The Wounds That Bind Us: The Emotional Suffering of Jesus and What It Means for Us

WHAT IF GODLINESS ISN'T WHAT YOU THINK IT IS?

Is your impression of godliness sitting quietly in church resisting any outward expression of negative emotions except possibly a few "holy" tears at communion? Is your impression of Jesus cool, calm, and collected despite all the imperfection that surrounded him daily? If it is, you might be missing the bigger picture.

Godliness isn't about suppressing negative emotions. Jesus expressed emotion (even at church), and yet He was perfect. Fully God and fully human, Jesus experienced our world. He experienced the gifts of delicious food, the beauty in nature, and friendship. But He also experienced the broken world we live in.

God did not shelter His Son from painful emotions or circumstances. Jesus was rejected and mocked, misunderstood by His own family, and betrayed. He experienced the depth of painful emotions and broken relationships.

Even though humanity contributed to the suffering Jesus experienced, He continued to love and connect with them. He ate with people, rested with them, cried with them, taught them, and helped them grow.

The way He loved changed the course of history.

It's natural to want to avoid painful emotions, but what if acknowledging and feeling painful emotions could drive deeper, more authentic connections with God and others? What if it could actually strengthen our faith in God?

In The Wounds That Bind Us, Joanna explores the emotional suffering Jesus endured during His life. She explores 12 negative emotions Jesus felt based on scripture and illustrates her interpretations of those emotions with original artwork. She draws on scripture and her own personal experiences to offer insight into how acknowledging and managing negative emotions productively can empower us to:

- Connect more deeply to God, ourselves, and others

- Identify changes we need to make

- Live a more courageous, harmonious, and purposeful life

When we feel hurt, alone, and misunderstood, we can take comfort in knowing that even though we may feel alone, we are not alone in our pain.

In the midst of darkness, hope shines.