The Shame
- by Brent Hiles
Graphically I believe there is no way to convey the true agony of what happened
on that day nearly two thousand years ago. Yes, Jesus suffered a physically agonizing
and brutal death at the hands of the Roman soldiers. And I want to make sure that
it is never diminished. Yes a guiltless and innocent man was tried and wrongly convicted.
And I do not want to diminish that. But was that all?
Many men have encountered
being wrongly convicted and suffering horrendous pain and torture at the hands of
other men. Many men have been scourged for various reasons. Many men throughout
history have suffered even the horrible death of crucifixion. What makes this so
different? Why should the world understand this to be more than a compassionate
man who died in what he believed to be sacrificial for our sins? What was the true
pain of the cup?
I believe that the true pain of Christ at the crucifixion was way beyond physical.
In fact the physical element of the crucifixion I believed paled in comparison to
the fact that a holy God actually became sin for us.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Was Christ fearful of physical pain at the Garden as some have suggested. I don't
think so. I believe that the Cup that He was asking to be released from was the
Cup of Sin, Iniquity and the very wrath of God's Judgement.
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without
mixture into
the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in
the presence of the
holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:10)
More than that of the physical pain He was about to endure. He became every
liar, adulterer, fornicator, pedophile and sodomite. He became all of the sins that
were ever committed. He who knew no sin became the very thing that He Hated. The
things that were complete abominations to Him, He became. Think of the worst sin
you could ever imagine doing. To some, and myself included, the thought of doing
that sin actually makes me close to vomiting. I truly am nauseated by it. I am a
wicked sinner and just the though makes me physically ill.
A Holy God became not only that sin but every other sin and that sickness of sin
from holiness must have been so extremely agonizing. After having becoming Sin the
next most agonizing thing had to be the His Father forsaking Him. God could not
bear to even look upon His own Son because of the shameful wickedness that He had
become. This was truly, truly more unbearable than the physical suffering.
What is lacking from our believers today is the shame and reproach that we placed
on our Savior. So many have become so callous to sin that we have a "this is who
I am so deal with it." approach to their sin. Many will go into sin for a season
taking advantage of grace yet denying the shame. We must be sure to go to the cross
and view the shame of what actually transpired -- realizing that I caused that shame
and pain and suffering. The realization of the shame is what would keep us from
sin. We have no right to dismiss the shame based on "well its time to move on".
We need to recognize the shame of sin for what it truly is.
It is not a vehicle for Satan to use to keep us under guilt, but that guilt and
shame should not be released by ourselves. For what right do we have to release
ourselves from it. So many psychologist and even Christian psychologist will speak
of "letting go of the guilt" but if this is done of ourselves it is empty and Satan
will beat us with it over and over again. That release of guilt and shame can only
be released by coming to the cross in a sorrowful repentant state and then and only
then Christ and His shed blood can release us from the sin and stain.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)