Expert: Brenton Hepburn - 7/8/2006

Question
Could the compassion of Jesus be greater than that of Jehovah.

Answer
Hello Brian

Which one is more compassionate, Jehovah or Jesus? To try to give an answer to that I had to look at what I know about each one.  But first I needed to know just how to understand the word compassion.  According to the electronic dictionary I have “Webster’s New World Dictionary and Thesaurus” the meaning of compassion is “sorrow for the sufferings or trouble of another or others, accompanied by an urge to help; deep sympathy; pity”

So, compassion is a sympathetic awareness of another’s suffering or adversity coupled with a desire to alleviate it. One of the Hebrew words conveying the sense of compassion is the verb cha•mal´, which means “feel (show or have) compassion; spare.” (Ex 2:6; Mal 3:17; Jer 50:14) The Greek verb oi•ktei´ro means “show compassion,” while the noun oi•ktir•mos´ describes the inner feeling of compassion, or tender mercy. (Ro 9:15; 12:1; 2Co 1:3; Php 2:1; Col 3:12; Heb 10:28)

Jehovah would be the most outstanding example of compassion. The first instance of compassion is just after Adam and Eve sinned as recorded in Gen. 3:15, he set in motion a plan to set mankind free from slavery to sin and death, that is, to send his son as a ransom for us.

This is also well illustrated in his dealings with the Israelites. He not only keenly felt for them during their distresses in Egypt but finally rescued them out of the hands of their oppressors and lovingly cared for them in the wilderness. (Isa 63:7-9) Despite their repeated lapses into unfaithfulness when settled in the Promised Land, he again and again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, responding to their cries for aid.—Jg 2:11-19.

He always gave warnings to the Israelites and the nations of any coming destruction, showing he does not want any one to be destroyed but wants all to repent.(2 Peter 3:9)

1 Corinthians 10:11shows God has compassion for mankind by providing the Bible to give a record for us as a warning.

He also sent his only begotten son as a ransom so that all mankind could have the opportunity to have life (John 3:16).  This would not be easy for a father to do. Allow his son to suffer the way he did.

Jesus showed compassion when on earth as he felt pity for the people around him (Mtt.9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34) and for allowing himself to die for us.  But Jesus did as he was told (“Jesus said to them: ‘My food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work’ ” John 4:34 see also John 5:30).  Even though Jesus showed great compassion as he was reflecting his fathers qualities as he was the image of God (2 Corinth 4:4)