Luke 22:44
“And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.“
So what do you think? Did Jesus actually sweat drops of blood, or is this a figure of speech?
First of all, let’s answer the question, is it possible for this to actually happen? According to medicine, talking only secular here, this is known as a medical condition called hematidrosis. It’s not very common, but it is associated with a high degree of psychological stress. When someone is having severe anxiety, it can cause the release of chemicals that break down the capillaries in the sweat glands. As a result, there’s a small amount of bleeding into these glands, and the sweat comes out, tinged with blood.
Sidenote: it is in Luke’s book in the Bible that this is mentioned. Luke was a physician.
The journal of medicine analyzed 76 cases of hematidrosis, and concluded that the most common causes were acute fear and intense mental contemplation.
So did Jesus have acute fear and intense mental contemplation?
Matthew 26:38 “Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.””
Mark 14:34 ““My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.””
John 18:4 “Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?””
-He knew he would be betrayed by one of his disciples
-He knew he would be placed in a phony trial and lied about
-He knew that many people that hailed him as King just a few days earlier would scream for him to be crucified
-He knew he would be whipped, almost to the point of
-He knew they would drive metal stakes through his hands and feet
-He knew they would stab him in the side
Isaiah 52:14 “Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—”
But even worse than all that physical pain was this:
Habakkuk 1:13 “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
God would turn away from him and abandon him. This would be worse than all the physical pain, and he knew that it was coming.
What do you think? Did Jesus actually sweat drops of blood?
Why would he do all this? The answer is in Romans 5:8.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”