What is the significance of Jesus sweating blood?

from the old testament

• Jesus sweating blood is not found in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

• Luke 22:44 reads, “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” In most modern translations, there is a note next to this verse that says something similar to the ESV’s note, which reads, “Some manuscripts omit verses 43 and 44.” This is because there is enough manuscript doubt about the authenticity of these two verses that the translators hedge on it. Some Bible translations will even be more direct by placing brackets around these verses (for example, the NET Bible).
• This is key to understand because much apologetic material has been written to explain how Jesus could sweat blood, such as by positing the rare occurrence of hematidrosis. But it may be that He, in fact, didn’t sweat blood. Also, even if this verse is in the original, Luke does say that His sweat was like blood. He may not have meant that it was blood but that He was sweating so profusely that His sweat flowed freely like blood.
• Regardless of whether this verse is in Luke’s original account or whether he meant actual blood, the truth of Jesus’ agony is real. The general account, repeated in the other Gospels, speaks of Jesus being “deeply grieved, to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38).
• Though Jesus came to die for sin (John 12:27), and though He was fully God (John 1:1), to save humanity He needed to have a full human nature. He did that by adding on a second nature (Philippians 2:6–7), being exactly like us (Hebrews 2:17), but without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
• This means that when Jesus faced death, He had the same revulsion to it that all humans had and the same desire to avoid it. His desire was not sinful, but the true expression of a true human about to be tortured and killed. This agony as to what He was to face was so great, that He pleaded, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39b; cf. Hebrews 5:7). Though Jesus knew He had to die, He prayed that if there was any way to accomplish the Father’s will without dying, to please let Him do it that way. However, He added, “yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39c). Though He didn’t want to die, He fully entrusted Himself to His Father (1 Peter 2:23), always doing exactly what He willed (John 5:30).
• Of this, Paul noted, “being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). Jesus didn’t want to die but did so willingly (John 10:17–18) to obey the Father and to bring salvation to the world.

implications for today

We often forget that Jesus was truly human and sometimes imagine that everything He went through was superficial or illusory. But that’s simply not true. While Jesus is eternally the Son of God (John 1:1), He added on true human nature (Philippians 2:6–7). Thus, Jesus had two complete natures: He was fully God and fully man. It was in His humanity that He faced death. He had to do so because salvation is God punishing a perfect human for the sins of sinful humans.

Thus, Jesus faced death with the same trepidation as any human. Additionally, He faced it fully aware that death meant God’s wrath. He did not face the cross as a distant observer or as someone untouched by human suffering. The weight before Him was not only physical suffering but the reality that He would bear the judgment our sins deserved (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is why Jesus prayed for the cup to be removed from Him (Matthew 26:39)—His anguish was real. Yet, even in His deepest distress, Jesus trusted the Father and willingly submitted to His will, obeying all the way to the cross (Philippians 2:8).

Jesus shows us that bringing our deepest struggles honestly before God is not a lack of faith; true faith brings our pain to the Father while still trusting His purposes. But His suffering also forces us to consider the seriousness of our own sin. Jesus endured agony because sin carries a real consequence, and every person has sinned and stands accountable before a holy God. The good news is that Jesus willingly endured the wrath we deserved so that those who repent and trust in Him can receive forgiveness and peace with God. If you have not surrendered your life to Christ, Jesus’ suffering is an invitation to turn from your sin and trust in the One who gave everything to save you. And if you have trusted Him, His agony reminds you that your Savior understands your suffering, is with you in your pain, and is worthy of your complete trust!