He Took Our Shame

Recent events in my life and recent services at church have me thinking about how much Jesus Christ has done for me. Consider the words of this song we sang in church just this week:

            This the power of the cross:
            Christ became sin for us,
            Took the shame, bore the wrath.
            We stand forgiven at the cross.

Think of someone you have been praying for—someone shackled by sin and wrong choices. Let your mind see the physical pain and the mental anguish that accompanies our fallen condition: the struggle to escape addiction, the missed opportunities, and the knowledge of what might have been. Recall the shame and guilt of your own sin—the things that are public knowledge and the things no one else sees, the things we hope we can keep hidden. This is what Jesus took onto himself for us. All that pain and guilt.

And think of what awful trouble you could have incurred if you had not trusted Jesus when you did. What did he keep you from? Drunkeness? Drug addiction? Prostitution, abuse, murder? If you have not been involved in any of that, it’s certainly not because you’re that good. It’s because of God’s grace in your life. He is the one who saves us from all the sin we committed and all the sin we could have done. And he is the one who took that shame on himself so we wouldn’t have to.

No wonder Jesus cried out in the garden, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). But aren’t you glad he also said, “Thy will be done”?

I don’t thank Jesus enough for his great sacrifice, for bearing my shame so I could have this happy existence. He is the only hope for all those who still need to accept his sacrifice. Let’s not let our Lord’s gift go unclaimed and unappreciated. I hope you’ll pray for me to have boldness to give the good news to everyone I can. I’ll do the same for you.

--Sherry Poff