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Why You Should Not Be Ashamed of Yourself

November 21, 2018

Mark 15:16-20

16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

CONSIDER THIS

Why is the suffering of Jesus recorded in such great detail?

Why didn’t the Holy Spirit instruct Mark to cut to the chase and say something like, “The soldiers mocked Jesus and then they led him out to crucify him.”

Instead we get this:

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace
(that is, the Praetorium)and called together the whole company of soldiers.
They put a purple robe on him,
then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”
Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff
and spit on him.
Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
And when they had mocked him,
they took off the purple robe
and put his own clothes on him.
Then they led him out to crucify him.

I think the Spirit wanted us to see the depths to which Jesus not only took on our guilt but the degree to which he bore our shame. To experience guilt means coming to the realization that I have done a bad thing that has caused injury to another. The proper response to guilt is confession and repentance. Shame is guilt gone wrong. Where guilt confesses to another, “I have done bad,” shame turns in on oneself and claims, “I am bad.” To shame someone is not to condemn their behavior but to condemn their personhood. Shame short circuits confession and precludes repentance because it traps us within a prison of our own making. Just as we cannot absolve our own guilt we cannot escape our own shame. Guilt is our fundamental problem. Shame is our fundamental condition. We can only be saved from such a problem and delivered from such a condition. Our greatest need is for salvation and deliverance; a savior and a deliverer.

Herein lies the glory of the cross. Crucifixion is the public proclamation of guilt wrapped up in the permanent exposure of shame. Crucifixion says not only have you done evil but that you are worthless. Here’s the gospel: Jesus took the most horrific sign of guilt and shame and transformed it into the most beautiful sign of forgiveness and honor. This is why we can declare, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew and then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16. It’s why we can say, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but it is the power of God for us who are being saved.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.

Because of Jesus death and resurrection the message of the Cross is forgiveness from our guilt and the deliverance from our shame.

Amazing love, how can it be that thou, my God, would die for me?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2.

THE PRAYER

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Lord Jesus, how can it be? You crushed  my guilt and you covered my shame. I want to learn better how to live free from shame in your covering. Melt me. Mold me. Fill me. Use me. For the glory of your name, Jesus. Amen.

THE QUESTION

Can you see the difference between guilt and shame and how the latter masquerades as the former. Can you behold Jesus in today’s text taking on your shame? What would it mean to let him have it?

For the Awakening,
J.D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com

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WHAT IS THIS? Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities.

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