A very heavy question indeed. Did Jesus meditate in the Bible? I understand where you are coming from. If He meditated his way to God, who are you to question it?

The New Testament does mention Jesus secluding himself to rest, pray and refresh His spirit, soul, and body from time to time. For example, it is believed by scholars that right after His baptism, he took off into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. Was it all spent on praying? Perhaps. I would say that it was also spent on meditating on the Word of God and not merely praying as you know.

Remember the three tests by Satan? What if it was only inside his mind during his meditation? He was fighting for good thoughts against evil thoughts and on his success, he returned to Galilee “filled up with Holy Spirit’s power”.

Now, before we spent more on whether Jesus meditated or not (like I really care), take a moment to understand that meditation is actually considered a sin by a few people in the Christian community.

Is meditation a sin according to Bible?

Well, what if I told you that some Christian followers view meditation as a sin? Why? Because in Christianity, it is only through Jesus that we can find God. Now if you are focusing on anything or anyone else other than Jesus, you are supposed to stray from the path of Christianity and perhaps, be rooted in sin and worshipping the Devil himself. Not my opinion but that’s what they say.

However, in Buddhism or Hinduism, meditation is a God-friendly practice. While idols may be worshipped in some cases, you must look within to find God. Because God resides within you and you reside within God himself. Is that wrong?

In the New Testament, mentions of meditation are scarce. More so, they are meant in a different sense than what we are dealing with here. For example, in the English Standard Version (ESV), Luke 21:14-15 states, “Settle it therefore in your mind not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.”

Now the question that comes up is what meditation really is according to the Bible.

The english word “meditation” comes from the latin word “meditatio” which means “to think over or to contemplate”. The Biblical meditation means thinking over the Word of God, to focus on His beauty and glory all around you. It is different from a prayer that focuses on talking with God Himself—to thank Him, praise Him, rejoice Him or to repent to Him. You meditate on Him, he shows you the Light and then you reply to Him in your prayer. You see, the meditation and the prayer can be considered two sides of the same coin.

However, is the Biblical meditation that different from what meditation is. Meditation entails fixing your thoughts on an idea, an object or a feeling. In Christianity, it is expected to be Jesus or His Father. You have to understand, it’s not the object that brings the revelation. It’s the divine experience that does. You can have such an experience while focusing on the door nail or on God.

I remember a very beautiful excerpt from a letter written by Chinese Zen master Yengo:

It is presented right to your face, and at this moment the whole thing is handed over to you. The great truth of Zen is possessed by everybody. Look into your own being. Let your body and mind be turned into an inanimate object of nature like a stone or a piece of wood; when a state of perfect motionlessness and unawareness is obtained all the signs of life will depart and also every trace of limitation will vanish. Not a single idea will disturb your consciousness, when lo! all of a sudden you will come to realize a light abounding in full gladness. It is like coming across the light in thick darkness; it is like receiving treasure in poverty. The four elements and the five aggregates are no more felt as burdens; so light, so easy, so free you are. Your very existence has been delivered from all limitations; you have become open, light, and transparent. You gain an illuminating insight into the very nature of things, which now appear to you as so many fairy like flowers having no graspable reality. Here is manifested the unsophisticated self which is the original face of your being; here is shown all bare the most beautiful landscape of your birthplace. There is but one straight passage open and unobstructed through and through. This is where you surrender all — your body, your life, and all that belongs to your inmost self. This is where you gain peace, ease, non-doing, and inexpressible delight. All the sutras and shastras are no more than communications of this fact; all the sages, ancient as well as modern, have exhausted their ingenuity and imagination to no other purpose that to point the way to this.

If that does not sound like realizing the Universal Truth, I don’t what else is.

Meditation in the Old Testament

The word “meditation” does appear more frequently in the Old Testament. Since it is mostly poetic compositions on God and His deeds, or divine communication with Him, it is apt that the word does come up. Here are some examples.

“…but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

“Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long” (Psalm 38:12).

“…when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night” (Psalm 63:6).

“I said, ‘Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.’ Then my spirit made a diligent search…” (Psalm 77:6).

“I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:12).

“May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord.” (Psalm 104.34)

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways” (Psalm 119:15).

“Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes” (Psalm 119:23).

Even in the Book of Joshua, God says:

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Did Jesus meditate in the Bible?

The answer is no. The Bible never explicitly states that Jesus meditated. In the Old Testament, the word “meditation” is mentioned and the proper method of meditation is often suggested. The New Testament does not contain the word except some translations that include it but not in the common sense of the term. Thus, it is not known whether Jesus meditated or not.

That said, many scholars do believe that Jesus traveled to faroff lands like India and China. It might be assumed that he had come across the contemporary spiritual leaders of His time. Thus, it can be safely said that he probably get exposed to the idea of meditation and understood what it is. Also, being among Rabbis from a young age, and a Rabbi himself, as Torah said, he cannot be completely ignorant of the idea of meditation.

However, I personally want to look at it in a different way. Not being religious but being spiritual here. To ask this question is assuming Jesus Christ was a human being. That he had to follow rigorous yogic ways to achieve his enlightenment. What if we look at him as a physical embodiment of God himself (that is, like Father, like Son). I would say he did not need to meditate because God does not meditate now, does he? He is the Supreme Being and so is His Son. For us mortal human beings, meditation is the path to happiness and bliss, and yes, of course, salvation.

If I met Jesus Christ, I would not ask him what kind of diet he ate or whether he used a meditation cushion, for Christ’s sake. I would ask for forgiveness of my sins and I would beg him to show me the light, away from darkness.

But that’s just me. Hope your question was answered anyway.

P.S. I am not a Christian by religion, and I only wanted to throw light on this issue the best I could. If I offended anybody with this article somehow, I am truly sorry. Please forgive me.