Death could never have been defeated except by the death of the Savior, nor any of the other sufferings of the flesh: for unless he had felt dread, human nature could not have become free from dread; unless he had experienced grief, there could never have been any deliverance from grief; unless he had been troubled and alarmed, no escape from these feelings could have been found.
Every one of the emotions which assault human nature can be found in Christ…so that they might be thoroughly subdued by the power of the Word dwelling in the flesh, thereby changing the nature of man for the better.
SAINT CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA Commentary on the Gospel of John
