The troubled Lord of Glory

The troubled Lord of Glory!

Recently I attended a funeral service and heard the words from John’s Gospel that tell of Jesus Christ being troubled at the graveside of his friend Lazarus.
In scripture we are told that Jesus is troubled, troubled in body in John 11:33; troubled in soul John 12:27; and troubled in spirit John 13:21.

But how do groaning and trouble of mind belong to the person of the Son of God? Some would reckon it absurd to say that Christ, as one of the number of human beings, was subject to human passions. We have no problem if we say that the Son of God, having clothed Himself with our flesh, of His own accord clothed himself also with human feelings, so that He did not differ at all from His brothers, sin only excepted. In this way we detract nothing from the glory of Christ, when we say that it was a voluntary submission, by which He was brought to resemble us in the feelings of the soul.

It is of some comfort to know that the Lord of Glory was troubled. The New Testament Greek word is tar-as’-so meaning an inner restlessness and a deep commotion of the inward parts. Faced with the prospect of His own death in His own words He declares “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour . . . .” John 12:27. We can be sure that death was not a sport and amusement to Christ, but that He endured the severest torments on our account.

The Book of Hebrews tells of Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane with these words “Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that He feared; though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him;” Hebrews 5:7-9.

What great comfort it is having tried to understand all that our Saviour experienced to hear His words in the opening of chapter 14 of John’s Gospel. “let not your heart be troubled”.

In our personal preparation for the approach of our Easter celebrations let us wonder afresh at all that He suffered to secure our salvation.


Give me a sight, O Saviour,
Of Thy wondrous love to me,
Of the love that brought Thee down to earth,
To die on Calvary.

Refrain:
Oh, make me understand it,
Help me to take it in,
What it meant to Thee, the Holy One,
To bear away my sin.

Was it the nails, O Saviour,
That bound Thee to the tree?
Nay, 'twas Thine everlasting love,
Thy love for me, for me.

Oh, wonder of all wonders,
That through Thy death for me,
My open sins, my secret sins,
Can all forgiven be.

Then melt my heart, O Saviour,
Bend me, yea, break me down,
Until I own Thee Conqueror,
And Lord and Sovereign crown.

Katherine A.M. Kelly 1869 -1942