²⁷” Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

So much of Jesus’ emotional state as He approached the cross forces us to ponder the incarnation, namely what it means to be fully God and experience authentic human emotions. How could God “become troubled”? The NT does not shy away from this, calling it a mystery for human consideration:

By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (1 Tim. 3:16)

There is no denying that this teaching challenges our understanding of the divine-human dynamic operating in the God-man Jesus Christ. While this truth boggles the mind, it is not illogical, as skeptics claim. Though it would be impossible for a mere creature to become God, it is not untenable for God to become part of creation. Some might consider this a nonsense assertion on the level of asking whether God could make a rock so big that even He could not pick it up. However, the teaching that God became a man is boldly asserted in Scripture and presented as irrefutably confirmed by factual and historical evidence. Jesus’ followers died proclaiming and defending this truth, and they bore witness to what they saw.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us … (1 John 1:1–2)

[Jesus] was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord … (Rom. 1:4).

Scripture also teaches that God becoming human was necessary for our salvation from the sin problem that plagues humanity:

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil … (Heb. 2:14)

Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Heb. 2:17)

This teaching is not optional; it is so foundational that anyone who denies the full humanity of Jesus Christ, as God in the flesh, is a false teacher, a deceiver, and an antichrist:

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. (1 John 4:2–3)

Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. (2 John 7)

So, what does this have to do with worship? Everything! Jesus Christ was a real human being, perfect in every way. His perfection did (and does) not make Him any less human. Sinfulness does not define humanity, but it does define fallen humanity. God came into the world, taking on humanity as He designed it to be, namely without sin, and He experienced the fallenness of the sinful world by taking on our sin as the perfect human:

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21)

In Christ, we have become righteous with His righteousness. Of course, we still carry the fallen nature, what we call “the old man,” but praise God, that will all change. The apostle John wrote:

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. (1 John 3:2)

We shall become like Him, living righteously and no longer experiencing sin. Only by becoming fully human and sacrificing Himself on the cross did He make this possible. What a fantastic plan! He entered into fallen creation to rescue us.

Lord, I am overwhelmed that You would subject Yourself to the experience of human emotions, like being troubled in Your soul, to save me from my fallen nature. You are worthy of my worship and praise.