Addressing Comments: Did Jesus Become Depressed?

 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrew 4 :14-16 (NIV)

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. Hebrews 4:14-16 (The Message)

1. Is depression a sin?

2. Is it just an emotional slump?

3. [Are] emotional situations sin? 

These questions were asked in a comment to my Post, "What are You Doing Here...?" Before trying to give any answer I need to define depression.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health there is not a simple definition of depression, but are several flavors, none particularly tasty:

Major depressive disorder, also called major depression, is characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person's ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy once–pleasurable activities. Major depression is disabling and prevents a person from functioning normally. An episode of major depression may occur only once in a person's lifetime, but more often, it recurs throughout a person's life.

Dysthymic disorder, also called dysthymia, is characterized by long–term (two years or longer) but less severe symptoms that may not disable a person but can prevent one from functioning normally or feeling well. People with dysthymia may also experience one or more episodes of major depression during their lifetimes.

Some forms of depressive disorder exhibit slightly different characteristics than those described above, or they may develop under unique circumstances. However, not all scientists agree on how to characterize and define these forms of depression. They include:

Psychotic depression, which occurs when a severe depressive illness is accompanied by some form of psychosis, such as a break with reality, hallucinations, and delusions.

Postpartum depression, which is diagnosed if a new mother develops a major depressive episode within one month after delivery. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of women experience postpartum depression after giving birth.¹

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is characterized by the onset of a depressive illness during the winter months, when there is less natural sunlight. The depression generally lifts during spring and summer. SAD may be effectively treated with light therapy, but nearly half of those with SAD do not respond to light therapy alone. Antidepressant medication and psychotherapy can reduce SAD symptoms, either alone or in combination with light therapy.²

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness, is not as common as major depression or dysthymia. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood changes-from extreme highs (e.g., mania) to extreme lows (e.g., depression). 

"We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all..."  That's the gist of Hebrews 4:15 isn't it? That is to give us assurance that Jesus (God) understands what we experience as humans because He has also experienced it, isn't it? 


So then, did Jesus suffer depression?

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." Mark 14:32-34

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate." Luke 13:34-35

John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Matthew 14:12-13 

It certainly sounds as if Jesus may have known depression. Here he is deeply distressed and overwhelmed with sorrow.  There he is mourning over the fate of Jerusalem. Here he is going off to a solitary place.

But do these things equate to the medical definition of depression? If so, then what do we have as our savior, a man suffering from a mental disorder or a chemical imbalance? If so, which problem did he have? We can immediately rule out postpartum depression. That was easy. It is probably just as easy to rule out Seasonal Affective Disorder. But our other choices aren't very good. 

Critics, skeptics and nonbelievers would choose psychosis, saying Jesus was a man who had broken with reality, seeing hallucinations of descending doves, taunting devils and hovering angels, loss in the delusion he was God. But that's better than the "Jesus was a wise and good man, but..." arguments. If you cannot except Jesus was God, then you must reject him as a mental case. Assuming Jesus suffered from psychotic depression is as good an excuse to refuse the logical evidence as any.

That leaves bipolar disorder, but I have some first-hand experience with this. My wife was diagnosed as a manic-depressant twenty-five years ago. This was not when she developed bipolar behavior, this was when we discovered what the problem was and it explained a lot. It took a while longer for her to accept this and take any medication, but when she did it make all the difference. There is nothing in the life of Christ that qualifies for those kind of manic periods or depressive periods that go with bipolar.

We see nothing in the ministry of Jesus where he is not completely in control of the situation. So what about those instances sited where Jesus seemed to exhibit possible depression?

John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Matthew 14:12-13 


What is the circumstance here. John the Baptist has been beheaded by Herod. John's followers, after burying John, come and tell Jesus, who goes off in a boat to a solitary place. Is there anything outside of normal behavior here? Did he go off to grieve? Perhaps he went to pray. Whatever the reason he hardly was withdrawing from society or became incapable of functioning. What happened immediately after his withdraw? Crowds began flocking to where he went. Did he tell them to "go away, leave me alone"? No, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. We don't have a man feeling sorry for himself, a man going into a shell.  We have a man who is concerned for others and serving them.

And as he is doing this his disciples come. Where did they come from? They had been out going through the countryside spreading the news and were now reporting back. They told him everything they had done and seen , but so many people kept coming and going they couldn't rest or eat. Jesus then tells them to get in the boat and they go to another solitary place. Is this so Jesus can withdraw into his cave of depression? No, this is to allow his disciples a chance to rest from their journey. They really don't get much rest. People find out where they went and followed until there were 5,000 men plus women and children surrounding them. Jesus then begins teaching the crowd until late in the day and then he feeds this mass using some loaves of bread and a couple fish. (Reference Matthew 14 and Mark 6.)


None of this indicates the behavior of someone suffering deep depression.


 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate."

Jesus had been traveling through the villages preaching salvation. Some one asked if only a few would be saved. He answers that the door is narrow and many who try to enter through it will not be able to. He explains how people will come pleading, but he will answer I don't know where you came from, away with you. he ends by saying, "Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."


At this point, Pharisees (who would have seen themselves as the first) told Jesus to go elsewhere, that Herod wanted to kill Him.

He replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

Jesus is stating his purpose firmly. There is decisiveness in this statement. There is certainly compassion and sadness, but no sign of self-pity. I see none of the signs of depression, no irritability, anger, worry, agitation, anxiety, pessimism, indifference, loss of energy, persistent lethargy, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, inability to concentrate or indecisiveness.


They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." Mark 14:32-34


This seems the strongest argument for Jesus ever being depressed. Those are strong negatives: distressed, troubled, overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Jesus is on the eve of his torture and death. He knows what lies ahead and he knows why. When we face trials in our lives, even though they are far below what Jesus was about to go through, we feel distressed, fear, even sorrow. Still, there is nothing what follows that would point toward any medical definition of depression.

      Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

      Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

      Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" Mark 14:35-42

First, he doesn't go a bit further into the garden to hide. Again, he is not entering a cave. He goes to pray and his focus is not on himself, no why me, but on doing God's will. He keeps returning to his sleeping disciples and he expresses concern for them, with perhaps a little disappointment.

Then a-sudden Judas and the soldiers appear to betray and arrest him. When this happens, we see Jesus taking complete control of the situation. This is not the behavior of someone in depression.

Here is the Merriam-Webster definition of depression. "(1) : a state of feeling sad : dejection (2) : a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies -- Merriam-Webster

I do not believe Jesus ever suffered a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder called depression. But there is another definition: a state of feeling sad: dejection.

This is an emotional reaction to events in life. Jesus felt sad about the death of John the Baptist. He felt sorrow for those who were lost in this world. He felt dejection about those who reject his sacrifice.  In other words, like all of we humans, he experiences down moments.  We may say I'm depressed, but this is a perfectly normal human reaction and short-lived. We get over it and go about the business of living. We quickly control our depressed feeling and don't let our feelings interfere with what we do.  I see no indication anywhere that Jesus ever let His feeling interfere with his purpose, anywhere that emotions caused him to not control the situation.

We still haven't answered the question if depression, either clinical or emotional, is a sin, have we?  Be patient and don't let the wait get you depressed.

Illustration: "Gethsemane" by James C. Christensen