Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
Week 6: Chapter 5 — The Emotional Life of Christ
Read Chapter 5 of Gentle and Lowly. Primary Scripture: John 11:1–44; Isaiah 53:3–4.
We confess that Jesus was fully human, but we rarely stop to think about what that means for his emotional life. This chapter invites you to meet a Christ who actually feels — and whose feelings are always toward you.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Ortlund argues that the New Testament presents Jesus with a vivid and varied emotional life — he marvels, grieves, rejoices, is angered, is troubled, and weeps. Why do you think Christians often flatten this out, preferring a Jesus who is placidly calm and emotionally neutral?
2.John 11:35 — "Jesus wept" — is the shortest verse in the Bible and one of the most theologically dense. Ortlund argues that Jesus did not weep because he was helpless (he was about to raise Lazarus) but because human death and grief genuinely moved him. What does this say about how Jesus responds to your grief and suffering today?
3.The chapter draws on Isaiah 53:3–4, noting that the Servant of the Lord is "acquainted with grief" and "carried our sorrows." The word "carried" suggests active bearing, not mere witnessing. What is the difference between a Christ who observes our pain and a Christ who carries it?
a.Is there a sorrow in your life right now that you have been reluctant to believe Christ actually carries alongside you?
b.How might the image of Christ actively carrying (rather than merely observing) your grief change how you pray about it?
Closing Prayer
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