“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
—Hebrews 4:15 NIV

In most paintings and other depictions of Jesus he seems so calm and collected.

So unmoved and above it all.

And don’t get me wrong: Jesus taught us how to have peace in a storm.

But the only problem with the unfazed and unemotional depiction of Jesus is that, frankly, it isn’t biblical.

He became weak for us.

He was tempted just like us.

When he faced the cross, he sweated blood in anguish and asked the Father if there was any way to avoid that path.

He was not sheltered from the troubles of life but a man of sorrows who knew the deepest pain.

Whatever you are going through in this season of Advent, remember that you are not alone.

Jesus is Immanuel, God with you.

Here’s a simple prayer to carry with you today:

Breathe in: Jesus,
Breathe out: Be with me in this place.