Day 12 – Sin & Shame

Jesus died a shameful death. Why? Why does the Scripture emphasize the shamefulness of his death? Because the cross is where Jesus Christ bore the sin and the shame of the world.

Paul wrote, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Isaiah foretold: “Surely he took up our pain [physical sicknesses] and bore our suffering [emotional sorrows and mental anguishes], yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities [spiritual sins]; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed [all three]” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Through his death, Jesus bore sin, absorbed sin, carried sin. He experienced all the sins of the world. He took them upon himself, and carried them all away that humanity may be healed.

Through his death, Jesus also bore shame, absorbed shame, carried shame. He bore all humanity’s emotional sorrows and mental anguishes. He experienced all the shame of the world. He took them upon himself, and carried them all away that humanity may be healed.

The one who knew no sin, became sin for humanity, so that people could be made right with God and belong in God’s family. In the same way, the one who knew no shame, became shame for humanity, so that people could live lives worthy and with honor before God and others.

Yes, Jesus bore the punishment of sin and the pain of shame! The cross is where people are made right with God, justified before him. And the cross is where believers are welcomed and accepted and honored as children of God.

As we trust in Jesus, our sin and our shame are removed. We are not only declared “justified,” “not guilty”, “innocent” before God – our sin is removed. We are also declared “unashamed” and “publicly honored” before God – our shame is removed.

Jesus Christ died to defeat the evil powers of sin and shame, and he rose from the dead to set us free.

This transaction taking place on the cross we appropriate by faith, and we are redeemed and delivered from the bondage to sin and shame. In Christ we regain our creation status, like Adam and Eve, who “felt no shame” (Genesis 2:25).

Today: Look to Jesus – seeing see both your sin and your shame lifted and removed.

~ Pastor Dave