Jesus' Emotions in the Gospels

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

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 significance when considered side-by-side with the emotional character of Jesus.

Reviews

In a trail blazing study of Jesus' emotions in the Gospels, Stephen Voorwinde shows that the Jesus of Scripture is not an iconic statue with a heart of stone inside. Instead, he presents to us the fully orbed humanity of a compassionate king, a suffering servant, a sympathetic prophet, and a loving Lord. Voorwinde's study reminds me of what the writer to the Hebrews said about Jesus, that "he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God". An informative read for anyone interested in the Gospels or Christology. -- Michael F. Bird, Bible College of Queensland, Australia.
I enjoyed reading this book and often found myself being encouraged to take up the ideas and themes mentioned for my own preaching ministry. I heartily recommend it as a useful addition to any pastor's library and also to those who are keen to know Jesus better. * Vox Reformata *
Recognizing the emotions of Jesus, Voorwinde concludes, has implications that are both theological (emphasizing Jesus' authentic humanity) and pastoral (emphasizing Jesus' sufferings and the cost of discipleship). * The Bible Today *
Voorwinde now presents a more accessible study of all the canonical Gospels...By concentrating on the references to Jesus' emotions and probing into the presumed motivations behind them, he provides a fresh look at the Gospels' descriptions of Jesus...The strength of the book lies in its careful exegesis of individual passages...Many of V.'s concluding remarks regarding one Gospel are equally appropriate for others...All in all, V. is to be commended for this original and valuable contribution to our understanding of the evangelists' picture of Jesus. The volume is also very well written. Since V. provides a helpful overview of the characteristics of the four canonical Gospels in the course of his discussion, the book may serve quite well as a supplementary textbook for a survey course on the Gospels and exegesis of selected texts. It models careful exegesis of a number of important passages and provides a fresh look at many crucial issues along the way. -- Sigurd Grindheim, Fjellhaug International University College, Norway * The Catholic Biblical Quarterly *

Author Bio

Stephen Voorwinde is Lecturer in New Testament at the Reformed Theological College, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.