Jesus Never Caught AnxietySample

Applying Jesus’ Differentiation to Your Life

One of the most striking examples of Jesus’ differentiation is his interaction with Pontius Pilate.

Jesus did not carry chronic anxiety, the kind that is contagious, causing us to believe a lie, but Jesus did experience acute anxiety. Acute anxiety is short-term and involves an actual threat. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus overwhelmed with acute anxiety.

By the time Jesus met with Pontius Pilate, He had been overwhelmed by grief, abandoned by his disciples, denied by Peter, and mocked and abused by Roman guards. While Jesus had every reason to be reactive, He continued to entrust Himself into the hands of the Father and remarkably remained differentiated in the most intense moments of His life.

With each attempt Pilate made to release Jesus, Pilate’s anxiety increased as the people continued to demand Jesus’ death. When the people told Pilate that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, John tells us that Pilate became even more afraid. Jesus did nothing to assuage Pilate’s fear. He did not take on Pilate’s anxiety. Jesus knew what was His to carry: the sin of the world, not Pilate’s anxiety. Even when Pilate stated that he held the power to free or crucify him, Jesus remained confident in his conviction. He knew His life was in the hands of the Father and the Father only.

In this incredibly tense situation, Jesus didn’t move into enmeshment with Pilate, nor did he detach. He stayed connected with what he knew to be true—that He came to pay the ultimate price for our sins to secure our freedom when we believe in Him.

As we consider our own reactivity and begin to practice differentiation, we can follow Jesus' example. First, we must honestly name and acknowledge our worries and fears. Just as Jesus prayed in the Garden, we, too, must humbly approach the Father, cast our anxieties on Him, and ask what is ours to carry.

We must be firm in our convictions and the direction God is calling us to go.

We must seek to stay connected to others while not allowing ourselves to catch their anxiety. When Jesus was with Pontius Pilate, he listened. He did not listen to defend, attempting to persuade Pilate of his divinity. He did not listen to hijack the conversation. He did not listen to fix or alleviate Pilate’s fears. He just listened and remained a connected, aware presence in the face of fear and hostility.

Jesus was rooted in the deep love of the Father, and through Him, we can be rooted there, too. Anxiety cannot exist in the presence of our God. In Him is truth. In Him is freedom. In Him, we can be a connected and aware presence to those we seek to serve.

As you consider a situation in your life that makes you anxious, ask yourself the following:
What is yours to carry? What is theirs to carry? What is God’s to carry?