imagery of the Last Supper and the emotions portrayed, one aspect stood out to me—the emotion that Jesus himself experienced as He prepared for the cross.
As we walked through the scenes, I couldn’t help but reflect on the reality that Jesus wasn’t detached or indifferent to His upcoming suffering. The Gospel of Matthew paints a powerful image of the emotional turmoil Jesus faced in the Garden of Gethsemane just before His arrest and crucifixion. In Matthew 26:36-37, we read: “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled.”
Here, we see Jesus not only recognizing the gravity of the moment but experiencing deep sorrow and distress. In verse 39, He prays, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” His prayer reveals a human side to our Savior—a side that felt fear, anguish, and even a desire for the cup of suffering to pass from Him, if there was another way.
The emotion Jesus felt was real. It wasn’t a detached act. It was a personal, anguished experience. He knew the pain He would endure, both physical and spiritual. He knew the weight of the world’s sins would be laid upon Him, and He felt that deeply. Yet, even in the face of such overwhelming emotion, He surrendered His will to the Father, ultimately choosing the cross for the sake of our salvation.
What struck me last night, as I watched these scenes unfold, was how easy it can be to overlook the deep emotion that Jesus experienced on our behalf. We often focus on the triumph of the Resurrection or the authority of His teachings, but we cannot forget the profound sorrow, loneliness, and anguish He faced in those final hours before His crucifixion.
Jesus, who knew no sin, took on the weight of all our wrongdoings. He experienced grief, fear, and sorrow in the most human way imaginable. This emotional sacrifice is not something we should take for granted. Jesus didn’t simply endure physical pain for us, He endured an emotional, spiritual suffering that is beyond our full comprehension.
As we reflect on His journey to the cross, let us not forget the depth of His sacrifice. When we experience trials or emotions of our own, it is comforting to know that Jesus, too, experienced the full range of human emotions, yet He chose to fulfill His mission of salvation. His love for us was greater than His fear, greater than His sorrow.
As we go through life, let’s never take for granted the incredible emotional cost Jesus paid for our salvation. Let us honor His sacrifice by living with gratitude, recognizing that He, too, walked through the darkest of days to bring us into the light of His love.
May we continue to grow in our faith, just as the women I was with last night, and may we echo the “amens” of our hearts with deep reverence for the one who bore the weight of the cross in both His body and His soul.
