The Emotional Life of Our Lord

by B.B. Warfield, Sinclair B. Ferguson (Foreword)

"Our Lord's emotions is a subject that Christians have often neglected, and in doing so have deprived themselves of a vital element in the gospel. Our Lord was truly human. He became like us, sin apart. Warfield demonstrates that Christ was a man who expressed not just compassion but also anger. He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and yet a man of joy. He was sometimes amazed; at times, he felt shame. Warfield teaches readers how to read the Gospels properly, to see that Jesus-in his full divinity and full humanity-is central to every story"--

Genres: Theology, Christian, Faith, Christianity, Nonfiction, Classics, Church History

61 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 18, 2013

About the author

Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (usually known as B. B. Warfield) was professor of theology at Princeton Seminary from 1887 to 1921. Some conservative Presbyterians consider him to be the last of the great Princeton theologians before the split in 1929 that formed Westminster Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

(Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was EPIC! I cannot believe I had never read it. Warfield is amazing and this book was the perfect book for me. What was Christ feeling and why does that even matter? Those are the questions Warfield addresses. And he does it clearly and concisely. If you have read Gentle and Lowly (there was chapter in there on Jesus’s emotions) then you need to read this. Great stuff!

[Jose Ovalle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book draws out the fullness of Christ’s character in the Bible in a structured, detailed, and worshipful manner. What a gem. Warfield is one of the good ones.


“He himself, on a great occasion, sums up his individual character (in express contrast with other individuals) in the declaration, ‘I am meek and lowly of heart’ And no impression was left by his life-manifestation more deeply imprinted upon the consciousness of his followers than that of the noble humility of his bearing”

“As we survey the emotional life of our Lord as depicted by the Evangelists, therefore, let us not permit it to slip out of sight, that we are not only observing the proofs of the truth of his humanity, and not merely regarding the most perfect example of a human life which is afforded by history, but are contemplating the atoning work of the Saviour in its fundamental elements. The cup which he drank to its bitter dregs was not his cup but our cup; and he needed to drink it only because he was set upon our salvation”

[Julia Hayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, this is just the cutiest patootsiest little classic book. I often wrongly imagine Jesus as too passive/evasive/emotionless, so this was so so great to reflect on his range of true human emotion, and his emotion toward me -- his sheep!

[Alex McEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a young man, I felt things deeply, more deeply than I often knew how to handle. Joy and sorrow, anger and tenderness, longing and confusion, they all came rushing in like a river with no banks to hold it. But somewhere along the way, I learned to dam that river. I was told, not always in words but in tone and posture, that to be a man meant to keep a lid on things. "Toughen up," "Don't cry," "Get over it," these phrases etched themselves into my understanding of manhood. Emotion was weakness. Compassion was a liability. Tenderness was fine, for women and poets.

It wasn’t until I got older, through the quiet work of the Spirit, the gentle correction of Scripture, and the grace of marriage and ministry, that I began to rediscover the full range of emotion God had created in me. And more importantly, I began to see that these emotions weren’t liabilities to be managed, but reflections of something divine. That rediscovery led me, like many before me, to B.B. Warfield’s "The Emotional Life of Our Lord."

In God’s providence, I recently found myself back in the Gospel of Mark. I’ve read it many times before, but this time something new stood out, just how emotionally charged Jesus is in Mark’s telling. Not the "three basic emotions" kind of emotional, happy, sad, mad, but the whole range. He sighs deeply. He’s grieved, indignant, frustrated, even what I can only describe as sassy. It startled me a bit, to be honest. There’s a moment in Mark 8 where the Pharisees demand a sign, and Jesus, very humanly, just sighs and says, "Why does this generation seek a sign?" That isn’t the distant, untouchable Christ we so often imagine, it’s a real man, with a real heart, engaging a real world.

We often speak of Jesus as having "a human nature," but we treat that nature like it’s a general, generic humanity, as if Jesus sort of hovered above our experience without really stepping into the thick of it. He came as a man. Fully God and fully man. And Mark, more than any other Gospel, reveals not just what Jesus taught or what He did, but how He felt in the midst of it all.

This is where Warfield shines. There are few authors from the Reformed tradition who can carry such theological weight while simultaneously stirring the soul like Warfield. "The Emotional Life of Our Lord" is not merely a theological exercise, but a pastoral balm, a Christological meditation that reintroduces us to the Savior whose heart breaks, burns, and brims over with compassion.

In typical Princetonian fashion, Warfield is measured, precise, and textually grounded. Yet unlike some of his contemporaries who trafficked only in abstract dogmatics, Warfield descends from the ivory tower and sits beside us in the pew. He walks through the Gospel accounts, bringing into view a Christ who weeps, who rages, who grieves, who marvels, and who does so without sin.

What struck me most in rereading this work is how Warfield makes it unmistakably clear that Jesus' emotional life is not a concession to His humanity but a revelation of perfect humanity. His compassion is not sentimentality, it is holiness on display. His anger is not petulant, it is righteous love defending what is good. His grief is not helplessness, it is the heart of a God who draws near in a world broken by sin.

This essay is a reminder that emotional suppression is not sanctification. For men like me who were taught to feel less in the name of being strong, it is a gentle yet forceful call to look at Jesus and reconsider. Warfield does not shy away from hard theology, but he never lets theology become disembodied. He lets Christ's emotions shine, and in doing so, calls us to reflect Him more fully, not just in thought, but in feeling.

I return to this work again and again, not because it’s long (it isn’t), but because it speaks plainly to one of the greatest theological truths we forget in our attempts to be "strong Christians": that Jesus felt deeply. And He still does.

[Olivia Bedenbaugh]

“The mark of Christ’s individuality was harmonious completeness … it may be truly said that nothing that is human was alien to him, and all that is human manifested itself in him in perfect proportion and balance.”

Can’t wait for the day when my emotions are harmoniously complete :,)

[Grace]

All I could think of while reading this book was Brian Reagan saying “ya I’m too stupid to talk to you”. That’s how I felt. I’ll come back and try again next year

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warfield strikes a compelling balance between the opposite tendencies of viewing Christ as apathetic (in the Stoic sense) and of seeing him as pathetic (in the all-too-human sense). His emotional life reveals the quality of his humanity, the nature of his mission, and the pattern of his example. I was thoroughly encouraged throughout reading this essay.

I do have some scruples. I question whether this was the best choice for a series aimed at laypeople, simply because Warfield's prose is challenging at times. Footnotes were kept to a minimum for the lay reader's sake, but that almost seems a disservice to somebody like me, who doesn't mind the difficulty of Warfield's writing and who would like some extra clarification in places.

Warfield also made some statements here that I would quibble with, or that I at least puzzled at. His comments pitting Christ's individual nature against the idea of a generic nature were unhelpful, in my opinion. A couple of statements earlier on about the potential that Christ's emotions are not necessarily human but represent his dispositions as God made me wish for greater clarification.

Still, on the whole, a great little work. Encouraging, comforting, and convicting, as all good devotional reading should be.

[Cole Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short work by Warfield on a topic that does not receive much attention. This book perfectly balances the tension of the reverence we owe to Christ as fully God, and the personableness of Christ as fully man. Will probably return to this one from time to time.

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is unique in that it explores a topic that probably hasn't received adequate attention -- the reality that since Jesus fully entered into human experience, he dealt with the power of internal emotions just like every other human.

Knowing Jesus' sinlessness and total mastery of himself, it's easy to think of him as stoic and maybe overly reserved. But the great Princetonian B.B. Warfield shows us Jesus' emotional life in three broad areas: love/compassion, anger/indignation, and joy/gladness. In a world where wild emotional outbursts seem increasingly common and even admired, it's encouraging to know this about Jesus: "Of him alone of men, it may be truly sad that nothing that is human was alien to him, and that all that is human manifested itself in him in perfect proportion and balance." (p.102).

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. Several “I’ve-never-thought-of-that” moments while reading Warfield’s classic. Some prosaic parts but other parts that sing.

[Dylan Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The series of emotions attributed to our Lord in the Evangelical narrative, in their variety and their complex but harmonious interaction, illustrate, though, of course, they cannot of themselves demonstrate, this balanced comprehensiveness of his individuality. Various as they are, they do not inhibit one another; compassion and indignation rise together in his soul; joy and sorrow meet in his heart and kiss each other. Strong as they are — not mere joy but exhultation, not mere irritated annoyance but raging indignation, not mere passing pity but the deepest movements of compassion and love, not mere surface distress but an exceeding sorrow even unto death, — they never overmaster him. He remains ever in control.”

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggle to rate this because I think I wanted so much more. It is short but very dense, written in language I had to read slowly. I learned a lot of new words in the reading.
The concept is showing that Jesus was fully man, providing a survey of all places in Scripture that overtly state or even merely hint at the wide array of emotions he exhibited. I wanted it to go deeper, and yet when it did it felt like possible conjecture.
Perhaps in the dearth of emotional health books out today, I wanted something a little more accessible and less academic?

[Molly Knauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ IT! I think I have pushed back on the lie of this cultural moment that claims that feelings determine subjective “truth” so much so that I sometimes don’t know how to make sense of my emotions. Obviously, Christ is much more than an example for us, but He’s not less. Jesus Christ—being fully God and fully man—felt and acted upon human emotions, yet without sin. Not only is Jesus fully human; He is truly human. In studying Christ’s human nature, I am better able to understand my own nature. I am also better able to give praise to the Son of God for His humiliation (i.e., His incarnation, life of suffering, death on the cross, etc.) and His intercession as our sympathetic High Priest.

[Ian Tully · Rating 5 out of 5]

You probably found this book because it’s been quoted in a book/essay that you were reading and were enticed to check out the primary source.

That said, I think the most powerful pieces of this short work I’ve already experienced from those quotes that pulled me here to begin with.

If you’ve never considered that Jesus gets angry at how you’re made to suffer in this broken world, or that he’s so stoked to spend eternity with you that he died for you, then you might enjoy this book. That said, I think Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly is a bit more approachable for 2025 and covers the same ground.

[Matthew Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

B.B. Warfield does an incredible job extracting the emotional life of Christ from different highlights of Christs emotions through the gospels and laying them out to be observed. He illuminates these texts, to deeper understand the emotional life of our Lord, calling us to observe Christ’s emotional and physical reactions. We quickly see the beautifully complex human nature of Christ, taking on, sanctifying, and redeeming all emotions. Let us imitate Christ, refusing to cover our emotional life with apathy, but submitting all emotions in their fullness to the father, uniting ourselves to Christ, feeling in fullness and therefore glorifying to the fullest.
I take away a star because his analysis of the language and transformation of the scripture into more “fundamental” terms, is confusing and not explained very well. This lack of explanation of linguistic analysis gives a shorter read but adds difficulty to discerning its validity.

[Kyleigh Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I've read this essay, and I'm so pleased that Crossway published it in their short classics series because it needs to be more widely read, and I am so glad to have a hard copy of the essay.

We don't talk a lot about Jesus' emotional life, how it affected his ministry, and was manifested in his perfect human nature. But it's there, and as Warfield points out, compassion is what is highlighted the most, as well as anger. And I love how Warfield pulls the two together and shows that righteous anger and compassion go together.

[Ashley Bacon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I refuse to give this more stars just because it’s B.B. Warfield. It wasn’t organized well and it felt difficult to follow his train of thought. That being said, I read it alongside friends and the discussion was very rich! I’m thankful for the reminder of Christ’s compassion, anger, and sorrow.

[Eddie Mercado · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic work. A great companion to Goodwin’s the heart of Christ.

[Matt Allhands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, and helpful. Warfield’s work near the end on how the reality of the incarnation impacted the emotional life of Jesus is particularly important to consider.

[benebean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The English is old, but really good stuff

[Ellie Parkison · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Every manifestation of the truth of our Lord’s humanity is an exhibition of the reality of our redemption” ❤️

[Lauren Ordinario · Rating 4 out of 5]

The petite dimensions fit my small hands well.

[Elly Hamby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gooooood good shepherd to His sheep!

[Gibbs Bedenbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. Quick read giving so much helpful insight into the humanity of Christ.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent exposition of scriptures relating to the emotions of Jesus, with Warfield's precise logic.

[Ryan Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing essay looking into the emotions of Christ. I found this paragraph especially moving.

““The series of emotions attributed to our Lord in the Evangelical narrative, in their variety and their complex but harmonious interaction, illustrate, though, of course, they cannot of themselves demonstrate, this balanced comprehensiveness of his individuality. Various as they are, they do not inhibit one another; compassion and indignation rise together in his soul; joy and sorrow meet in his heart and kiss each other. Strong as they are — not mere joy but exhultation, not mere irritated annoyance but raging indignation, not mere passing pity but the deepest movements of compassion and love, not mere surface distress but an exceeding sorrow even unto death, — they never overmaster him. He remains ever in control. Calvin is, therefore, not without justification, when, telling us that in taking human affections our Lord did not take inordinate affections, but kept himself even in his passions in subjection to the will of the Father, he adds: “In short, if you compare his passions with ours, they will differ not less than the clear and pure water, flowing in a gentle course, differs from dirty and muddy foam.” The figure which is here employed may, no doubt, be unduly pressed: but Calvin has no intention of suggesting doubt of either the reality or the strength of our Lord’s emotional reactions. He expressly turns away from the tendency from which even an Augustine is not free, to reduce the affectional life of our Lord to a mere show, and commends to us rather, as Scriptural, the simplicity which affirms 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 brethren, sin only excepted.” He is only solicitous that, as Christ did not disdain to stoop to the feeling of our infirmities, we should be eager, not indeed to eradicate our affections, “seeking after that inhuman apatheia commended by the Stoics,” but “to correct and subdue that obstinacy which pervades them, on account of the sin of Adam,” and to imitate Christ our Leader, — who is himself the rule of supreme perfection — in subduing all their excesses. For Christ, he adds for our encouragement, had this very thing in view, when he took our affections upon himself — “that through his power we might subdue everything in them that is sinful.” Thus, Calvin, with his wonted eagerness for religious impression, points to the emotional life of Jesus, not merely as a proof of his humanity, but as an incitement to his followers to a holy life accordant with the will of God. We are not to be content to gaze upon him or to admire him: we must become imitators of him, until we are metamorphosed into the same image.””

[Bobby Bonser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful little book written by Warfield that is accessible, simple, and yet profound at the same time. The thesis is clear: to examine the passages of Scripture that speak of Jesus' emotions. What can we learn from the emotions of our Lord? What types of emotions did He experience? What circumstances brought them about? What does this teach us about Him, in both his divinity and deity?

He answers all of these questions and more in this book! Sinclair Ferguson called it Warfield's best work, and though I have not read many of his works, I would agree that it is the best I have read so far (in terms of understanding, brevity, clarity, and the profound love that it stirs up for our Savior). A superb work and look into Jesus, our Savior!

[Lauren :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is dense and just packed with epic quotes. It tackles the dynamic of Christ being fully God and fully man, that out of respect to his deity we often refrain from pushing in and studying his humanity. This book walked through the gospels and relevant accounts of Christs emotions. The accounts paint a clear pictures of a Savior who is characterized by compassion that outpours from his love, a savior who burned with righteous anger against the brokenness of this world and evil of humanity, a Savior who wept alongside the worlds misery, a Savior full of Joy not despite his impending sacrifice, but because of it. This account showed that Jesus had emotions that we powerful and beautiful and real. I loved the detail that often we like to paint the verse “Jesus wept” as like a solitary tear rolling down a solemn Jesus face, but in reality weeping in that time was more similar to a rending of clothes and deep wells of emotion. Anyways really cool book, super great references to scripture and just a wonderful case study of looking to Christ. 8/10

[Jonah Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. I hear the more recent Crossway Christian Classics edition excludes footnotes. For reading purposes I see why they did this. The footnotes are dense, and cumbersome. But they are an invaluable feature of the book (chapter technically—taken from Warfield’s larger Person and Work of Christ) and I can’t imagine having read the book without them.
This belongs on one of those ‘top 25’ Christian reads of all time lists.

[Miles Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warfield's 1912 essay rescues the person of Christ from an aesthetic of Stoicism. More importantly, Warfield offers a vision of a fully emotionally human Messiah who not only took away the sins of the world but felt the reality of human emotionality.