The document reflects on the profound suffering and shame endured by Jesus Christ, focusing on His noble nature and the depths of His love for humanity. It emphasizes the paradox of His divine glory versus the humiliation of His crucifixion, illustrating how His accusations, mockery, and ultimately, the shameful death He endured reveal the breadth of His sacrificial love. The discussion draws on biblical references, particularly Hebrews 12:2, to highlight the importance of recognizing Christ's shame as a central aspect of understanding His redemptive work.

1. JESUS WAS A SHAMEFUL SUFFERER
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Hebrews 12:2 2
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer
and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he
endured the cross, scorningits shame, and sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God.
The Shameful Sufferer BY SPURGEON
“Who for the joy that was setbefore Him endured the Cross, despising
the shame, and is now setdown at the right hand of the Throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
“OH what shall I do, my Saviorto praise?” Where shalllanguage be found
which shall describe His matchless, His unparalleled love towards the children
of men? Upon any ordinary subjectone may find liberty of speechand
fullness of utterance, but this subjectlies out of the line of all oratoryand
eloquence cannotattain unto it. This is one of the unutterable things–
unutterable because it surpasses thoughtand defies the power of words. How,
then, canwe deal with that which is unutterable? I am conscious thatall I can
say concerning the sufferings of Jesus this morning will be but as a drop in the
bucket. None of us know the half of the agony which He endured. none of us
have ever fully comprehended the love of Christ which passes knowledge.
Philosophers have probed the earth to its very center, threaded the spheres,
measuredthe skies, weighedthe hills–no, weighedthe world itself. But this is
one of those vast, boundless things, which to measure does surpass all but the
Infinite itself. As the swallow but skims the waterand dives not into its depths,
so all the descriptions of the preacherbut skim the surface, while depths
immeasurable must lie far beneath our observation. Well might a poet say–
“O love, you fathomless abyss!”
for this love of Christ is indeed measurelessandfathomless. None of us can
attain unto it.

2. In speaking of it we feel our own weakness, we castourselvesupon the
strength of the Spirit, but, even then, we feel that we can never attain unto the
majesty of this subject. Before we can ever geta right idea of the love of Jesus,
we must understand His previous glory in its height of majesty and His
incarnation upon the earth in all its depths of shame. Now, who can tell us the
majesty of Christ? When He was enthroned in the highest heavens He was
very God of very God. By Him were the heavens made and all the hosts
thereof. By His power He hung the earth upon nothing. His own almighty arm
upheld the spheres–the pillars of the heavens restedupon Him. The praises of
angels, archangels, cherubim and seraphim, perpetually surrounded Him.
The full chorus of the Hallelujahs of the universe unceasinglyflowedto the
foot of His Throne–He reignedsupreme above all His creatures, Godover all,
blessedforever.
Who can tell His height, then? And yet this must be attained before we can
measure the length of that mighty stoopwhich He took when He came to
earth to redeem our souls. And who, on the other hand, can tell how low He
descended? To be a Man was something, but to be a Man of Sorrows was far
more. To bleed and die and suffer, these were much for Him who was the Son
of God. But to suffer as He did–such unparalleled agony. To endure, as He
did, a death of shame and a death by desertionof His God–this is a lower
depth of condescending love which the most inspired mind must utterly fail to
fathom. And yet must we first understand infinite height and then, infinite
depth. We must measure, in fact, the whole infinite that is betweenHeaven
and Hell, before we can understand the love of Jesus Christ.
But because we cannotunderstand, shall we therefore neglect? And because
we cannot measure shall we therefore despise? Ah, no. Let us go to Calvary
this morning and see this greatsight. Jesus Christ, for the joy that was set
before Him, enduring the Cross, despising the shame.
I shall endeavorto show you, first, the shameful Sufferer. Secondly, we shall
endeavorto dwell upon His glorious motive. And then in the third place, we
shall offer Him to you as an admirable example.
1. Beloved, I wish to show you the SHAMEFUL SUFFERER. The text
speaks ofshame and therefore before entering upon suffering, I shall
endeavorto saya word or two upon the shame.
Perhaps there is nothing which men so much abhor as shame. We find that
death itself has often been preferable in the minds of men to shame. And even
the most wickedand callous-heartedhave dreaded the shame and contempt of
their fellow creatures far more than any tortures to which they could have

3. been exposed. We find Abimelech, a man who murdered his own brethren
without compunction. We find even him overcome by shame, when “a certain
woman casta piece of a millstone upon Abimelech head and all to break his
skull. Then he called hastily unto the young man his armor bearer and said
unto him, Draw your swordand slay me, that men saynot of me, A woman
slew him. And his young man thrust him through and he died.” Shame was
too much for him. He would far rather meet the suicide’s death–forsuch it
was–thanhe should be convictedof the shame of being slain by a woman.
So was it with Saul also–a man who was not ashamedof breaking his oath and
of hunting his own son-in-law like a partridge upon the mountains–evenhe
fell upon his own sword rather than it should be said of him that he fell by the
Philistines. And we read of an ancient king, Zedekiah, that albeit he seemed
recklessenough, he was afraid to fall into the hands of the Chaldeans, lestthe
Jews who had fallen awayto Nebuchadnezzar should make a mock of him.
These instances are but a few of many. It is well known that criminals and
malefactors have often had a greaterfearof public contempt than of anything
else. Nothing can so break down the human spirit as to be subject continually
to contempt, the visible and manifest contempt of one’s fellows.
In fact, to go further, shame is so frightful to man that it is one of the
ingredients of Hell itself. It is one of the bitterest drops in that awful cup of
misery. The shame of everlasting contempt to which wickedmen awake in the
day of their resurrection. To be despisedof men, despisedof angels, despised
of God, is one of the depths of Hell. Shame, then, is a terrible thing to endure.
And many of the proudest natures have been subdued when once they have
been subjectedto it. In the Savior’s case, shame would be peculiarly shameful.
The nobler a man’s nature, the more readily does he perceive the slightest
contempt and the more acutely does he feel it. That contempt which an
ordinary man might bear without a suffering, he who has been bred to be
obeyed and who has all his life been honored, would feelmost bitterly.
Beggaredprinces and despisedmonarchs are among the most miserable of
men.
But here was our glorious Redeemer, in whose face was the nobility of
Godheaditself, despisedand spit upon and mocked. You may, therefore, think
what such a noble nature as His had to endure. The mere kite can bear to be
caged, but the eagle cannotbear to be hooded and blindfolded. He has a
nobler spirit than that. The eye that has facedthe sun, cannot endure
darkness without a tear. But Christ who was more than noble, matchlessly
noble, something more than of a royal race–forHim to be shamed and
mockedmust have been dreadful, indeed.

4. Some minds are of such a delicate and sensitive disposition that they feel
things far more than others. There are some of us who do not so readily
perceive an affront, or when we do perceive it, are totally indifferent to it. But
there are others of a loving and tender heart. They have so long wept for
others' woes that their hearts have become tender and they therefore feel the
slightestbrush of ingratitude from those they love. If those for whom they are
willing to suffer should utter words of blasphemy and rebuke againstthem,
their souls would be pierced to the very quick. A man in armor would walk
through thorns and briars without feeling, but a man who is nakedfeels the
smallestof the thorns.
Now Christ was, so to speak, a naked spirit. He had stripped Himself of all for
manhood. He said, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests,
but the Son of Man has not where to lay His head.” He stripped Himself of
everything that could make Him callous, for He loved with all His soul. His
strong passionate heartwas fixed upon the welfare of the human race. He
loved them even unto death and to be mockedby those for whom He died, to
be spit upon by the creatures whom He came to save, to come unto His own
and to find that His own receivedHim not, but actually castHim out–this was
pain, indeed. You tender hearts canweep for others' woes and you that love
with a love as strong as death and with a jealousyas cruel as the grave–you
can guess, but only you–what the Savior must have endured, when all did
mock Him, all did scornHim and He found none to pity none to take His part.
To go back to the point with which we started–shame is peculiarly abhorrent
to manhood and far more to such a manhood as that which Christ carried
about with Him–a noble, sensitive, loving nature, such as no other manhood
had ever possessed.
And now come and let us behold the pitiful spectacle ofJesus put to shame.
He was put to shame in three ways–byshameful accusation, shameful
mockeryand shameful crucifixion.
1. And, first, behold the Savior’s shame in His shameful accusation. He in
whom was no sin and who had done no ill, was chargedwith sin of the
blackestkind. He was first arraignedbefore the Sanhedrim on no less a
charge than that of blasphemy. And could He blaspheme? He who said,
“It is My meat and My drink to do the will of Him that sent Me.” Could
he blaspheme? He who in the depths of His agony, when He sweatas it
were greatdrops of blood at last cried, “My Father, not My will, but
Yours be done”–couldHe blaspheme? No. And it is just because it was
so contrary to His characterthat He felt the accusation. To charge some
of you here present with having blasphemed God would not startle you,

5. for you have done it and have done it so often as almost to forgetthat
God abhors blasphemers and that He “will not hold him guiltless that
takes His name in vain.” But for one who loved as Jesus lovedand
obeyed as He obeyed–forHim to be chargedwith blasphemy–the
accusationmust have causedHim peculiar suffering. We wonder that
He did not fall to the ground, even as His betrayers did when they came
to lay hold upon Him. Such an accusationas that might blight an
angel’s spirit. Such a calumny might wither the courage of a cherub.
Marvel not, then, that Jesus felt the shame of being accusedofsuch a
crime as this.
Nor did this content them. Having chargedHim with breaking the first table,
they then chargedHim with violating the second–theysaid He was guilty of
sedition. They declaredthat He was a traitor to the government of Caesar,
that He stirred up the people, declaring that He Himself was a king. And
could He commit treason? He who said, “My kingdom is not of this world, else
would My servants fight.” He who when they would have takenHim by force
to make Him a king, withdrew Himself into the wilderness and prayed–could
He commit treason? It were impossible! Did He not pay tribute and sentto the
fish, when His poverty had not the wherewithalto pay the tax? Could He
commit treason? He could not sin againstCaesar, forHe was Caesar’s lord.
He was King of kings and Lord of lords. If He had chosenHe could have
takenthe purple from the shoulders of Caesarand at a word have given
Caesarto be a prey to the worms.
Jesus Christ commit treason? ‘Twasfar enoughfrom Jesus, the gentle and the
mild to stir up sedition or setman againstman. Ah no, He was a lover of His
country and a lover of His race. He would never provoke a civil war and yet
this charge was brought againstHim. What would you think, goodcitizens
and goodChristians, if you were chargedwith such a crime as this, with the
clamors of your own people behind you crying out againstyou as so execrable
an offender that you must die? Would not that abashyou? Ah, but your
Masterhad to endure this as well as the other. He despised the shameful
indictments and was numbered with the transgressors.
But next, Christ not only endured shameful accusationbut He endured
shameful mocking. When Christ was takenawayto Herod, Herod set Him at
nothing. The original word signifies made nothing of Him. It is an amazing
thing to find that man should make nothing of the Sonof God, who is All in
All. Jesus had made Himself nothing. He had declaredthat He was a worm
and no man. But what a sin was that and what a shame was that when Herod
made Him nothing! He had but to look Herod in the face and He could have

6. withered Him with one glance of His fire-darting eyes. But yet Herod may
mock Him and Jesus will not speak and men of arms may come about Him
and break their cruel jests upon His tender heart, but not a word has He to
say, but “is led as a lamb to the slaughter and like a sheepbefore her shearers
is dumb.”
You will observe that in Christ’s mocking, from Herod’s own hall, on to the
time when He was takenfrom Pilate’s hall of judgment to His crucifixion and
then onward to His death, the mockings were of many kinds. In the first place
they mockedthe Savior’s Person. One of those things about which we may say
but little, but of which we ought often to think, is the fact that our Saviorwas
stripped, in the midst of a ribald soldiery, of all the garments that He had. It is
a shame evenfor us to speak ofthis which was done by our own flesh and
blood toward Him who was our Redeemer. Those holy limbs which were the
casketofthe precious jewelof His soul were exposedto the shame and open
contempt of men–coarse-mindedmen who were utterly destitute of every
particle of delicacy.
The Personof Christ was stripped twice. And although our painters, for
obvious reasons, coverChristupon the Cross, there He hung–the naked
Savior of a nakedrace. He who clothed the lilies had not wherewith to clothe
Himself. He who had clothedthe earth with jewels and made for it robes of
emeralds, had not so much as a rag to concealHis nakedness from a staring,
gazing, mocking, hard-hearted crowd. He had made coats of skins for Adam
and Eve when they were nakedin the garden. He had takenfrom them those
poor fig leaves with which they sought to hide their nakedness, giventhem
something wherewiththey might wrap themselves from the cold. But now
they part His garments among them and for His vesture do they castlots,
while He Himself, exposedto the pitiless storm of contempt, has no cloak with
which to coverHis shame.
They mockedHis Person–Jesus ChristdeclaredHimself to be the Son of God–
they mockedHis Divine Personas well as His human–when He hung upon the
Cross, they said. “If You are the Son of God, come down from the Cross and
we will believe on You.” Frequently they challengedHim to prove His Divinity
by turning aside from the work which He had undertaken. They askedHim to
do the very things which would have disproved His Divinity, in order that
they might then, as they declared, acknowledge andconfess that He was the
Son of God. And now can you think of it? Christ was mockedas man–we can
conceive Him as yielding to this–but to be mockedas God! A challenge thrown
to manhood, manhood would easilytake up and fight the duel. Christian

7. manhood would allow the gauntlet to lie there, or tread it beneath its foot in
contempt, bearing all things and enduring all things for Christ’s sake.
But canyou think of God being challengedby His creature–the eternal
Jehovahprovoked by the creature which His ownhand has made? The
Infinite despisedby the finite? He who fills all things, by whom all things
exist–laughedat, mocked, despisedby the creature of an hour, who is crushed
before the moth! This was contempt, indeed, a contempt of His complex
Person, of His Manhood and of His Divinity.
But note next, they mockedall His offices, as wellas His Person. Christ was a
King and never such a king as He. He is Israel’s David. All the hearts of His
people are knit unto Him. He is Israel’s Solomon. He shall reign from sea to
sea and from the river even to the ends of the earth. He was one of royal race.
We have some calledkings on earth, children of Nimrod, these are called
kings, but kings they are not. They borrow their dignity of Him who is King of
kings and Lord of lords. But here was one of the true blood, one of the right
royal race, who had lost His way and was mingled with the common herd of
men.
What did they do? Did they bring crowns with which to honor Him and did
the nobility of earth casttheir robes beneath His feetto carpet his footsteps?
No. He is delivered up to rough and brutal soldiery. They find for Him a
mimic throne and having put Him on it, they strip Him of His own robes and
find some old soldier’s cloak ofscarletor of purple and put it about His loins.
They plait a crown of thorns and put it about His brow–a brow that was of old
benighted with stars! And then they fix in His hand–a hand that will not
resentan insult–a reed scepter. Thenbowing the knee, they pay their mimic
homage before Him, making Him a May-day king. Now, perhaps there is
nothing so heartrending as royalty despised. You have read the story of an
English king who was takenout by his cruel enemies to a ditch. They seated
him on an ant-hill, telling him that was his throne and then they washedhis
face in the filthiest puddle they could find. And the tears running down his
cheeks, he said, “I shall yet be washedin clean water.” Thoughhe was bitterly
mistaken.
But think of the King of kings and Lord of lords, having for His adoration the
spittle of guilty mouths, for homage the smiting of filthy hands, for tribute the
jests of brutal tongues!Was ever shame like Yours, You King of kings, You
emperor of all worlds, flouted by the soldiery and smitten by their menial
hands? O earth! How could you endure this iniquity. O you heavens! Why did
you not fall in very indignation to crush the men who thus blasphemed your
Maker? Here was a shame indeed–the King mockedby His own subjects.

8. He was a Prophet, too, as we all know and what did they that they might mock
Him as a Prophet? Why they blindfolded Him–shut out the light of Heaven
from His eyes and then they smote Him and did buffet Him with their hands
and they said, “Prophecyunto us who it is that smote you.” The Prophet must
make a prophecy to those who taunted Him to tell them who it was that smote
Him. We love Prophets. It is but the nature of mankind that if we believe in a
Prophet we should love him. We believe that Jesus was the first and the last of
Prophets. By Him all others are sent–we bow before Him with reverential
adoration. We count it to be our highest honor to sit at His feet like Mary. We
only wish that we might have the comfort to washHis feet with our tears and
wipe them with the hairs of our head. We feel that like John the Baptist, His
shoe latchet we are not worthy to unloose and canwe therefore bear the
spectacle ofJesus the Prophet, blindfolded and buffeted with insult and
blows?
But they also mockedHis priesthood, Jesus Christ had come into the world to
be a Priest to offer sacrifice and His Priesthoodmust be mocked, too. All
salvationlay in the hands of this Priestand now they say unto Him, “If you
are the Christ save Yourself and us.” Ah, He saved others, Himself He could
not save, they laughed. But oh, what mystery of scornis here, what
unutterable depths of shame that the greatHigh Priestof our profession, He
who is Himself the PaschalLamb, the Altar, the Priest, the Sacrifice–thatHe,
the Sonof Godincarnate, the Lamb of God that takes awaythe sins of the
world, should thus be despisedand thus be mocked.
He was mocked, still further, in His sufferings. I cannot venture to describe
the sufferings of our Savior under the lashof the scourge. St. Bernard and
many of the early fathers of the Church gave such a picture of Christ’s
scourging that I could not endure to tell it over again. Whether they had
sufficient data for what they said, I do not know. But this much I know–“He
was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the
chastisementof our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed.”
I know it must have been a terrible scourging, to be calledwounding,
bruising, chastisementand stripes. And, remember, that every time the lash
fell on His shoulders, the laugh of Him who used the lash was mingled with
the stripe and every time the blood poured out afreshand the flesh was torn
off His bones, there was a jest and a jeer to make His pain yet more poignant
and terrible.
And when He came at last to His Cross and they nailed Him upon it, how they
continued the mockeryof His sufferings! We are told that the high priests and
the scribes stoodand at length satand watchedHim there. When they saw His

9. head fall upon His breast, they would, no doubt, make some bitter remark
about it and say, “Ah, He will never lift His head againamong the multitude.”
And when they saw His hands bleeding they would say, “Ha, ha, these were
the hands that touched the lepers and that raised the dead–they will never do
this again.” And when they saw His feet, they would say, “Ah, those feet will
never tread this land againand journey on His pilgrimages of mercy.” And
then some coarse, some villainous, some brutal, perhaps some beastly jest
would be made concerning every part of His thrice-adorable Person. They
mockedHim and, at last, He called for drink and they gave Him vinegar–
mocking His thirst, while they pretended to allay it.
But worstof all, I have one more thing to notice, they mockedHis prayers.
Did you ever read in all the annals of executions, or of murders, that ever men
mockedtheir fellow creatures prayers? I have read stories of some dastardly
villains who have soughtto slay their enemies and seeing their death
approaching the victims have said, “give me a moment or two for prayer”–
and rare has been the caseswhenthis has been disallowed. But I never read of
a case in which when the prayer was uttered it has been laughed at and made
the objectof a jest. But here hangs the Savior and every word He speaks
becomes the subjectof a pun, the motto of a jest. And when at the lastHe
utters the most thrilling death-shriek that ever startled earth and Hell, “Eloi,
Eloi, lama Sabacthani,” eventhen they must pun upon it and say, “He calls
for Elijah, let us see whether Elijah will come and take Him down.” He was
mockedeven in His prayer. O Jesus!Neverwas love like Yours–never
patience that could be compared with Your endurance when You did endure
the Cross, despising the shame.
I feel that in thus describing the Savior’s mockeries,I have not been able to
setbefore you the fullness of the shame through which He passedand shall
have to attempt it yet, again, in anothermoment, when I come to describe His
shameful death, taking the words which precededthe ones I have already
enlargedupon. He endured the Cross just as He did despise the shame.
The Cross!The Cross!When you hear that word it wakens in your hearts no
thoughts of shame. There are other forms of capital punishment in the present
day far more disgracefulthan the Cross. Connectedwith the guillotine there is
much with the block as much with the gallows, mostof all. But, remember,
that although to speak of the gallows is to utter a word of ignominy, yet there
is nothing of shame in the term “gallows,”comparedwith the shame of the
Cross, as it was understood in the days of Christ. We are told that crucifixion
was a punishment to which none could be put but a slave and, even then, the
crime must have been of the most frightful character–suchas the betrayal of a

10. master, the plotting his death, or murdering him–only such offenses would
have brought crucifixion, even, upon a slave.
It was lookedupon as the most terrible and frightful of all punishments. All
the deaths in the world are preferable to this. They have all some slight
alleviating circumstance, eithertheir rapidity or their glory. But this is the
death of a villain, of a murderer, of an assassin–a deathpainfully protracted,
one which cannot be equaled in all inventions of human cruelty for suffering
and ignominy. Christ Himself endured this. The Cross, Isay, is in this day no
theme of shame. It has been the crestof many a monarch, the banner of many
a conqueror. To some it is an objectof adoration. The finest engravings, the
most wonderful paintings have been dedicated to this subject. And now, the
Cross engravedon many a gem has become a right, royal and noble thing.
And we are unable at this day, I believe, fully to understand the shame of the
Cross. But the Jew knew it, the Romanknew it–and Christ knew what a
frightful thing, what a shameful thing–it was to be put to the death of
crucifixion.
Remember, too, that in the Savior’s case, there were specialaggravationsof
this shame. He had to carry His own Cross. He was crucified, too, at the
common place of execution, Calvary, analogous to our ancient Tyburn, or our
present Old Bailey. He was put to death, too, at a time when Jerusalemwas
full of people. It was at the feastof the Passover, whenthe crowd had greatly
increasedand when the representatives ofall nations would be present to
behold the spectacle.Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the dwellers in
Mesopotamia, inGreece, yes, and perhaps far-off Tarshish and the islands of
the sea. All were there to unite in this scoffing and to increase the shame. And
He was crucified betweentwo thieves, as if to teachthat He was more vile
than they. Was evershame like this?
Let me conduct you to the Cross. The Cross, the Cross!Tears beginto flow at
the very thoughts of it. The rough woodis laid upon the ground, Christ is
flung upon His back, four soldiers seize His hands and feet, His blessedflesh
his rent with the accursediron. He begins to bleed, He is lifted into mid-air,
the Cross is dashed into the place prepared for it. Every limb is dislocated,
every bone put out of joint by that terrific jerk. He hangs there naked to His
shame, gazedupon by all beholders, the sun shines hot upon Him, fever begins
to burn, His tongue is dried up like a potsherd, it cleaves to the roof of His
mouth, He has not wherewith to nourish nature with moisture.
His body has been long emaciatedby fasting, He has been brought near the
brink of death by flagellationin the hall of Pilate. There He hangs, the most
tender part of His body, His hands and feet are pierced and where the nerves

11. are most numerous and tender, there is the iron rending and tearing its
fearful way. The weightof His body drags the iron up His feet and when His
knees are so weary that they cannot hold Him, then the iron begins to drag
through His hands. Terrible spectacleindeed! But you have seenonly the
outward–there was an inward. You cannot see that–if you could see it, though
your eyes were like the angels, you would be smitten with eternalblindness.
Then there was the soul. The soul dying. Can you guess what must be the
pangs of a souldying? A soul never died on earth yet. Hell is the place of
dying souls, where they die everlastinglythe seconddeath. And there was
within the ribs of Christ’s body, Hell itself poured out. Christ’s soul was
enduring the conflict with all the powers of Hell, whose malice was aggravated
by the fact that it was the last battle they should ever be able to fight with
Him. No, worse than that. He had lost that which is the martyr’s strength and
shield, He had lost the presence ofHis God, God Himself was putting His
hand upon Him!
It pleasedthe Fatherto bruise Him. He has put Him to grief, He has made His
soul a sacrifice forsin. God, in whose countenance Christ had everlastingly
seemedhimself, basking in delight, concealedHis face. And there was Jesus
forsakenofGod and man, left alone to tread the winepress–no, to be trod in
the winepress–anddip His clothes in His own blood. Oh, was there ever grief
like this? No love can picture it. If I had a thought in my heart concerning the
suffering of Christ, it should chafe my lips before I uttered it. The agonies of
Jesus were like the furnace of Nebuchadnezzar, heatedseven times hotter
than ever human suffering was heatedbefore. Every vein was a road for the
hot feetof pain to travel in–every nerve a string in a harp of agony that
thrilled with the discordant wail of Hell. All the agonies thatthe damned
themselves canendure were thrust into the soul of Christ.
He was a target for the arrows of the Almighty, arrows dipped in the poison of
our sin. All the billows of the Eternal dashed upon this Rock ofour salvation.
He must be bruised, trod, crushed, destroyed–His soulmust be exceeding
sorrowful, even unto death.
But I must pause, I cannotdescribe it. I can creepover it and you can, too.
The rocks rent when Jesus died, our hearts must be made of harder marble
than the rocks themselves if they do not feel. The temple rent its gorgeous veil
of tapestry and will not you be mourners, too? The sun itself had one big tear
in its ownburning eye, which quenched its light. And shall not we weep? We
for whom the Saviordied? Shall not we feelan agonyof heart that He should
thus have endured for us?

12. Mark, my Friends, that all the shame that came on Christ He despised. He
counted it so light compared with the joy which was set before Him, that He is
said to have despisedit. As for His sufferings, He could not despise them–that
word could not be used in connectionwith the Cross for the Cross was too
awful for even Christ Himself to despise. That, He endured. The shame He
could castoff, but the Cross He must carry and to it He must be nailed. “He
endured the Cross, despising the shame.”
II. And now HIS GLORIOUS MOTIVE. What was that which made Jesus
speak like this?–“Forthe joy that was setbefore Him.” Beloved, what was the
joy? Oh, ‘tis a thought that must melt a rock and make a heart of iron move!
The joy which was setbefore Jesus, was principally joy of saving you and me.
I know it was the joy of fulfilling His Father’s will–of sitting down on His
Father’s Throne–ofbeing made perfect through suffering–but still I know
that this is the grand, greatmotive of the Savior’s suffering–the joy of saving
us. Do you know what the joy is of doing goodto others? If you do not I pity
you, for of all joys which God has left in this poor wilderness, this is one of the
sweetest.
Have you seenthe hungry when they have wanted bread for many an hour–
have you seenthem come to your house almostnaked, their clothes having
been thrust away that they might getmoney upon them to find them bread?
Have you heard the woman’s story of the griefs of her husband? Have you
listened when you have heard the tale of imprisonment, of sickness,ofcold, or
hunger, of thirst and have you never said, “I will clothe you, I will feedyou”?
Have you never felt that joy Divine, when your gold has been given to the poor
and your silver has been dedicatedto the Lord, when you bestowedit upon
the hungry and you have gone aside and said, “God forbid that I should be
self-righteous–butI do feel it is worth living for, to feed the hungry and clothe
the nakedand to do goodto my poor suffering fellow creatures”?
Now, this is the joy which Christ felt. It was the joy of feeding us with the
bread of Heaven–the joy of clothing poor, naked sinners in His own
righteousness–the joyof finding mansions in Heaven for homeless souls–of
delivering us from the prison of Hell and giving us the eternal enjoyments of
Heaven. But why should Christ look on us? Why should He choose to do this
for us? Oh, my Friends, we never deservedanything at His hands! As a good
old writer says, “WhenI look at the crucifixion of Christ, I remember that my
sins put Him to death. I see not Pilate, but I see myself in Pilate’s place,
bartering Christ for honor. I hear not the cry of the Jews, but I hear my sins
yelling out, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him.’ I see not iron nails, but I see my own

13. iniquities fastening him to the Cross. I see no spear, but I behold my unbelief
piercing His poor wounded side–
‘For you, my sins, my cruel sins, His chief tormentors were.
Eachof my sins became a nail and unbelief the spear.’"
It is the opinion of the Romanist, that the very man who pierced Christ’s side
was afterwards convertedand became a followerof Jesus. I do not know
whether that is the fact, but I know it is the case spiritually. I know that we
have pierced the Savior, I know that we have crucified Him. And yet, strange
to say, the blood which we fetched from those holy veins has washedus from
our sins and has made us acceptedin the Beloved. Can you understand this?
Here is manhood mocking the Savior, parading Him through the streets,
nailing Him to a Cross and then sitting down to mock at His agonies. And yet
what is there in the heart of Jesus but love to them?
He is weeping all this while that they should crucify Him, not so much because
He felt the suffering, though that was much, but because He could bear the
thought that men whom He loved could nail Him to the tree. “Thatwas the
unkindest stabof all.” You remember that remarkable story of Julius Caesar,
when he was struck by his friend Brutus. “Whenthe noble Caesarsaw him
stab, ingratitude, more strong than traitor’s arms, quite vanquished him!
Then burst his mighty heart.” Now Jesus had to endure the stab in His inmost
heart and to know that His electdid it–that His redeemeddid it, that His own
Church was His murderer–that His own people nailed Him to the tree!Can
you think, Beloved, how strong must have been the love that made Him
submit even to this?
Picture yourself today going home from this hall. You have an enemy who all
his life long has been your enemy. His father was your enemy and he is your
enemy, too. There is never a day passes but you try to win his friendship. But
he spits upon your kindness and curses your name. He does injury to your
friends and there is not a stone he leaves unturned to do you plumage. As you
are going home today, you see a house on fire. The flames are raging and the
smoke is ascending up in one black column to Heaven. Crowds gather in the
streetand you are told there is a man in the upper chamber who must be
burnt to death. No one cansave him. You say, “Why that is my enemy’s
house.” And you see him at the window. It is your own enemy–the very man.
He is about to be burnt. Full of loving kindness, you say, “I will save that man
if I can.” He sees you approachthe house. He puts his head from the window
and curses you. “An everlasting blastupon you!” he says, “I would rather
perish than that you should save me.”

14. Do you imagine yourself then, dashing through the smoke and climbing the
blazing staircaseto save him? And can you conceive thatwhen you get near
him he struggles with you and tries to roll you in the flames? Can you
conceive your love to be so potent, that you canperish in the flames rather
than leave him to be burned? You say, “I could not do it. It is above flesh and
blood to do it.” But Jesus did it. We hated Him, we despisedHim and, when
He came to save us, we rejectedHim. When His Holy Spirit comes into our
hearts to strive with us, we resist Him. But He will save us. No, He Himself
braved the fire that He might snatchus as brands from eternalburning. The
joy of Jesus was the joy of saving sinners. The greatmotive, then, with Christ,
in enduring all this, was that He might save us.
III. And now, give me just a moment and I will try and hold the Savior up for
OUR IMITATION. I speak now to Christians–to those who have tasted and
handled of the goodword of life. Christian Men and Women! If Christ
endured all this, merely for the joy of saving you, will you be ashamedof
bearing anything for Christ? The words are on my lips againthis morning–
“If on my face for Your dear name, shame and reproachshall be,
I’ll hail reproach and welcome shame, my Lord, I’ll die for You.”
Oh, I do not wonder that the martyrs died for such a Christ as this! When the
love of Christ is shed abroadin our hearts, then we feel that if the stake were
present we would stand firmly in the fire to suffer for Him who died for us. I
know our poor unbelieving hearts would soonbegin to quail at the crackling
fire woodand the furious heat. But surely this love would prevail over all our
unbelief–are there any of you who feel that if you follow Christ you must lose
by it, lose your station, or lose your reputation? Will you be laughed at if you
leave the world and follow Jesus? Oh, and will you turn aside because of these
little things when He would not turn aside, though all the world mockedHim,
till He could say “It is finished”? No, by the Grace of God, let every Christian
lift his hands to the MostHigh God, to the Makerof Heavenand earth and let
him saywithin himself–
“Now for the love I bear his name,
What was my gain I count my loss,
I pour contempt on all my shame,
And nail my glory to His Cross.”
“Forme to live is Christ. To die is gain,” Living I will be His, dying I will be
His. I will live to His honor, serve Him wholly, if He will help me, and if He
needs, I will die for His name’s sake.

15. [Mr. Spurgeon was so led out under the first head, that he was unable from
want of time to touch upon the other points. May what was blessedto the
hearer be sweetto the reader.]
Christ as a Sufferer
J. Stalker, D.D.
Isaiah 53:3-7
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with
grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him…
1. Jesus sufferedfrom what may be called the ordinary privations of
humanity. Born in a stable, etc. We may not be able to assertthat none ever
suffered so much physical agonyas He, but this is at leastprobable; for the
exquisiteness of His physical organism in all likelihood made Him much more
sensitive than others to pain.
2. He suffered keenly from the pain of anticipating coming evil.
3. He suffered from the sense ofbeing the cause ofsuffering to others. To
persons of an unselfish disposition the keenestpang inflicted by their own
weakness ormisfortunes may sometimes be to see those whom they would like
to make happy rendered miserable through connectionwith themselves. To
the child Jesus how gruesome must have been the story of the babes of
Bethlehem, whom the sword of Herod smote when it was seeking forHim! Or,
if His mother spared Him this recital, He must at leasthave learned how she
and Josephhad to flee with Him to Egypt to escape the jealousyof Herod. As
His life drew near its close, this sense that connectionwith Himself might be
fatal to His friends forceditself more and more upon His notice.
4. The element of shame was, all through, a large ingredient in His cup of
suffering. To a sensitive mind there is nothing more intolerable; it is far
harder to bear than bodily pain. But it assailedJesusin nearly every form,

16. pursuing Him all through His life. He was railed at for the humbleness of His
birth. The high-born priests and the educatedrabbis sneeredat the
carpenter's son who had never learned, and the wealthy Pharisees derided
Him. He was againand againcalled a madman. Evidently this was what
Pilate took Him for. The Roman soldiers adopted an attitude of savage banter
towards Him all through His trial and crucifixion, treating Him as boys
torment one who is weak in the mind. He heard Barabbas preferred to
Himself by the voice of His fellow-countrymen, and He was crucified between
thieves, as if He were the worstof the worst. A hail of mockerykept falling on
Him in His dying hours. Thus had He who was conscious ofirresistible
strength to submit to be treatedas the weakestofweaklings, andHe who was
the Wisdom of the Highest to submit to be used as if He were less than a man.
5. But to Jesus it was more painful still, being the Holy One of God, to be
regardedand treated as the chief of sinners. To one who loves God and
goodness there canbe nothing so odious as to be suspectedof hypocrisy and to
know that he is believed to be perpetrating crimes at the opposite extreme
from his public profession. Yet this was what Jesus was accusedof. Possibly
there was not a single human being, when He died, who believed that He was
what He claimedto be.
6. If to the holy soulof Jesus it was painful to be believed to be guilty of sins
which He had not committed, it must have been still more painful to feelthat
He was being thrust into sin itself. This attempt was olden made. Satantried it
in the wilderness, and although only this one temptation of his is detailed, he
no doubt often returned to the attack. Wickedmen tried it; they resortedto
every device to cause Him to lose His temper (Luke 11:53, 54). Even friends,
who did not understand the plan of His life, endeavouredto direct Him from
the course prescribedto Him by the will of God — so much so that He had
once to turn on one of them, as if he were temptation personified, with "Get
thee behind Me, Satan."
7. While the proximity of sin awoke suchloathing in His holy soul, and the
touch of it was to Him like the touch of fire on delicate flesh, He was brought
into the closestcontactwith it, and hence arose His deepestsuffering. It
pressedits loathsome presence onHim from a hundred quarters. He who
could not bear to look on it saw it in its worstforms close to His very eyes. His
own presence in the world brought it out; for goodnessstirs up the evil lying
at the bottom of wickedhearts. It was as if all the sin of the race were rushing
upon Him, and Jesus feltit as if it were all His own.

17. (J. Stalker, D.D.)
What Does It Mean for Jesus to Despise
Shame?
john-piper
Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org
In running the race of life we are to look to the exaltationof Jesus at the end
of his race. But Hebrews 12:2 tells us to look not only to his exaltation, but to
his motivation.
Jesus was carriedin the agonies ofthe last lap of his race by the hope of joy.
“Forthe joy that was setbefore him [he] endured the cross, despising the
shame” (verse 2). Jesus kepthis eyes on the same place we should — his own
future exaltation at the Father’s right hand, with the completion of our
salvationcrowning his head. This was his joy.
There were mammoth obstacles in Jesus’s way. Two are mentioned. The cross
and the shame. The cross, no doubt, stands for all the pain and abandonment
and spiritual darkness ofthose hours, as he lunged, dying, to the finish line.
But shameis the one agonyof the cross whichthe author mentions. And he
said that Jesus despised it. That is an amazing choice of words. Would you
have chosensuch a word to say he overcame shame? He despisedit.
Shame was stripping awayevery earthly support that Jesus had: his friends
gave way in shaming abandonment; his reputation gave way in shaming
mockery;his decencygave way in shaming nakedness;his comfort gave way
in shaming torture. His glorious dignity gave way to the utterly undignified,
degrading reflexes of grunting and groaning and screeching.
And he despisedit. What does this mean?
It means Jesus spoke to shame like this:
“Listen to me, Shame, do you see that joy in front of me? Comparedto that, you
are less than nothing. You are not worth comparingto that! I despise you. You

18. think you have power. Compared to the joy before me, you have none. Joy. Joy.
Joy. That is my power! Not you, Shame. You areworthless. You are powerless.
You think you can distract me. I won’teven look at you. I have a joy set before
me. Why would Ilook at you? You are uglyand despicable. And you are almost
finished. You cover menow as witha shroud. Before you can say, ‘So there!’ I
willthrow you off likea filthy rag. I willputon myroyal robe.
You think you are great, because even lastnight you mademydisciplesrun
away. You area fool, Shame. You area despicablefool. That abandonment, that
loneliness, this cross — these tools of yours — they are all mysacred suffering,
and willsavemydisciples, notdestroy them. You are a fool. Yourfilthy hands
fulfill holyprophecy.
Farewell, Shame. It is finished.”
10 Ways the Cross Atones for Shame
Posted on April 1, 2015 by http://honorshame.com/author/jason/HYPERLINK
"http://honorshame.com/author/jason/"HonorShame — 4 Comments ↓
Guest Mark Baker (Ph.D., Duke) is Professor of Mission and Theology at Fresno Pacific
Biblical Seminary. Two of his books Recovering the Scandal of the Cross and Proclaiming the
Scandal of the Cross explore the saving significance of the cross.
Here are 10 aspects of the atonement potentially relevant to people of honor-shame cultures.

19. A t o n i n g f o r S h a m e
1. Jesus was shamed. Shame was central to the crucifixion itself. Romans opted for crucifixion
for its public, humiliating quality. The cross is the ultimate tale of a person being labeled as an
outcast. Jesus endured actual, concrete shame. This fulfilled Isaiah’s vision of God’s servant who
would bear tremendous shame (Isa 49:7; 50:6-8; 53:2-3).
2. Jesus bears our shame. Jesus absorbed shame on our behalf. As in the parable of the father
with two (disgraceful) sons (Lk 15:11-32), Jesus bore shame to communicate God’s costly love.
Whether eating with the tax-collectors or dying on the cross, Jesus experienced shame to restore
the shamed.
3. Jesus removes our shame. All people have done shameful things, which makes us shameful
in God’s eyes (Gen 3; Ez 16). Because of our shameful sin, we lack God’s glory (Rom 3:23).
Jesus bore the consequences of that shame—rejection, isolation, and ultimately, death—in our
place. Those in Christ will not face shame (Rom 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6-7).
4. God affirmed the shamed. The cross liberates people from shame by displaying Jesus’
commitment to their new identity. Jesus challenged the false cultural practices of social
exclusion to the point of death. He died for the shamed. Jesus gave up his own status and honor
to included the excluded and shamed. God does not stand with the shamers, but with the shamed.
5. Jesus defeatedshame. Shame, like death and sin, was a tool of the enemy that Jesus defeated
on the cross. Because of Jesus, shame no longer has any rightful power over people. Because
Jesus disregarded the shame of the cross (Heb 12:2) the lie of distorted honor systems was
exposed and shame’s power to exclude was destroyed (Col 2:13-19).
6. Jesus was honored. The resurrection overflows with honor and glory (Heb 2:9). Philippians
2:5-11 communicates so powerfully—it is the crucified one who is greatly honored. Jesus enjoys
the honor of sitting at God’s right and having a name above all names.
7. Jesus honored God. Jesus did not fall short of God’s glory. He faithfully obeyed God and
kept covenant in a way Israel had never done. Jesus brought honor to God on our behalf. Those
“in Christ” receive his honoring actions as their own; they are restored to an appropriate
relational status of honoring God through Jesus.
8. God saved face. The cross mitigated potential shame and preserved God’s status by
demonstrating his faithfulness (cf. Rom 3:3-7; 15:8). God is not all bark and no bite; he delivers

20. on his promises. Yahweh said he would save the world, and he kept that word through the death
and resurrection of Jesus. The cross “protects the family name.”
9. Jesus remade the group. The cross formed a new family of God by tearing down the walls of
division (Eph 2:11-22). For the Jewish apostles, the remaking of God’s covenant community to
include Gentiles from all nations carried cosmic significance. People can now be a part of God’s
special group of honored people (1 Pet 2:9-10).
10. Jesus honors us. The cross provides us a new identity—children of God. And as children we
are heirs, which underlines our honorable status (Rom 8:15-18; Gal 3:26-29.) We receive Jesus’
own glory and honor for ourselves (John 17; Heb 2:10). The crown of glory we inherit is
imperishable and unfading (1:4; 5:4); Jesus appearing will reveal our own glory and honor (1 Pet
1:7). The NT weaves all these aspects of the atonement into a single fabric of salvation. But,
pulling apart and tracing a few of the threads helps us see the full glory of the cross during
Easter.
What this post helpful? . . .
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Relatedposts:
1. Another FREE BOOK, and HS Missiology
2. Top 7 Honor-Shame Videos
3. Jesus’ Miraculous Healing Honor
4. Jesus’ Death, for Muslims
About HonorShame
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Honor-Shame in Africa ›

21. Posted in Missiology, NT, Theology Tagged with: atonement, cross, death, Honor, Jesus, shame
4 comments on “10Ways the Cross Atones for Shame”
1. Steve Hoke says:
2. April 1, 2015 at 5:04 pm
3. Great stuff, brother Mark. THis helps us see how to apply the H/S worldview in
incredibly practical ways. Thanks for this help! God bless you as you share the Scandal!
Steve Hoke
4. Reply
5. Werner Mischke says:
6. April 1, 2015 at 5:37 pm
7. Amen and amen. This is a message for our time and our world.
8. Reply
9. Melinda says:
10. April 4, 2015 at 2:43 am
11. It seems as though there was quite a bit of cultural belief tied to the
cross/crucifixion that is today unfamiliar to Westerners, and not easy for them to
understand. Thank you for this. It’s a helpful piece.
12. Reply
13. Raymond Balogun says:
14. October 6, 2018 at 1:04 am
15. Great interpretation and tremendous inspirational message on the atoning power
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God bless you sir. Raymond Balogun from Nigeria.
16. Reply
1 Pings/Trackbacks for "10Ways theCross Atones for Shame"
1. How A Culture Of Shame Puts Us In Bondage And How We Can Find Freedom From
Shame – Renewed and Transformed says:
2. October 28, 2016 at 1:16 am
3. […] scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”
(Hebrews 12:2). HERE is a link to “10 Ways the Cross Atones for Shame” by Mark […]

22. 1 Didst thou dear Jesus suffer shame,
And bear the cross for me?
And shall I fear to own thy name,
Or thy disciple be?
2 Forbid it Lord that I should dread,
To suffer shame or loss;
O, let me in thy footsteps tread,
And glory in thy cross.
3 Inspire my soul with life divine,
And holy courage bold;
Let knowledge, faith and meekness shine,
Nor love nor zeal grow cold.
4 Say to my soul, why dost thou fear
The face of feeble man?
Behold thy heavenly Captain's here,
Before thee in the van.
5 O how my soul would up and run,
At this reviving word,
Nor any painful sufferings shun,
To follow thee, my Lord.
6 For this let men reproach, defame,
And call we what they will;
Lo! I may glorify thy name,
And be thy servant still.
7 To thee I cheerfully submit,
And all thy powers resign;
Let wisdom point out what is fit,
And I'll no more repine.
8 I'll cheerfully take up the cross,
And follow thee my Lord,
Submit to tortures, shame and loss,
At thy commanding word.
9 But this I promise to fulfil,
Through thy assisting grace,
For I am powerless and a weak will,
I must with shame confess.
10 But let thy grace sufficient be,
In every time of need;
Then Lord I'll boldly fight for thee,
And every time succeed.

23. Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs: for the use of religious assemblies and private Christians
1800
All representative texts • Compare textsHYPERLINK l "^ top
Author: James Maxwell
Maxwell, James , was born in Renfrewshire in 1720. In his youth he journeyed to England with a
hardware pack, but eventually returning to Scotland, he followed the joint occupation of
schoolmaster and poet. In 1783, during a famine in Scotland he was reduced to great destitution,
and had to earn his bread by breaking stones on the highway. Most of his publications (from 30
to 40 in all) were produced after that period. The two works in which we are interested are:— (1)
Hymns and Spiritual Songs. In Three Books. 1759. (2) A New Version of the whole of the Book
of Psalms in Metre; by James Maxwell, S. D. P. [Student of Divine Poetry.] Glasgow, 1773.
From the former of these the following hymns are in common use:— 1. All glory to t… Go to
person page >
SHAME OF THE CROSS
Honor and shame were very important categories in antiquity, so a second element, a more
interior suffering, a more internal suffering associated with the cross was the shame of being
crucified, the shame of crucifixion. In fact, Cicero, a famous Roman rhetorician, talked about the
cross as “the tree of shame.” So he can actually call it “the tree of shame.” And the reason it was
regarded as such was because crucifixion specifically a punishment for slaves. Seneca calls it
“the extreme and ultimate penalty for a slave” and Valerius Maximus calls it “the slaves’
punishment.”
So again, I mentioned Saint Paul and his death by beheading in Rome during the persecution of
Nero—the reason he received that more merciful form of execution was because he was a
Roman citizen, whereas St. Peter, Bishop of Rome, was a Jew from Judea. He was an immigrant
to Italy, to Rome, and so he suffered the penalty of a non-citizen of crucifixion — although he
asked to be crucified upside down. Think about how that exacerbated the torture because he
didn’t feel worthy of being crucified in the exact same way as his Lord.
So this death is meant to shame you. It’s meant to mock you. It’s meant to embarrass you in front
of everyone, okay? And if you’ve ever been really, really embarrassed, you know the pain of
embarrassment cuts deeply if it’s a serious one, yes, right? But it’s an interior suffering. So that’s
what we would call an embarrassment; they would call it shame. It’s deeper than just being
embarrassed. And again, we have both Roman and Jewish witnesses to this effect. So crucifixion
is a form of mockery. For example, Seneca tells us in his Dialogues about the ways in which the
Romans would crucify their victims. And he says this:

24. I see crosses there, not just of one kind but made in many different ways: some have their
victims with head down to the ground [like St. Peter]; some impale their private parts; others
stretch out their arms on the gibbet. (Seneca, Dialogue 6.20.3)
So in some cases…our Lord had the nails driven through his hands and his feet. In some cases
the executioners would have fun by driving them through the privates, right, through the
genitalia of the victims. I mean you can imagine not just the shame but the pain, right, of such a
death. Seneca says “I see”; this is common, right? This is a horrible, horrible way to die. And
you think about the modesty of antiquity too in general — not every culture has the same
standards of modesty. Especially among Jewish standards, the idea of being exposed before
everyone would be shameful enough, but to be executed by being impaled in those sensitive
parts of the body is just horrific. I mean, it’s something that’s difficult to even imagine.
Sorry, this is kind of a drag of a class. It’s a little bit of a downer, but this is the reality of it. I
want you to think about this as we move through the semester because this is going to be the
great Mystery of the Cross. It’s the Christian Mystery too. What does it mean for God, not only
to will from all eternity this fate for his own Divine Son, but then to draw us into it too—the
martyrs and all the baptized in some way, shape or form?
Okay. Josephus, again, tells us about some crucifixions that took place in the Jewish-Roman war
and he says this about Titus, who was the Roman general who captured Jerusalem. He says:
[Titus] allowed his soldiers to have their way, especially as he hoped that the gruesome sight of
the countless crosses might have moved the besieged to surrender.
So the Jews are in the city of Jerusalem. They’re besieged. Titus and the Roman armies are
outside. It’s 70 AD and they’re trying to get the besieged to give up the siege. And so in the
order to do that, they start crucifying people. So this is what he says:
So the soldiers, out of the rage and hatred they bore the prisoners, nailed those they caught in
different postures to the crosses, by way of jest… (Josephus, War 5:451)
So they would put them in funny positions, you know, humorous positions in order to let them
die in that way. So they’re having fun with the bodies of these victims out of venting their rage
and their cruelty on the crucified. And Titus, the general, let’s them do it, and he says, well at
least I hope that it will move the Jewish people in the city to stop insisting on remaining as they
are sieged.
The fourth point of crucifixion that heightened the shame of it was not simply the slavery, the
identity as slave attached to it, or the mockery and cruelty that often attended it, but also the
immodesty that was ordinarily part of it. It is the case, and as both Hengel and Keener and many
other scholars have pointed out, that the victims are ordinarily crucified naked. This is something
that we’re not really as familiar with because ordinarily we only know about Jesus of Nazareth’s
crucifixion and ordinarily when we see him on the cross, we’ll see him with a loin cloth, right?
That’s the general iconography.
And as you can see in the footnote there I get into…there’s some discussion amongst scholars
about whether it is the case the Jesus was crucified with a loin cloth or without. The Fathers
differ about this. Some of the early Church Fathers seem to suggest that Jesus was completely
despoiled of his clothing. For example, Melito of Sardis, in his book On the Pascha. Others
depict him as retaining the loin cloth. Which either way, it would be like being executed, for our
purposes, in your underwear in front of everyone in a public place, which would be shameful in

25. itself, right? So you have to think about not just ancient standards of modesty, but contemporary
standards of modesty. To despoil someone of their clothings even down to their underwear in
front of everyone would be a very, very shameful thing to undergo. Ordinarily though, it’s the
case that they were completely naked. Most modern films, of course, don’t depict this aspect of
crucifixion because it even offends our sensibilities, as base as those are, right?
For example, turn the page. On page 6, Dionysius of Halicarnassus who has a long book on
Roman antiquities—almost as long as his name—wrote this:
A Roman citizen of no obscure station, having ordered one of his slaves to be put to death,
delivered him to his fellow-slaves to be led away, and in order that his punishment might be
witnessed by all, directed them to drag him through the Forum and every other conspicuous part
of the city as they whipped him…
So if you've been down the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, why the long walk through the city?
Well, it’s a parade. It’s a crucifixion parade. We’re going to show you to everybody on your way
to the tree, okay? So again, the shame element is very, very key here.
…that he should go ahead of the procession which the Romans were at that time conducting in
honour of the god.
So they attached it to the local parade in favor of Dionysius and whatever.
The men ordered to lead the slave to his punishment, having stretched out both his arms and
fastened them to a piece of wood which extended across his breast and shoulders as far as his
wrists, followed him, tearing his naked body with whips.
So there, we see again, the fact the he is naked in the actual carrying of the cross.
The culprit, overcome by such cruelty, not only uttered ill-omened cries, forced from him by the
pain, but also made indecent movements under the blows. (Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman
Antiquities, 7.69.1-2)
It’s not clear exactly what he means there but in that last time except that his…in other words, he
was probably exposed in ways that would have been indecent, falling and such in front of
everyone—very shameful. This isn’t just in Roman texts though. In ancient Judaism also, shame
was a part of executions. So in the Mishnah, there’s a discussion in the Treatise Sanhedrin—
sorry, back up. The Mishnah is an ancient Jewish collections of traditions of the rabbis from the
time of Christ all the way up to the end of the second century AD. And in the Mishnah tractate
Sanhedrin, which is the Treatise on the Sanhedrin, the leading council of the Jews, they’re
discussing the question of how executions ought to be carried out. And there’s the question of
whether they would be done in the nude or not, right? And the Mishnah says this:
“When he was four cubits from the place of stoning they stripped off his clothes. A man is kept
covered in front and a woman both in front and behind. So Rabbi Judah. But the Sages say: A
man is stoned naked but a woman is not stoned naked.” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 6:3)
So we see that even in Judaism, whose standards of modesty are going to be greater than, for
example, the Greeks, the custom is to stone someone to death in the nude as a part of the shame.
Again, St. Paul was stoned during his public ministry and suffered that fate. Although, he’s a
hard man to keep down, so he just got back up and went back to the city and started preaching
again. But it’s something we don’t think about. Again, in the scenes and descriptions of stonings
that we usually see, this element is left out of this form of execution.

26. Obviously here, this is the text that makes some scholars wonder because it says that a man is
kept covered in front and a woman in front and behind. It seems that the man is given some kind
of undergarment or loin cloth, right, so you strip down to that and then the woman would be
given some kind of undergarment as well just to conceal her. But then others say, “No, a man
should be just stoned completely naked,” right? Completely naked. So there’s no real way to put
into words just how shameful crucifixion was, or for that matter being stoned to death.
There’s another text I didn’t give you here that Chapman mentions about the hanging of men and
women. They said the man would be hung facing outward, but for the sake of decency, they
would hang the women facing the tree, so that you couldn’t see her front. So these are very brutal
time. This is very, very different than what we would be used to given our sensibilities.
https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/blog/crucifixion-the-shame-of-the-cross
The Shame of The Cross
January 31, 2012 by Billy Kangas
• The cross has become the quintessential symbol for the Christian faith. It’s placed on
churches, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, lapel pins, necklaces, tattoos and even baked goods. It is
a symbol of comfort, a symbol of faith, a symbol of allegiance, and even at times a fashion
statement. The casual use of the cross that we see today would not have been what the first
Christians would have expected in first centuries after Jesus was crucified. The early Church
served a God who they believed had become human, and had suffered crucifixion. This was a
huge scandal for the church. Crucifixion was the arguably the most shameful way to die in the
first century and to own a leader who was crucified, was in part, to own the shame. This is why
the story of the cross in the early church is so amazing. The church was a community that was
able to embrace Christ, even in the shame of the cross and was even able to see beauty in the
midst of the grotesque. The cross that finds itself so comfortable in our culture today was only
able to find it’s place of ease through a gradual process of self reflexion by a community torn
between love and aversion toward it.
• The History of The Cross
The Cross was adopted by the Roman Empire with the intent to suppress any and intimidate
people. It was devised as a method of execution that prolonged the suffering and death of a
victim, emaciated the body brought death to the perpetrator at the highest price. Victims were
impaled on a vertical wooden stake or on stakes formed together like the letter T. Victims would
hang there for hours, or even days. While there they were emaciated alive. Measures were often
put in place specifically to lengthen the the suffering of an individual by keeping them alive just
a little bit longer. Bodies were so destroyed by the process that of the few that were able to find a
pardon and come down before they died, a fair percentage still died. Once dead the body would
remain there to rot as an example to the people who passed by what would happen to those who
stood up to Rome. In most cases the bodies were not allowed to even receive a proper burial.
• It was originally reserved exclusively for slaves and was considered one of the most
humiliating and shameful things a person could ever endure, which was it’s aim. It was so

27. humiliating that Roman citizens were only crucified for grave offenses, like treason, and even
these crucifixions were not common. In fact Cicero argued that, “the very mention of the cross
should be far removed not only from a Roman citizen’s body, but from his mind, his eyes, his
ears.” The cross was a beyond the pale and taboo to the extreme for upstanding Romans.
It’s no wonder that the early church did not begin using the cross as the public symbol of their
identity in the earliest years. The cross was still in use. Many Christians were still being crucified
in the empire up to the time of Constantine. It was only due to the conversion of Constantine to
the Christian faith that Crucifixions came to an end in the empire. Constantine ended the practice
in honor of Jesus. The cross was a symbol used to openly mock Christians for what they
believed. Archaeologists have uncovered an engraving from the time of the early church which
reveals a bit of what the mind of the ancient Roman world was like. In the engraving there is a
picture of a man with a donkey head being crucified. Next to him is another posture that seems to
be worshiping the donkey-man on the cross. The image was a piece of graffiti often referred to as
the graffito blasfemo that is thought to have been written by an ancient slave who was probably
making fun of his fellow slave for his belief in Jesus. With the picture there is an inscription
stating, “Αλεξαμενος ϲεβετε θεον.” This is translated as “Alexamenos, worship God” or
“Alexamenos worships God.” It would appear that the slave being mocked was a man named
Alexamenos. Scholars believe that the reason that the man has a Donkey head was due to a
widely held misconception in the ancient world that the Jewish people worshiped a donkey,
which had led them to water while they wandered in the wilderness with Moses. The artist
mocks Alexamenos by pointing to how utterly shameful it was to worship Jesus as the Jewish
donkey God, since Jesus had been killed in the most shameful way.
To overcome the historical and cultural shame of the cross the church had to re-frame the cross
in a new paradigm. It was no longer seen as a place where Jesus was overcome by shame, but a
location where shame was overcome by Jesus. The author of the book of Hebrews makes the
argument that Jesus καταφρονέω (made nothing of, despised) the shame of the cross, so that the
church would not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2-3). In other words the Jesus
transformed the cross from a place of shame to a place of victory. The early church found took
up this tradition and more fully developed the understanding of the cross as a seal of victory
placed on believers and a place of redemption. Both of these themes are worthy of a closer look.
Copyright 2008-2020, Patheos. All rights reserved.
The Shame of the Cross
…he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross
Crucifixion was considered worse than decapitation, being killed by wild animals, or being burnt
alive.1 It was considered “a terrible calamity”2, it “was a punishment in which the caprice and
sadism of the executioners were given full rein;”3 it was the supreme Roman punishment.
Such was the horror of Roman crucifixion that Cicero argued that Roman citizens should not
ever have to hear the word ‘cross’. In his defence of Rabirius he said:

28. Even if death be threatened, we may die free men; but the executioner, and the veiling of
the head, and the mere name of the cross, should be far removed, not only from the
persons of Roman citizens—from their thoughts, and eyes, and ears. For not only the
actual fact and endurance of all these things, but the bare possibility of being exposed to
them,—the expectation, the mere mention of them even,—is unworthy of a Roman
citizen and of a free man.4
The gospel writers, fully aware of the unspeakable torture, horror, and shame that victims
suffered at the hands of their executioners, almost attempt to distract the reader from the event of
Christ’s crucifixion. In both Matthew 27:35 and Mark 15:24 the record places emphasis on how
the Romans divided Christ’s clothes rather than on what had just happened to the man above
them, whereas Luke 23:33 and John 19:18 focus on the location of the event rather than on what
happened there. In each instance the phrase “they crucified him” appears as part of a sentence
that is about something else altogether. In the same vein, elsewhere in the New Testament
Christ’s crucifixion is sometimes spoken of in almost abstract terms (e.g. Ga 5:24, 6:14) – the
reader is saved the gruesome details of the most awful form of execution practiced in the Roman
world.
However, unlike the actual act of crucifixion, the gospels give us plenty of historically accurate
information about the events leading up to the cross, and those that took place on it.
Before crucifying their victims, the Romans tortured them. They would “…have to endure the
lash, the rack, chains, the branding-iron in his eyes, and finally, after every extremity of
suffering, he will be crucified…”5; thus began the degrading loss of all dignity. The flogging that
Christ endured (Mt 27:27, Mk 15:15, Lk 23:22, Jn 19:1) would have made “the blood flow in
streams.”6 The sadism didn’t stop there: “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and
after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand
and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on him, and
took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and
put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.” (Mt 27:28–31)
Of those who tortured a Christian named Blandina before her death Eusebius writes, “…they
were astonished at her endurance, as her entire body was mangled and broken; and they testified
that one of these forms of torture was sufficient to destroy life, not to speak of so many and so
great sufferings.“7 Pre-crucifixion torture was extreme.
The victim would then have to walk to the site of crucifixion, carrying either the crosspiece, or
the entire cross. Luz explains:
Jesus’ cross was either in the shape of a T with a crossbeam laid on top of a vertical beam
(= crux commissa) or it consisted of a vertical beam with a crossbeam inserted into it (=
crux immissa). Then the vertical beam extended somewhat above the crossbeam, exactly
as was later portrayed in pictures. Among the early church fathers we find both images.
The vertical stakes were usually already at the site; then the crossbeam (Latin patibulum)
of each person to be executed was fastened to the stake. The readers of the Gospel of
Matthew, because of v. 37 where the inscription with the charge is placed over Jesus’
head, would most likely have pictured a crux immissa.8
We can get a sense of just how brutal the flogging and beating Christ endured was by the fact
that he had to have help from Simon of Syrene on his way to Golgotha. It’s thought that the

29. extreme nature of the beating also led to his quick death – very often death on the cross could
“come slowly, sometimes after several days of atrocious pain.”9
As it was as much a deterrent to would-be criminals as it was a punishment, crucifixion normally
took place next to a busy road. Quintilian explains:
When we crucify criminals the most frequented roads are chosen, where the greatest
number of people can look and be seized by this fear. For every punishment has less to do
with the offence than with the example.10
This was certainly the case for Christ as “many of the Jews read this inscription, because the
place where Jesus was crucified was near the city…” (Jn 19:20). It was also on or near the rocky
outcrop that Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb was cut out of (Jn 19:41).
The victim was then stripped, and crucified. It’s clear from Josephus that “there was no fixed
pattern for crucifying people. Much depended on the sadistic ingenuity of the moment.”11 Seneca,
a Roman philosopher, writes: “I see crosses there, not just of one kind but made in many
different ways: some have their victims with head down to the ground; some impale their private
parts; others stretch out their arms on the gibbet.“12
In Christ’s case, his hands and feet (Lk 24:39) were nailed to a cross that allowed Pilate’s
inscription to be seen above his head (Mt 27:37), so the cross shape traditionally used as a
symbol for Christianity seems likely.13 The cross would then have been lifted up and dropped
into the hole cut out for it to stand in. The jarring of the cross as it fell into place would have
caused unimaginable pain in his hands and feet.
https://i1.wp.com/living-faith.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ankle.jpghttps://i1.wp.com/living-
faith.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ankle.jpgA nail through the anklebone of Yehohanan the
son of Hagakol, discovered in Givat ha-Mivtar in Jerusalem, the only anthropological evidence
for crucifixion ever discovered. (Replica, Israel Museum)
A common misconception is that the cross would have lifted Christ high over the soldiers below
him. Instead, victims were often kept close to the ground allowing stray dogs to chew their legs.
It is recorded that, “…they are fastened (and) nailed to it in the most bitter torment, evil food for
birds of prey and grim pickings for dogs.“14 In Scotland, it was bears: “Laureolus, hanging on no
unreal cross, gave up his vitals defenceless to a Caledonian bear. His mangled limbs lived,
though the parts dripped blood and in all his body was nowhere a body’s shape.”15
Some victims lasted for days on the cross; others died quite quickly. A recent
studyHYPERLINK l "16 shows that there were a number of reasons a victim might die on the
cross:
• They could choke themselves to death when they became too tired to hold their head up.
• They could die from blood loss as a result of the flogging and the bleeding from the nails.
• They could die from dehydration after spending more than a few days on the cross
without water.
Why all this grim detail? Surely if the gospel writers left it out we can be spared the reality of
crucifixion? We must remember that the original audience of the gospels would have known full
well about the details. It was because they knew the details that their opponents thought them
mad. Justin Martyr writes “For they proclaim our madness to consist in this, that we give to a
crucified man a place second to the unchangeable and eternal God, the Creator of all; for they

30. do not discern the mystery that is herein, to which, as we make it plain to you, we pray you to
give heed.“17
An appreciation of the reality of crucifixion and what people thought of it can give context to
many parts of the New Testament. For example, Paul in his letter to the Corinthians writes:
1 Co 1:18–24 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the
one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God
made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did
not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our
proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire
wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God
and the wisdom of God.
Christians have the same difficulty today as they did in the first century – the cross was an object
of scorn; it was “foolishness.” To become the disciples of a man executed by the state made no
sense to many who heard the apostles preach. But to follow a man who suffered crucifixion, the
supreme Roman punishment was taking this “foolishness” to an extreme, a point made by Paul in
his letter to the Philippians:
Php 2:8 …he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death
on a cross.
This same counter-cultural aspect of Christ’s calling is aided by an understanding of the brutality
of crucifixion, e.g.
Mk 8:34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become
my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
The Galatians had explained to them exactly what that meant, and the same words guide us
today:
Ga 5:22-26 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Further reading
• Martin Hengel, Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the
Cross (trans. John Bowden; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977), 22.
• Gerald G. O’Collins, “Crucifixion,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible
Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1208.
• Maslen, M. W., & Mitchell, P. D. (2006). Medical theories on the cause of death in
crucifixion. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 99(4), 185–188.
• Footnotes
1. “All this also helps us to understand how in his speech against Verres Cicero could
already describe crucifixion as the summum supplicium. The continuing legal tradition
which can be seen here is brought to an end by the jurist Julius Paulus about AD 200. In

31. the Sententiae compiled from his works towards AD 300, the crux is put at the head of
the three summa supplicia. It is followed, in descending order, by crematio (burning) and
decollatio (decapitation). In the lists of penalties given in the sources, damnatio ad bestias
often takes the place of decapitation as an aggravated penalty.” Martin Hengel,
Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the Cross (trans. John
Bowden; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977), 33.l "
2. “Nay, he was not ashamed to look even that audience in the face and bring such a terrible
calamity upon an innocent man…” Dem., 21.105. Demosthenes, Demosthenes with an
English Translation by A. T. Murray, Ph.D., LL.D. (Speeches (English); Medford, MA:
Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd., 1939).l "
3. Martin Hengel, Crucifixion: In the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of the
Cross (trans. John Bowden; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977), 25.l "
4. Cicero, Rab. Perd. 5.16. M. Tullius Cicero, The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero,
Literally Translated by C. D. Yonge, B. A. (ed. C. D. Yonge; Medford, MA: Henry G.
Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden., 1856), 266.l "
5. Plat., Rep. 361e–362a. Plato, Plato in Twelve Volumes & 6 Translated by Paul Shorey
(vol. 5; Medford, MA: Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William
Heinemann Ltd., 1969).l "
6. Op. cit., Hengel, 32.l "
7. Eus., Hist. eccl. 5.1.18. Eusebius of Caesaria, “The Church History of Eusebius,” in
Eusebius: Church History, Life of Constantine the Great, and Oration in Praise of
Constantine (ed. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace; trans. Arthur Cushman McGiffert; vol.
1; A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church,
Second Series; New York: Christian Literature Company, 1890), 1214.l "
8. Ulrich Luz, Matthew 21–28: A Commentary (ed. Helmut Koester; Hermeneia—a Critical
and Historical Commentary on the Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2005), 531.l "
9. Gerald G. O’Collins, “Crucifixion,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible
Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1209.l "
10. Quintilian, Decl. 274. Quintilian, The Lesser Declamations, Volume I (ed. D. R.
Shackleton Bailey, Loeb, 2006), 259.l "
11. Gerald G. O’Collins, “Crucifixion,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible
Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1209.l "
12. Seneca, Dial. 6 [Cons. Marc] 20.3.l "
13. Op. cit., Luz, 531.l "
14. Op. cit., Hengel, 9, translated from Apotelesmatica 4.198ff. (Koechly, p. 69)l "
15. Martial, Liber Spectaculorum 7. Martial: Liber Spectaculorum, (ed. Kathleen M.
Coleman, OUP Oxford, 2006)l "
16. Maslen, M. W., & Mitchell, P. D. (2006). Medical theories on the cause of death in
crucifixion. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 99(4), 185–188.l "
17. Justin, 1 Apol. 13. Justin Martyr, “The First Apology of Justin,” in The Apostolic Fathers
with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A.

32. Cleveland Coxe; vol. 1; The Ante-Nicene Fathers; Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature
Company, 1885), 1167.l "
Author: Nat Ritmeyer
Nat lives in London with his wife and son. His main interests are the Ancient Near Eastern
background to the bible, the Iron Age I period, and travelling through the Modern Near East. He
is also scared of geese. View all posts by Nat Ritmeyer
The "Shame of the Cross" and its Glory
Or: The Curse of the Cross and its Blessing
This article attempts to be a quite comprehensive overview and interpretation of all the Bible and
the Qur'an say on the topic of the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Messiah: Whether it happened, and
what its meaning might be.
I want to deal with the topic in three parts:
Part 1: The Message of the Prophets before Jesus
Part 2: The Teachings of Jesus himself and of his Apostles
Part 3: The statements in the Qur'an and final conclusions
And after the "theological discussion" is presented, I think the following will be an important
appendix:
Part 4: Consequences: Where do we go from here?
Although I feel like apologizing for the length of this treatise, I hope that its length will allow it
to be thorough and helpful in providing a deeper understanding of our respective views. If you
have any interest in understanding the Christian faith and the content of the Bible, I urge you to
stick with me, because at the end, you will see that this whole question and its supposed "Islamic
solution" will prove to be a major headache to Muslims [that is, if you dare think about it -
instead of just dismissing the problem] and it uncovers a big inconsistency in the Islamic faith.
Though being an Ahmadiyyan, Mr. ...'s argument below is also one of the usual Muslim
arguments against Jesus' dying on the cross.
But I think that the Muslim "solution" is more consistent than the Ahmadiyyan one. Muslims
say, because this is a shameful death, Allah would not allow this to happen to His prophet, and
the Qur'an indeed says, that Jesus did not go to the cross but was 'rescued' from it and some sort
of illusion was staged instead. [Qur'an 4:157]
In the contrary, the Ahmadiyyas say that Jesus DID go to the cross but did not die there. He
supposedly survived it, was resuscitated and then emigrated to India where he eventually died of
old age [in order to make room for Mr. Ahmad to come and claim to be the Messiah].

33. Now, looking at the verse and the reasons supplied by Mr. ... below, even to hang on the cross is
shameful and accursed, not only to die on it, so I do not see how the Ahmadiyya interpretation is
any solution to the problem he is presenting himself.
Nevertheless, I will answer to the general claim, that this is a shameful and humiliating event
which Allah would never allow his prophet to suffer.
Since this is already a very long article, I didn't want to quote in full ALL the many references I
am giving. It will be worth it to have a Bible handy and to look up and verify what I say. For
those who do not have a Bible, there is one one the world wide web and you can just click on the
reference and your browser will give you the passage. For general reference, the Web Bible is at
http://bible.gospelcom.net/ and I would suggest you use the NIV translation, but feel free to
check the same passage in different translations. There are at least 5 available at the above
address.
In article <4elvst$g0r@shellx.best.com>, Mr. ... writes:
Jochen here is another thing I would like for you to explain.
Hazrat Ahmad wrote:
"Apart from this, it was necessary that he (Jesus) should escape death on the cross, for it
was stated in the Holy Book (Bible), that whoever was hanged on the wood was
accursed. It is a cruel and an unjust blasphemy to attribute a curse to an eminent person
like Jesus, the Messiah,
...
It is clear that the significance of the word Mal'un, viz. accursed, is so foul that it can
never apply to any righteous person who entertains love of God in his heart. Alas!
Christians did not ponder over the significance of a curse when they invented this belief;
else, it impossible for them to have used such a bad word for a righteous man like Jesus.
...
Jochen I find this as a very convincing reason to believe Jesus did not die on the cross.
...
Thank you.
Mr. ... (who decided he rather be anonymous)
As I indicated above, I would understand, based on your reasoning, if you would therefore deny
that Jesus even went to the cross. But why would it be less accursed and shameful to nearly die
there than it is to actually die there? After all, everybody thought he was dead. The soldiers, the
onlookers, the Priests, even the disciples... And so in the sight of everybody, he DID die this
shameful death. That is what everyone thought. So, everyone would think exactly what you say
nobody should be allowed to think. This special Ahmadiyyan solution is no solution at all. And
in addition, it seems that the Ahmadiyyas claim some sort of special revelation on this event,
since nobody before them, at least not in the first few hundred years ever had such an idea.
But I will nevertheless answer all your questions above, i.e. the meaning of this curse, and how
the Apostles preached on it. I will also show that the Christians have indeed thought deeply
about this problem and that the solution is all "written up" in the Bible, both in prophecies of

34. earlier prophets, saying it would exactly happen this way and in the teaching of Jesus himself on
this very topic.
You referred correctly to the curse of God, as it is written in the Torah:
If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you
must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him than same day,
because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the
land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23)
Actually, the usual procedure was to put the condemned person to death and after he died to put
him up on the tree as a demonstration of the punishment of evil and to deter others from
following his evil ways. But the fact that Jesus died on the cross instead of being hung on the
cross after dying is not much of a difference. He has been hung on the cross/tree and that is
understood as a sign of God's curse on him.
Christians did very much ponder about the meaning of the cross, the curse upon the one on the
cross and what it all means. It is not that the Ahmadiyya are the first to find this 'shameful'. It
was shameful to the very people who saw it. It is part of the horror of the death on the cross. And
it is one reason that many Jews did NOT accept Jesus as the Messiah. Even some of his
followers thought it was over, now that Jesus had died, and even died in a way that displayed the
curse of God on him. Luke reports of a conversation two of the disappointed disciples have then
someone asks them why they are so sad. Their answer is:
"[It is] about Jesus of Nazareth", they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and
deed before God and all the people. The chief priest and our rulers handed him over to be
sentenced to death and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was
going to redeem Israel [i.e. the Messiah]." (Luke 24:19-21)
They understood well, that this kind of death, the crucifixion, meant (in the usual understanding
of the Jews) that he couldn't be the Messiah. How could the Messiah be under God's curse?
Now, this stranger who is joining these two disciples and asked them for the reason of their
sadness is none other than the risen Lord, Jesus. And as he joins them on their way, he starts to
explain them the true meaning of the scriptures and that all this has happened exactly like God
had foretold it through his earlier prophets.
He (Jesus) said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe ALL that
the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his
glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was
said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
(Luke 24:25-27)
Now, WHAT do the earlier prophets say? Sadly Luke was a bit short in this account and I am
sure many would like to know what Jesus taught them on this way. But we can only guess and
have to search the Old Testament for ourselves to see what indeed is written there. And note that
Jesus put suffering and glory together. Yes, ultimately he will enter his glory, but the way is
through suffering and this is not a contradiction in his mind.
I would like to do in this article the same for you as Jesus did for his disappointed disciples, who
thought that God would never let that happen to His Messiah. Well, they had SEEN Jesus hang
on cross and die, so claiming that it never happened was not an option for these very
disappointed and confused but honest people. So the only solution to the dilemma for these Jews

35. was, that Jesus could not have been the Messiah after all. And that is their verdict on it to this
day. But what has Jesus shown these two? I don't know the exact verses they were talking about.
But I want to show you a few (out of many) which Jesus might have used to show them the
meaning of it all.
The King and Prophet David wrote this Psalm which is prophecying about the crucifixion of the
Messiah (1000 years before the birth of Jesus!), and this is the very prayer/passage Jesus
prayed/quoted while on the cross as we can see from the first verse. In brackets, e.g. [John 3:35],
I will give (one or more of) the parallel passage of the New Testament relating to the Old
Testament prophecy in the specific verse that precedes it. Please do check them out.
Psalm 22.
For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The Doe of the Morning."
A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so
far from the words of my groaning? [Matthew 27:46]
...
6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8 "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he
delights in him." [Matthew 27:41-49]
Yes, even David prophesied that the Messiah would be despised and die a shameful death with
mockers around him.
...
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to
wax; it has melted away within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
[In John 19:28 Jesus expresses his thirst - and in general, this description is very accurate of what
a crucified person would feel. And note the last word, it is about dying: death.]
16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
[This expression of "piercing" will come back later! And, as we know, Jesus was nailed to the
cross through his hand(wrist)s and feet - and this is one of the signs of recognition by his
disciples, see Luke 24:40, John 20:20,25]
17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. [Mark 15:24]
...
24 For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not
hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
[Although this person is so afflicted and despised, God is not rejecting him, contrary to what
everyone would expect.]
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear
you will I fulfill my vows.

36. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him -- may
your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of
the nations will bow down before him,
[What happens here at the cross, this despised death, will result in the spread of God's message
all around the earth, people from all nations will turn to the Lord and will worship Him.]
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him -- those who cannot keep themselves
alive.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn -- for he has done it.
And this message of the Lord's righteousness will spread throughout the earth and throughout the
generations [Luke 24:46-47]. And though it doesn't look like it at the time, David concludes his
prophecy with "He has done it". And "he" is the Lord himself. This whole event is God's plan,
this was not an accident. God foretold it 1000 years before it happened in history.
Whom is David talking about? Was he describing a nightmare he had after overeating at the
evening meal? That would not have been included in God's word then. And a nightmare wouldn't
contain these precious words of worship to God, of His righteousness proclaimed to all people.
No, as Jesus has said, God's Word is is full of prophecies about the Messiah and who else could
be so important as to give such a detailed description of his death? And none but Jesus fits this
prophecy. And as verse 27 says, this event leads to the fact that all the ends of the earth will turn
to the Lord, and people from all different nations will bow before the Lord.
Let me give you another astonishing Old Testament passage, this time the Lord speaks through
the prophet Zechariah, about 500 years before Christ. In chapters 12 and 13 we read:
Zechariah 12:
1 This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel.
The LORD, who..., declares:
2 "I am going to ...
...
10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of
grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced,
and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him
as one grieves for a firstborn son.
On the cross Jesus was pierced through his hands, feet (by nails), and his side (by a spear), John
19:34, John 20:20,25.
And this passage will be considered again in my exposition on the Trinity but here we are only
concerned with the prediction of crucifixion.
God speaks in this whole chapter in the first person, and says that Israel will PIERCE Him and
then LOOK at Him. These are very tangible words of the physical world. And what is happening
at this day when they pierce him (God!)? The mourning will be like for a son!

37. And the next verse continues in Zechariah 13:
1 "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
Another such passage explaining in clearest terms the meaning of the death of the suffering
servant of God, is Isaiah 52-53 (Isaiah was a prophet around 740 B.C.):
Isaiah 52:
13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured
beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness --
[Resulting from the torture before the crucifixion, scourging etc]
15 so will he sprinkle many nations,
[The sprinkling of blood is a sign of cleansing and forgiveness of sins, Hebrews 9:11-
15,Leviticus 16:15-19.]
and kings will shut their mouth because of him. For what they were not told, they will
see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Chapter 53:
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no
beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire
him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
[This is said about the servant of the Lord - seemingly shame and humiliation does not disqualify
a person from being God's servant. But "who will believe?" (verse 1), that is the first question at
the beginning of the chapter and this is the question still asked today. And following this
question, God again explains the meaning of this death]
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him
stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
[As it SEEMED, he was under God's punishment and curse but the contrary is true]
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the
LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb
to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his
descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my
people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had
done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the
LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and

38. the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his
knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with
the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the
transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Time and again in this short passage, God says that this righteous servant of His will bear the sin
of his people, the sin of the transgressors. And though he will be unjustly condemned to death
(verse 8) it ultimately was the Lord's doing and will (verse 10) because from eternity past it was
planned that he will give his life as a guilt offering and forgiveness will be available for all who
have sinned. Jesus, the righteous servant who had no sin of his own, bore the iniquities of the
many (verse 11), and he did not curse but prayed for his enemies who put him on the cross (verse
12, Luke 23:34).
And there are many many more parallels to the life and suffering of Jesus in those few verses.
God made this plan known 740 years before Jesus was even born. This was no accidental death.
And the curse of the cross is the curse that God put on all sin and which he judged in this historic
event on the cross.
But the Jews originally didn't understand it and even the Apostles and other disciples could not
completely comprehend it at first, even though Jesus had spoken about it many times. But they
later realized very clearly its meaning, when Jesus explained it to them after the resurrection. He
had talked about it before too, but it seems that the disciples couldn't grasp it before it had
happened.
So far we have seen what the earlier prophets David, Zechariah and Isaiah say about the death
(crucifixion) of the Messiah.
In the next part, we will see what Jesus himself and his Apostles teach about it and also look at
the passages of the Qur'an in regard to the crucifixion.
The Cross of Christ
Answering Islam Home Page
The Shame Of The Cross
Tom M. Roberts
Ft. Worth, Texas
The gospel accounts tell us that Jesus faced the prospect of crucifixion with much
dread and agony of spirit. Matthew states that Jesus was "sorrowful and sore
troubled," "exceeding sorrowful," and prayed that, "if it be possible, let this cup
pass away" (Mt. 26:37ff). Luke adds that He was "in an agony," that He prayed at
length and that His "sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down
upon the ground." Without question, this is language that dramatizes the inner
feelings of Jesus as He anticipated the hours that faced Him. Yet, with all due

39. respect to the suffering and death that would be His, there seems to be an
incongruity between the attitude exhibited by Jesus as He faced death and the
attitude that Scripture and Jesus Himself tells us that should characterize the
disciples who face death.
Consider these scriptures. "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not
able to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body
in hell" (Matt. 10:28); "He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his
life for my sake shall find it" (v. 39). Again, "Count it all joy, my brethren, when
ye fall into manifold temptations" (James 1:2) and verse 12, "blessed is the man
that endureth temptation." Revelation 2:10 puts it clearly: "Fear not the things
which thou art about to suffer: behold the devil is about to cast some of you into
prison that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful
unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." Disciples should not shrink
back from death itself and the apostles themselves left the council of the Jews
"rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer . . ." (Acts 5:41).
My point is that there seems to be a disparity between the attitude Jesus exhibited
when He faced death and the attitude that is recommended when we face death,
yes even a death of suffering. Was Jesus not able to face death with the same
equanimity that He suggests for us? Are we being expected to be more noble in
the face of suffering than He? No! To ask such a question is to answer it. Jesus did
not and does not expect something of us that He was not willing to bear. It is this
fact and the seeming incompatibility between this fact and the obvious dread of
Jesus as He faced death that has led me to understand something about the cross
and the death of Jesus on it that might escape us without due consideration. I
believe you will agree with me as we study together and both have a deeper
appreciation of not just death on the cross (a common event) but the "shame of the
cross" (Heb. 12:2), a situation unique to Him.
Consider The Nature Of Deity
I believe the reason why the cross and its death held so much more dread than
death should seem to hold for even us is that Jesus knew He was going to the
cross to be treated as a sinner and to have to hang on the cross as though He
carried the guilt of all humanity. This treatment was not only abhorrent to Jesus
because of His holiness and purity but also because He would have to be treated
by Jehovah, His father, as a sinner would have to be treated, "having become a
curse for us" as Paul put it in Galatians 3:13. We cannot appreciate the character
and attributes of God without realizing just what this meant to Jesus. Jehovah is
described in the Bible in the absolute sense of holiness, goodness, perfection. As
Habbakkuk said, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil" (1:13). It is said of
God that He cannot lie, that He swears by Himself since He can swear by none
greater (Heb. 6:13-18), that He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and the
source of all good. At the same time, God hates all kinds of evil (Psa. 45:6-7;
Prov. 6:16f; et al). Reflect on this as it relates to Jesus' death on the cross and it
becomes doubly significant. You see, God was going to have to treat Jesus, His
own son, as though He had sinned! Nor can we overlook the fact that Jesus
Himself is truly God and has the same holiness and purity as well as hatred of sin.

40. When this is driven home, it becomes evident that there is much more to the death
of Jesus than death alone. In fact, I believe that the agony that faced Jesus was
directly connected to his forthcoming treatment in two senses: first, that he would
have to be treated as a sinner - a condition abhorrent to Him; secondly, that He
would be treated as a sinner by God, His father, between whom existed perfect
unity and harmony in sinless perfection. In the light of this knowledge, how much
more poignant and pitiful is the cry of Jesus on the cross, "My God, My God, why
hast thou forsaken me?" (Mt. 27:46).
This is in keeping with all that the rest of the Bible teaches about the suffering and
death of Jesus. One Scripture that comes readily to mind is Isaiah 53 which is
filled with prophecies of the Messianic death of Jesus. Some phrases that leap out
of the text at us are: "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted" (v. 4); "But he was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed" (v.
5); "The Lord hath lain on him the iniquity of us all" (v. 6); "He was cut off out of
the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was
due" (v. 8); "Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him . . . when thou shalt make his
soul an offering for sin" (v. 10); "He shall see the travail of his soul, and be
satisfied . . . he shall bear their iniquities" (v. 11) and "was numbered with the
transgressors yet he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors" (v. 12). The writer of the Hebrew letter also adds: "Who in the days
of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and
tears (cf. Mt. 26:37; Mt. 27:46) unto him that was able to save him from death,
and having been heard for his godly fear . . . " (Heb. 5:7). All of these Scriptures
and much more indicate that Jesus feared the cross but not because He feared
death itself. He feared and dreaded the cross because on it he would be treated as
though He were stained with the sins and transgressions of all mankind. His father
would have to turn away from Him as though He were being separated from His
own son by sin (Isa. 59:1, 2; Ezek. 18:4). Herein lies the shame of the cross.
Herein lies the agony that Jesus anticipated. The first three chapters of Romans
reveal the sorry plight of mankind as he plunged deeper and deeper into the
morass of sin. There was nothing that he had not done. There was not depth to
which he would not plunge.
A crude but fitting way of illustrating how God must feel toward sin and how
Jesus must have dreaded to be regarded as a sinner by his father lies in the true
story of a neighbor boy of my family. Years ago at Halloween, it was the practice
of some boys to go around the community turning over outhouses. These toilets
were simple buildings erected over pits that were dug into the ground to be used
as cesspools. The pranksters thought it the height of joking to turn over these
outdoor toilets. Can you imagine how one of these boys must have felt the dark
night that, after turning over the outdoor privy, he made a misstep and fell into the
cesspool beneath? Try to imagine how he must have felt to be covered with all
that filth! Imagine how his father would have felt to have observed his son
covered with this corruption. This is a crude illustration, indeed, but it aptly brings
to mind to some extent how Jesus must have felt to be covered (not actually, but

41. metaphorically) with the sins of mankind. He was treated as though He were the
murderer, the fornicator, liar, homosexual, atheist. He had to hang on the cross
suspended before the God of heaven, His own Father, in that sinful condition. No
wonder that God turned away from Him. He had to treat His own Son as though
He were a sinner and deserved to die a cursed death.
Brethren, consider if you will that this is the very thing that Jesus dreaded as He
prayed in the garden. He knew that shortly He would stand before God as though
He were the rankest sinner, as though He were dripping with the sins of all
mankind accumulated from Adam until the end of the world. To us who are more
or less accustomed to being a sinner and to some degree calloused to sin, this
might not seem such a dreadful thing. But to one who is holy, pure and good in
the absolute, it is quite another thing.
Why Accept This Shame?
The disciples on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection of Jesus were asked,
"Ought the Christ to have suffered these things?" (Lk. 24:26). From our vantage
point this side of the New Testament, we can state with conviction that only by
Jesus being willing to go to the cross and suffer the shame of it could man hope to
have eternal life. But by how much more does our knowledge of the true shame of
the cross elevate our appreciation of His sacrifice. Jesus loved us enough that He
was willing to stand before His Father as though He were guilty mankind and be
our substitute. He endured this shame as a sinner that we could become sons of
God. How deep are the riches of Christ and the wisdom of God! How deep is our
debt! Is it any wonder, then, that because Jesus was willing to suffer the shame of
the cross that "God hath also highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name
which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father"
(Phil. 2:9-11).
Guardian of Truth XXVII: 3, pp. 67-68
February 3, 1983
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42. The Shame Of The Cross
Contributed by Paul Norwood on Mar 19, 2012
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Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2
Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ
Summary: While we normally focus on the pain Jesus
suufered, this is an attempt to focus on the horrible shame
associated with His crucifixion.
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The Shame of the Cross
Text: Deuteronomy 21:22-23
I. Welcome
II. Introduction
Our theme this year is “Beyond Ourselves in 2012!” The thrust of this theme is on carrying the
gospel to our community as the Lord commanded us in the great commission recorded in
Matthew 28:19-20. Just as our salvation began at the cross, I believe any evangelistic outreach
must begin there too. While there are so many aspects of our Savior’s death, perhaps the most
neglected one is the subject of today’s lesson: The Shame of the Cross. Most of the time we
focus on the physical pain our Lord suffered and the temporary separation He experienced from
His Father. Most of us at one time or another have suffered from intense pain and homesickness.
And, I venture to say, most of us would choose either or both of these rather than suffer shame.
Let’s re-read our text from Deuteronomy 21:22-23 – “If a man has committed a sin deserving of
death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on
the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the
LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.”
Notice that verse 22 addresses an offense subject to capital punishment under the old law. Once
the execution has been carried out, then the body of the criminal is hung from a tree or pole in
public disgrace. This not only served as an example for deterrence but would also be shameful
for the family and friends of the criminal. I like the way Earl Kalland expresses the meaning of
“accursed of God” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. “Since judgment basically is God’s,
the judgment that takes a person’s life out of the covenant community as a perpetrator of the
worst kind of sin and displays that judgment by the humiliation of hanging his body in public

43. shows that that person is under God’s curse.” Therefore, he is accursed of God. Peter Craigie
explains it even better in his commentary: “The body was not accursed of God because it was
hanging on a tree; it was hanging on a tree because it was accursed of God. And the body was
not accursed of God simply because it was dead, but it was accursed because of the reason for
the death. To break the law of God and live as though he did not matter or exist, was in effect to
curse him; and he who cursed God would be accursed of God. To break the law of God and incur
thereby the penalty of death, was to die the worst possible kind of death, for the means of death
was a formal and terminal separation from the community of God’s people.” Crucifixion was
never a Jewish form of capital punishment except for a brief time during the inter-testamental
period – between the old and new testaments. Crucifixion perhaps originated with the Persians as
Herodotus mentions the crucifixion of 3,000 Babylonians by Darius. The Greeks also practiced
crucifixion as evidenced by Alexander the Great crucifying some 2,000 on the beach after finally
capturing the island city of Tyre in 332 B.C. But it was under the Roman Empire that we learn
the most about crucifixion and it was in this era that the Son of God suffered this most extreme
form of punishment. I hope you’ll study with me for the next few minutes as we look at how
Jesus underwent this most wretched of deaths and suffered shame on the cross for you and for
me.
III. Lesson
The Jewish leaders tried their best to shame Jesus after accusing Him of blasphemy. The high
priest Caiaphas tore his clothes after Jesus admitted that He was the Christ, the Son of God. Hear
the words of Matthew 26:66-68 as the Sanhedrin plays a cruel version of “Blind Man’s Bluff” in
response to the high priest’s question – “What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is
deserving of death.” Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the
palms of their hands, saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?” And as a
sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. Here was the Son of God, the
promised Messiah, Who had the power to stop this abuse. Yet He had come to do His Father’s
will – the cross ever looming in the distance. Convinced of His blasphemy, they could have
stoned Him as they would later do to Stephen. But they wanted something worse for Him – not
just simple death! The cruelty was just beginning. And the inspired writer would later write,
“though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews
5:8). It’s been a long night for our Lord – the betrayal by Judas, His arrest, abandoned by His
disciples, denied by Peter, falsely accused, spat upon, beaten and slapped by His Jewish brethren.
It’s now early on Friday as we read from Matthew 27:1-2 – When morning came, all the chief
priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had
bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. We know how
Pilate tried to appease the crowd by offering up a prisoner for release but the chief priests and
elders had persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. Once again we pick
up the text in Matthew 27:21-23 – The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two
do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!” Pilate said to them, “What then shall
I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” Then the
governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him
be crucified!” Dropping down to verse 26, we read what Pilate did: Then he released Barabbas to
them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Pause for a moment
and reflect on the pieces of metal and bone shredding the flesh of our Savior’s back with each
lash of the whip. All of us as Christians should shudder at the final words of 1 Peter 2:24 – “by
whose stripes you were healed.” Now notice Matthew 27:27-28 – Then the soldiers of the

44. governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they
stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. Martel Pace has written that few things were more
embarrassing for defeated soldiers than to be stripped by their enemies. Conquering armies
practiced this for centuries. But again, imagine how our Lord must have felt to be stripped of His
clothing in front of an entire garrison of soldiers – His back raw and bleeding. As if this were not
shameful enough, the soldiers are now going to mock Him. Since the Jews are subjects of the
Roman Empire, it must have been doubly fun to taunt the man accused of being the “King of the
Jews.” Notice the words of Matthew 27:29-31 – When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they
put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and
mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and
struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His
own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. None of us likes to be made fun of but
Jesus endured it quietly in our place. As we know, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to bear our
Lord’s cross on up to Golgotha. And now we come to the crucifixion itself – Luke 23:33 – And
when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one
on the right hand and the other on the left. Upon reaching the crucifixion site, Jesus and the two
thieves were stripped and affixed to their crosses. Can we remember the shame felt by Adam and
Eve when they discovered they were naked? Even after making some garments of fig leaves,
they still tried to hide from God. Although we’ve lost so much of our sense of modesty, the
crucifixion of a naked body added to the abasement and humiliation. Our artwork and films of
Calvary show Jesus with at least a loin cloth but only for our own modesty. Martin Hengel
observes in his book on crucifixion that it “was an utterly offensive affair, ‘obscene’ in the
original sense of the word.” Someone has noted that pagan authors were too revolted by the
subject to give comprehensive descriptions. One commentary states that crucifixion was a “status
degradation ritual” designed to humiliate in every way, including the symbolic pinioning of
hands and legs signifying a loss of power, and loss of ability to control the body in various ways.
The site of a crucifixion was a place of nakedness, blood, screams, sweat, vomit and excrement.
After crucifying our Lord, the soldiers seem to nonchalantly cast lots for His clothing as foretold
in Psalm 22. I believe most of the taunts against Jesus on the cross occurred during the 1st three
hours or from 9:00 A.M. until noon. Read with me from Matthew 27:39-44 – And those who
passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and
build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others;
Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and
we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He
said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with
the same thing. Our Lord had given ample proof of His divinity during His ministry but the
majority refused to accept it. To both the Jews and the pagans, deity could not be put to death. If
He really was the Son of God, He could extricate Himself from the cross. Crucifixion was not
used on Roman citizens except those belonging to the lower classes. It was reserved for
rebellious slaves, mutinous troops, vile criminals and insurrectionists against the state. Of course,
Jesus was none of these. The Roman practice of crucifixion was always executed on well-
traveled roads for maximum exposure. Bodies were left on their crosses for decomposing and
scavengers. Crosses were normally low to the ground to allow the animals access to the corpse.
In our Savior’s case, darkness covered the land from noon until 3:00 P.M. when He died. With
this rather rambling framework of the cross, I’d like us to turn our attention to Galatians 3:13-14

45. – Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is
written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come
upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Earlier Paul had written in verse 10 that anyone trying to remain under the old law was under a
curse based on Deuteronomy 27:26. This verse contains the 12th curse which the Levites were to
proclaim from Mt. Ebal: “Cursed be the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by
observing them” We normally think of 2 Corinthians 5:21 in regards to Jesus’ death on the cross
– For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of
God in Him. Not only was He made to be sin for us but He also became a curse for us. He who
knew no sin was not under the curse of the law but He paid the debt for our sins. But it wasn’t
just that Jesus paid the penalty owed for our sins – death – He bore the shame for our sins. God,
in his infinite wisdom, looked into the time when a Roman crucifixion would satisfy the debt for
the sins of the world. It wasn’t just suffering the pain of death as an innocent man – the just for
the unjust. It was also an ironic twist that He would hang upon a tree as a curse for you and me.
The humiliation and shame He suffered by crucifixion is the shame and humiliation you and I
deserve for our own sins which lie uncovered under the gaze of God. I’ve seen people weep over
the painful death our Lord suffered – to shed tears for all the abuses He silently tolerated in our
stead. But folks, we should probably weep even more for the shame and humiliation He suffered
for the ugliness of our sins
IV. Conclusion/Invitation
If you have your Bibles handy, I hope you’ll open them to Hebrews 12:1-2. As we read this
together, I hope we will all sense a fuller meaning of this passage. Therefore we also, since we
are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which
so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Not only did
Jesus endure the cross – suffered all the pain and agony of this cruel death, but He also despised
the shame – the humiliation and embarrassment associated with such a death. The compound
Greek word used for “despising” in the NKJV literally means “to think down.” In other words,
Jesus thought nothing of the shame and humiliation He was forced to endure. It was only our
Lord’s example that could have empowered His apostles to leave the Sanhedrin after being
beaten rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41). The
same applies to us – 1 Peter 4:16 – Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed,
but let him glorify God in this matter. As we think on what Christ did for us, wouldn’t it be sad
to miss heaven because we were too proud to walk down the aisle this morning? Do you need to
respond to the Lord’s invitation this A.M.? Whether it’s to put Christ on in baptism or to return
to faithful service, why not take that first step as we stand and sing?
The Cross As An Instrument of Shame
Dr. Steve Viars July 24, 1999 Hebrews 12:2
document

46. https://s3.amazonaws.com/faith-web-
assets/general/resources/document/cross03.doc?mtime=20170518201717
- This morning we’re going to be continuing on in our study entitled “Embracing the Cross.”
- This summer we’ve been looking at what the Word of God teaches us about the cross-work of
Jesus Christ.
- so far we’ve seen that the Bible explains that the cross is....
1) An instrument of peace - Col. 1:20 - “having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
- We’ve also seen that the cross is....
2) An instrument of power - 1 Corinthians 1:18 - “For the word of the cross is to those who are
perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
- so its an instrument of peace, and its an instrument of power....today we’d like to study the
Scripture’s emphasis of the cross as an instrument of shame.
- to try to help us benefit the most from what we’re about to study, let me ask you a series of
questions.
1) Are you a person who wants to please God?
- are you a person who wants to grow?
- if we were to sit down together, and talk about things that are especially important to you,
things that you’re striving for, and wanting to achieve.....
- would the concept of pleasing Him, of glorifying Him, of becoming more like Christ, of
making changes.....be at the top of the list?
- would you say that you’re not just wanting to coast along....you’re not just wanting to be
stagnant in your relationship with Christ.....but that you really want to get to a better place?
- so you’ve made it your goal to please Him and take the steps necessary to do that?
- I’m assuming that’s the case for every person in the auditorium.
- whether it really is for you or not is between you and God, but I’m operating on the assumption
that that’s true.
2) Would you agree that there are certain blessings and benefits or rewards associated with that
goal?
- you could picture this like a race....where you are running toward a prize.....
- the joy of knowing you did what God wanted you to do.....
- the blessing of a clear conscience.....
- the privilege of hearing the words “well done, thou good and faithful servant”.
- the benefit that comes from avoiding the consequences of sin....
- the positive impact on your family and friends, and acquaintances.
- would you agree, in the quietness of this moment, that at least on paper.....the idea of pressing
on to maturity.....of making progress of spiritually.....is very attractive.....
- it makes a lot of sense?
- the answer to that should be “yes”....so far, so good.
- now, can I ask you a harder question.....as you evaluate the last six months, or the last
year....are you satisfied with the rate of progress?
- its one thing to say I want to become more pleasing to God, or I want to grow, or I want to take
steps....[and even to realize that there would be great benefits to doing so].....
- its something else to actually take the steps....

47. - to make the decisions, to exert the effort....
- so I’m asking you......are you satisfied with your rate of progress?
- now I realize that there’s a broad range of possible answers to that one....but I’m going to
assume that you fit somewhere between the range of “not entirely” and “just plain no”.
- now let’s push it one step further......
3) What’s standing between you, and accomplishing the goal?
- what’s standing between you, and taking the steps of growth / progress that God desires, and
you say that you desire?
- that question, I can answer.
- even if I’ve never had the privilege of meeting you....and even if you were getting ready to
say.....its my spouse, its my job, its my health, its my clothes, its my parents, its this town....
- biblically, we can say that in a very real sense...what stands between you and your
accomplishing the goal of taking steps toward growing and pleasing God.....is a cross.
- you say , how do you know that?
- because Jesus Christ said --- if you want to be one of my disciples, you have to deny yourself,
take up your cross, and follow me.
- the path to pleasing God always involves the cross.
1) For example, if you have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, you can’t accomplish
the goal of pleasing Him without first “embracing the cross”.
- of admitting your sin.....of admitting your inability to save yourself....
- and of placing your faith and trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
- you can’t get there [to the goal] without embracing the cross/
2) For the many here who have trusted Christ.....you can’t take the next step of growth without
embracing the cross.
- there is no such thing as growth without the cross....
- there is no such thing as progress without sacrifice....
- if you want to be one of my disciples, you have to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow
me.
- and what that cross looks like for you is as varied as the number of people here this morning.
- but I want to ask you to think hard about.......what is the next step of growth for you.....
- and what is the nature of the cross required to take that step?
- for a spouse, it might be crucifying your own desires in the marriage and being God’s kind of
spouse first.
- for a young person, it might be the cross of honoring and obeying your parents even though
that’s hard.
- for a friend, it might be being more vocal about what Jesus Christ means to you.
- it may be a matter of putting off a sinful habit....you know you’re not going to make progress
spiritually until you deal with this.....
- for others, it may involve putting on a right habit or discipline.....you know you’re not going to
make progress until you start doing right in this particular area.....
- advancement in the Christian life without the cross is impossible.....there is no such thing.
- well, then what’s the obvious question?
- then why aren’t we quicker to embrace the cross?
- why aren’t we quicker to do whatever we have to do to accomplish the goal?

48. - if getting there [the goal] requires embracing this [the cross], then why aren’t we quicker about
it?
- the Bible answers that question too.......just like there’s very positive associated with the
goal....joy, blessing, and fulfillment, and peace.
- there’s something very negative associated with the cross.....
- do you know what it is.....shame.
- we’re going to see a verse in just a minute that teaches how the cross is an instrument of shame.
- when you embrace the cross, you open yourself up to ridicule from others....
- when you embrace the cross, you are saying things about yourself that are not easy to say.....
- when you embrace the cross, you are becoming vulnerable.....
- when you embrace the cross, you are opening yourself up to pain.
- just like there is no such thing as growth without a cross.....
- there is also no such thing as a cross without shame.
- and friend, the issue is ---- what are you going to do with the shame that comes with the cross?
- with that in mind, let me invite you to open your Bible this morning to Hebrews chapter 12,
verse 2.
- I hope that as we go through this series, that phrases from our key verses will stay with you,
and be a help to you as you grow.....
- from Col. 1:20 - “having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
- from I Cor. 1:18 - “...to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
- Hebrews 12:2 is another one of key verses, and you could describe all of these as “hard candy”
verses.....
- you have to hold them for a while....you have to turn them over and over......careful
concentration and meditation is important....
- but the benefits are sweet.
- read Hebrews 12:2.
- in the time we have remaining, I’d like us to think about I. The Shame of the Cross, II. How
Jesus Dealt with the Shame of the Cross, III. Lessons for Us Today.
I. The Shame of the Cross.
- Hebrews chapter 12 helps us to understand that the cross is an instrument of shame.
- according to the NT Dictionary of Theology, the word “shame” that is used in this verse
literally means “to disfigure, make ugly.....shame exposes one to the ridicule of society.”
- those words may bring to mind those sobering verses in Isaiah 53, where we’re told..... He has
no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be
attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with
grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem
Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed
Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
- these verses aren’t telling us that Jesus was somehow physically unattractive---they’re telling
us about the position in which Jesus placed Himself when He was dying on the cross for us.
- the cross is an instrument of shame.
- one of the reasons we need to hear this is because the cross, at least on one level, doesn’t have

49. that impact anymore.
- its a fashion symbol....how many people would put one on as part of their jewelry accessories
without thinking about the shame that was associated with such a death.
- I appreciate what Philip Graham Ryken said when he wrote, “The cross of Christ has been
tamed. This is a sign that its true meaning has been lost. For as soon as people understand what
the crucifixion means, it becomes utterly offensive to them.”
- now, you might be asking --- PV, how do we know that the cross was such an instrument of
shame in the Bible times?
- here’s a couple of answers....
1) By reading about what the Romans thought of the cross.
- I’m speaking, of course, not of the Roman Christians, but of the secular Roman citizens.
- The Roman writer Cicero described crucifixion as:
“a most cruel and disgusting punishment.....It is a crime to put a Roman citizen in chains, it is an
enormity to flog one, sheer murder to slay one; what then shall I say of crucifixion? It is
impossible to find a word for such an abomination.......Let the very mention of the cross be far
removed, not only from a Roman citizen’s body, but from his mind, his eyes, his ears.”
- so the cross, to the Romans, was a vile thing.
- it was associated with torture, bleeding, nakedness, and agony.
- it was reserved for the most wretched criminals only.....and only criminals that were not Roman
citizens, but instead were considered aliens or foreigners.
- that’s why the NT scholar F.F. Bruce said, “To die by crucifixion was to plumb the lowest
depths of disgrace; it was a punishment reserved for those who were deemed most unfit to live, a
punishment for those who were subhuman.”
- Philip Ryken summarizes all this with the comment, “The cross was for murderers and rebels,
provided they were also slaves or foreigners.”
- see, the point is, the cross was an instrument of shame.
- those words from the NT Dictionary of Theology are so true.....the cross was a shameful thing,
designed “to disfigure, make ugly, to expose one to the ridicule of society.”
2) Well, what about the Jewish individuals of that day?
- they too saw the cross as the most shameful way to die.
- and if you said, PV, why is that?
- its because they learned that in the OT.
- here’s what Deut. 21:22-23 says - And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is
put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you
shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God)...
- God himself viewed crucifixion, described in this passage as “hanging on a tree”, as a curse.
- which is why, by the way, Jesus was not crucified inside of Jerusalem.
- they would have never allowed such a brutal death to take place inside the holy city.
- they made Jesus do what with the cross?.....carry it outside to Mount Calvary.
- one writer said, “The cursed death of the cursed man had to take place outside the city wall.”
- the point of all of this is, the cross is an instrument of shame.
- now, let’s pause right there and bring this into 1999.
- in a minute we’re going to see how Jesus dealt with the shame of the cross.....but I’d like us to
think about this issue of shame, and how we might face it today.....so we’re best prepared to

50. study this next point and apply it to ourselves.
- we said a moment ago that there is no such thing as a cross without shame.
- whatever cross Jesus is calling upon you to bear, you won’t take it up until you deal with the
shame that comes with it.
- you say --- what do you mean?
1) well, if you have not yet trusted Christ.....the only way to a personal relationship with God is
embracing the cross.
- but what stops many people from making that decision?
- its the shame......
- of having to admit.....I have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
- I cannot save myself through my own righteousness....
- I need someone else’s help.....
- many find the shame associated with making such an admission a price that is higher than they
are willing to pay.
- so instead of embracing the cross.....they back away from the cross.
2) Think about this from the perspective of believers...of people who have already decided to
become a Christian, a follower of Christ....
- in order to get to the goal, you have to embrace the cross.
- and you’ll never embrace the cross, unless you deal with the shame.
- now you might say, PV, please put that in the form of a practical illustration.
- let’s say that, when you think of what the next step of growth would look like for you, your
answer would be, “I need to communicate with others in a more godly fashion”.
- you might say, I’m sarcastic, I’m angry, I’m critical, I’m cutting, I’m short, or maybe I clam
up, or I refuse to speak, I give the cold shoulder.....
- whatever it might be --- but you’d say --- the next step of growth for me would be to
communicate in a more godly fashion with those the Lord has placed around me.
- what’s standing between you and that goal?....a cross.
- you’ll have to crucify that old way of speaking.
- you’ll have to put it to death.
- you’ll have to admit that the way you’ve been communicating is sinful.
- you can’t change the way you communicate without embracing the cross.
- well, what have we been learning today?
- that cross comes with a price.....you can’t embrace the cross without experiencing shame.
- we’re admitting that something about us is ugly......its sinful....its not right.
- there may also be people in your life who don't know Christ who observe this change and want
to heap additional shame on the pile.....
- you’re becoming a wimp, or you’re a goody two-shoes, or you can’t make it in a dog-eat-dog
world speaking in a kind, gentle fashion.
- see, we really have four things going on here.....
1) the goal of pleasing God, changing, making progress, the finish line.....
2) the joy that comes from finishing well, from making progress
3) we have the cross, an instrument that has to embraced in order to make progress to the goal
4) the shame that is always associated with the cross.....

51. - you can’t get to the goal without embracing the cross.....
- and you can’t embrace the cross without experiencing shame.....
- that leaves us with a huge question.....how much value are you going to place on the shame?
- are you going to let that shame stop you from embracing the cross, and therefore stop you from
growing at the rate that God wants you to?
- now, you might say --- I’m not sure ---- is there an example I can follow?
- that takes us to our second important point......we need to go from I. The Shame of the Cross,
to....
II. How Jesus Dealt with the Shame.
- please look closely again at the phrase in the middle of Hebrews 12:2.....[we’ll pick it up at the
end of verse 1].
- “...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- now, please let that sink in for a moment......this is one of those “hard candy” kind of phrases.
- we saw clearly that in Bible times, the cross was an instrument of shame.
- this passage clearly outlines the categories we’ve been talking about this morning.....
- what did Jesus do.....for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame.
- now, if you’re following all this this morning, the question has to be.....but what does it mean to
“despise the shame” and how do I do that in everyday life?
- let’s zero in on that word “despise” because that’s the key to all of this.
- what does the word “despise” mean?
- you might say, “hate”......and that’s true....but what does it mean to “hate the shame” associated
with the cross?
- please look over at Romans 2:4 and this should make a whole lot more sense.
- this is another use of our word “despise”......but its used very much like our key verse in
Hebrews 12:2.
- now, I’m going to read this first from the New American Standard Version.....please think
about which word translated “despise” in Hebrews 12:2 is also used here in Romans 2:4.
- Romans 2:4 - Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and
patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
- now, which words in Romans 2:4 do you think come from the same original Greek word as
“despise” in Hebrews 12:2?
- the words “think lightly”......
- in fact, if you have a KJV, its translated as “despise”?
- now you say, PV, you’re almost losing me......
- let me reel you back in if that’s the case.
- when the writer of Hebrews said, Jesus endured the cross by despising the shame....he was
saying.....”Jesus thought lightly of the shame”.....He didn’t assign a heavy weight of value to
it.....

52. - He didn’t let that shame that came from the cross become so important that He failed to do
what God wanted Him to do.
- in fact, the word despise is the Greek Word “kataphreneo” -- phren means mind or think, kata
means down, or low, or in this case, lightly.
- to “kataphreneo something” means to think lightly of something.....to not let it become more
important than it should be.....to not let it become such a focus that it stops you from
accomplishing the goal.
- see, think of the four categories.....from the perspective of our Lord.....
- the goal of finishing the work God had sent Him to do......
- the joy that would come from pleasing the father
- dying on the cross......
- experiencing the shame that came from such a death on such an instrument of shame.
- the issue was, what weight was He going to assign each of these four issues.
- the verse says....for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, by despising the
shame.....
- He thought lightly of the shame......
- He didn’t let the shame stop Him from embracing the cross.
- now, let’s push that one step further.
- the early church had a critical decision to make......
- what were they going to do with a religion, with a faith, that had as its central figure the cross,
which to their entire culture, was an instrument of shame?
- would they ignore the cross, or put it in the background?
- no, the cross became their rallying point.
- so much so, that they were ridiculed for it.
- the oldest surviving picture of the crucifixion of Christ is actually in the form of graffiti drawn
on the wall of a house on the Palatine Hill in Rome.
- the picture has a man with a donkey’s head hanging in a cross.
- underneath is the taunt --- “Alexamenos worships God.”
- in other words, the early Christians had to deal with the scorn that was heaped on people who
worshipped a crucified man.
- so what did they do?
- they didn’t let that deter them at all.
- they did exactly what this passage is telling us to do.....
- for the joy that was set before them, they endured the cross, thinking lightly of the shame.
- so over and over, you find verses like....
- Acts 5:30 - The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him
on a cross.
- Acts 10:39 - And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in
Jerusalem. And they also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.
- 1 Peter 2:24 - and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin
and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
- the point of all of this is, the cross is an instrument of shame, and Jesus Christ did not let that
shame stop Him from embracing the cross......
- and the early church didn’t let that shame stop them from embracing the cross.....

53. - and the question for you and me is.....what are you going to do with the shame that comes with
the cross?
- are you going to “think lightly of it”, or are you going to let it stop you from doing what God
wants you to do?
- let’s conclude all of this by talking about:
III. Lessons for Us Today
- I’d like to speak first of all to those who haven’t yet trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
- Friend, does this verse help explain why taking that step might be difficult in your case?
- the cross is an instrument of shame.....God doesn’t hide that fact from anyone.
- to become a Christian, you do have to admit some hard things about yourself.
- you do have to open yourself up to possible criticism or ridicule from others.
- is it possible that instead of thinking lightly about that, you’ve assigned a great weight of
importance to this......and in essence said, if I have to humble myself to come to Christ, then I
won’t come to Christ.....
- if I have to risk my reputation to come to Christ, then I won’t come to Christ.
- friend, God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.
- would you be willing to embrace the cross today, by admitting your sin and coming to Christ
by faith?
- believing friend, what about these questions we’ve been repeating all morning?
- what is the next step in your growth?
- and is it true that in order to get there, you have to go through the cross?
- and is it possible that you’ve held back and held back and held back.....because you don’t want
to endure the cross.....
- you don't want to risk the shame....
[develop --- maybe give a practical application to finish it off]
Dr. Steve Viars
The Triumphant Shame of the Cross
• Devotional by John Piper
[Christ did not] offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every
year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the
foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:25–26)

54. It is not to be taken for granted that there should be a welcome for sinners in heaven.
God is holy and pure and perfectly just and righteous. Yet the whole story of the Bible is how
such a great and holy God can and does welcome dirty, unholy people like you and me into his
favor. How can this be?
Hebrews 9:25 says that Christ’s sacrifice for sin was not like the sacrifices of the Jewish high
priests. They came into the holy place yearly with animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the
people. But these verses say Christ did not enter heaven to “offer himself repeatedly . . . for then
he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world” (Hebrews 9:26).
If Christ followed the pattern of the priests, then he would have to die yearly. And since the sins
to be covered include the sins of Adam and Eve, he would have had to begin his yearly dying at
the foundation of the world. But the writer treats this as unthinkable.
Why is this unthinkable? Because it would make the death of the Son of God look weak and
ineffective. If it has to be repeated year after year for centuries, where would be the triumph?
Where would we see the infinite value of the sacrifice of the Son of God? It would vanish in the
shamefulness of a yearly suffering and death.
There was shame in the cross, but it was triumphant shame. “[Jesus despised] the shame, and is
seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
This is the gospel of the glory of Christ, the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). I pray that no
matter how dirty or unholy with sin you are, you will see the light of this glory and believe.
Despising the Shame of the Cross
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Kevin Booker
Brothers and sisters, have you ever been in a situation where you were tempted to be ashamed of
the cross of Jesus?
In Luke 9:23 Jesus said that if anyone would come after him they must take up their cross daily
and follow him. When we carry our cross there is always the possibility of being persecuted in
some way. We may be stigmatized or ridiculed or shunned or treated badly by others. Personally
there are times when I have been tempted to ‘put down my cross’ because of shame it might
bring on me. Whether it is because I don’t laugh at a coarse joke or I walk away from an
immoral conversation; or praying in public at a restaurant, or preaching the gospel to the person
sitting next to me on the train or bus, or for even refusing to engage in gossip. Whenever we are
faced with the temptation of being embarrassed or ashamed Heb 12:2 teaches us how to
overcome these thoughts:

55. “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seatedat the right hand of the
throne of God.”
The word ‘despise’ is the Greek word ‘kataphroneō’, which means to think against. Although
there were many valid reasons for Jesus to have felt shame for being on the cross, including the
fact that he was falsely labeled as a criminal and was publicly humiliated, Jesus did not despise
the cross or feel ashamed because He was nailed to it even though it caused him to be ridiculed
and insulted. Instead Jesus rejected any and all ideas of that nature in his mind. In fact Jesus
refused to dwell on any negative thoughts associated with being hung on the cross and instead
embraced the idea of taking the blame and punishment for our transgressions knowing that his
sacrifice would bring us redemption! How amazing is it to know that Jesus was proud to suffer
and die for our sake? It was because of his mindset that he endured the cross with joy.
Brothers and sisters, the example that Jesus has set motivates me to proudly pick up my cross
and carry it everyday knowing that Jesus did the same for me. So whenever the temptation to be
ashamed of the cross that you bear comes, look to the author and perfecter of our faith and
remember that Jesus despised the shame of the cross and in so doing transformed the idea of the
cross as unattractive and unappealing to the very thing that now attracts all men to him!
Posted 13th April 2012 by Kingdomsaint
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
— Hebrews 12:2
We’ve looked at the word “endured” in Hebrews 12:2 and have seen what it meant for Jesus to
endure the Cross for you and me. But Jesus didn’t just endure it — He actually despised the
shame of it. Today I want us to look at the words “despise” and “shame” in the original Greek
language so that we can better understand exactly how Jesus felt when He was physically
hanging on that Cross.
The word “despised” is a translation of the Greek word kataphroneo, which is a compound of the
words kata and phroneo. On their own, the word kata means down, and the word phroneo means
to think. However, when these two words are compounded, the new word means to look down
upon, think poorly of, despise, abhor, detest, disdain, or loathe. This carries the ideas of
contempt, aversion, or something so repulsive that one is almost unable to stomach the idea of it.
It is something that is simply repelling, revolting, and disgusting. Thus, the Greek word
kataphroneo used in Hebrews 12:2 emphatically lets us know that Jesus looked down upon the
Cross with repugnance. He literally “despised” it.
The word “shame” is the Greek word aischune, which describes something that is base, ugly,
revolting, and grotesque. By using this word, the writer of Hebrews was telling us that Jesus’
experience on the Cross as He hung naked and broken in full view of the world was disgraceful,
deplorable, despicable, and reprehensible. Paintings and sculptures of the Crucifixion always
portray Jesus with a towel wrapped around His waist, but this was simply not the case. Romans
were not so kind as to cover the male anatomy — Jesus was stripped of all clothing and hung

56. naked before the jeering crowd. For a Jew who respected the human body as something made in
the holy image of God and who abhorred the naked idols of paganism, this indignity was utterly
repugnant and embarrassing.
Imagine if you were beaten to a pulp and then hung physically naked in front of your friends,
family, coworkers, and acquaintances. How would you feel? According to the Greek word
aischune used in Hebrews 12:2, the Lord Jesus felt a deep sense of “shame” and
“embarrassment” in that horrific moment.
*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]
Jesus paid the price for sin, for sickness and disease, for mental suffering, and for shame.
Just as Jesus endured the scourging to procure our physical healing (see Isaiah 53:5), He literally
took our shame upon Himself to pay the price for any humiliation that would ever try to poison
our lives. As my wife Denise writes in her book, Redeemed From Shame:
Oh, how God wants us to experience His great love for us every moment of our lives! Because of
His suffering on the Cross, He paid the ultimate price for us to experience His loving presence.
This is possible not by any work of righteousness that we have done, but by trusting in what He
has done.
So don’t listen to the lies of the devil about your past. Don’t let him convince you to give up.
Instead, seek God’s face, and listen to the loving words of truth from God’s Spirit that are there
for you. Jesus’ flesh was not ripped apart in vain. It was for your deliverance and freedom to
become the person God planned for you to be!
Jesus took all your shame and fear so you wouldn’t have to be tormented by its wicked hold. In
exchange, He freely offered you His glory and healing power. All you have to do is receive by
faith what He has already given you. You are free from the bondage of shame in Him. Now it’s
time to live free in Jesus’ Name!4
4Denise Renner, Redeemed From Shame (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 2004), p.
Have you ever felt publicly humiliated? Have you ever been ashamed because of something
you’ve been through or because of something someone said? Have you felt the discomfort, pain,
and even torture of embarrassment and humiliation?
If you’ve experienced these feelings, take comfort in the fact that Jesus felt them too. He took
those emotions upon Himself as part of His sacrificial work on the Cross so that you and I could
be set free. We don’t have to be encumbered with feelings of shame for the rest of our lives. He
literally took our shame so we could be free from it!
Regardless of what has happened in your past that might have made you feel embarrassed or
ridiculed, know that Jesus took your shame upon Himself and set you free. Your freedom from
shame and humiliation was included in His work on the Cross, and you never have to be
tormented with those hellish thoughts again — because of Jesus!
M o s c o w G o o d N e w s C h u r c h

57. MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, how can I ever begin to thank You for Your great plan of Redemption? Jesus
not only became sin for me, He also bore for me the humiliation and pain of it in ways far deeper
than anything I could ever imagine. I am overcome with gratitude to know that Jesus endured
such unspeakable horror so I could know Your perfect love and be set me free from the torment
of fear and shame. Holy Spirit, teach me how to walk in the reality of this freedom and love so
that I will cause others to know the power made available through Christ’s sacrifice on the
Cross.
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
M o s c o w G o o d N e w s C h u r c h
MY CONFESSIONFOR TODAY
I confess that never again will I allow myself to wallow in self-pity because of the pain I feel, the
loss I’ve endured, or the abuse I’ve experienced. Jesus knows exactly how it feels to be
humiliated and shamefully treated in the most degrading ways. Because Jesus is personally
acquainted with such pain and such mental and emotional anguish, He is able to fully
sympathize with all my feelings. Therefore, with confidence I come boldly before His throne of
grace to receive His help in just the way I need it most!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
M o s c o w G o o d N e w s C h u r c h
QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER
1. Shame is a horrible spiritual force that causes a person to be embarrassed of who they
are. Have you ever felt this negative power? Did you know that Jesus paid for your
shame as a part of His redemptive work on the Cross?
2. If you walked free of shame and embarrassment and never returned to it, how would that
freedom affect your life? What would life be like if you never had to deal with those
negative emotions?
3. Now that you know that Christ paid the price for your shame, can you think of anyone
you need to share this message with so he or she, too, can be freed from the power of
shame?
https://renner.org/jesus-took-our-shame/
How to Despise Shame
Posted on April 2, 2014 by http://honorshame.com/author/jason/HYPERLINK
"http://honorshame.com/author/jason/"HonorShame — 1 Comment ↓
What did Jesus do to shame? He despised it. “For the joy set before Him, (Jesus) endured the
cross, despising the shame.” (Heb 12:2)
de●spise – to intensely dislike, to regard with contempt.

58. Though shame threatens to make us despicable, we must declare shame despicable. Despising
shame means saying, “Shame, you are the shameful fool. You have no voice or power in my life.
You threatened, but I will not change my course.” For Jesus, despising shame meant bearing the
greatest symbol of social shame and disgust. He knew the shame of the cross was fleeting and
insignificant in light of God’s honorable evaluation. When shame threatens to expose, humiliate,
or devalue you, despise those false whispers.
Have the courage and boldness to endure any shame, because it is ultimately inconsequential. (In
fact, in God’s economy, shame precedes glory!) Here are two images of how we can despise
shame:
1) SIT ON THE PORCH!
Shame terrorizes the soul. Shame lurks about, waiting to destroy people. Like a terrorist, shame
strikes fear by threatening to expose our vulnerabilities and remind us of our weaknesses. Martin
Luther King, Jr. recounts an instructive story of how Negroes exposed KKK terrorism. This story
illustrates how people can despise the terrorism of shame – by just sitting out on the porch.
n e g o e s o n p o r c h
http://honorshame.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/02/negoes-on-porch.jpghttp://honorshame.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/02/negoes-on-porch.jpg
“Ordinarily, threats of Klan action were a signal to the Negroes to go into the houses, close the
doors, pull the shades, or turn off the lights. Fearing death, they played dead. But this time they
had prepared a surprise. When the Klan arrived – according to the newspapers “about forty
carloads of robed and hooded members” – porch lights were on and doors open. As the Klan
drove by, the Negroes behaved as though they were watching a circus parade. Concealing the
effort it cost them, many walked about as usual; some simply watched from their steps; a few
waved at the passing cars. After a few blocks, the Klan, nonplussed, turned off into a side street
and disappeared into the night.” (The Autobiography of MLK, Jr., p 95)
There is no reason to be terrorized by shame. When shame threatens, we can sit on the porch and
wave at it with a smile. It is false and illegitimate. Despise it!
2) CALL ITS BLUFF!
Shame always bluffs, as if it has two aces. Shame bullies us into folding our cards and backing
out. But, shame only controls and defines us when we live in fear of it. But there is no reason to
yield to its bluff. Why? We’ve got the two aces!! We have the upper hand. We can put our two

59. aces on the table and say, “The riches are all mine!” To despise shame means calling its bluff.
Here are two truths that help us call shame’s bluff, and banish it from the game (for more, click
here):
• “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” – Romans 10:11
• “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer
disgrace; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the disgrace of your
widowhood you will remember no more.”- Isaiah 54:4
We must shame shame, and expose its weaknesses! How does your heart usually respond to the
threat of shame? How do you see shame ‘terrorize’? Does it make you fear vulnerability, or not
want to be known? Does it make you disassociate with certain people considered ‘shameful’?
http://honorshame.com/despise-shame/
The Shame of the Cross
An instrument of death becomes our means to life.
by J. GrantSwank, Jr.
https://nowwhat.cog7.org/author/nowwhat/https://nowwhat.cog7.org/the_shame_of_the_cross-
2/https://nowwhat.cog7.org/category/christian-living/crucifixion-resurrection/
“I am not ashamed of the gospel . . .” (Romans 1:16, NIV).
Carrying the cross in a pleasure-centered world is not the prettiest picture. That is why our
culture does not want the cross except as an art piece around a neck or hanging from an ear.
Even the church does not want the cross except to bring a simplicity of balance to the sanctuary
front or to cap a building’s spire.
When one moves the cross from jewelry or architectural design to the bloody piece of crucified
flesh outside Jerusalem, only a few will couch down with one fellow and a clutch of shaking
women.
The cross brings shame. It is what the Old Testament prophets predicted: the place where the
unseemly was naked, torn, and shredded so to bring nothing but death gasps from those looking
one. “Our eyes desired not to behold Him.”
Shouldering the cross
Yet that cross is what Christ would dare to have His own pick up, strap to their shoulders, and
carry through the city streets, trudging out into the countryside along spring meadows and
sparrows in flight.
Why?
Because that cross sets forth the contradiction of the whole gospel base.

60. Macabre message
God came into the world to make of it an Eden. Human free will botched it up by biting into
Eden’s fruit, concluding by such pleasure that creature would be Creator. In that flush of success,
humankind fell tragically into too many dark dimensions — beyond verbiage.
So it is that what most contradicts the pleasure-crazed planet must be planted in the cross of all
history — the bloody, shame-riddled cross. Only such a startlingly macabre scene can hopefully
shake some poor souls into sense. And it does.
For all who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb have come to the point where they
have seen through the utter emptiness of things and toys and giggles of worldly pleasure. So
done in by that awful glee, these repentant ones have flung themselves upon the contradiction:
the cross.
In that they have come upon the pleasure of all pleasures: Christ himself.
Daily shame
And where is He? On the tree. For what reason? To invite us there. For what soul purpose? To
cleanse us by His blood. In what real sense? In the real sense of releasing us from our gnawing
pride of life and to set us free from our needling fears.
Yet the world simply does not get it; and it never will. So it is that the cross-bearer carries a
dreadful, daily shame. He is made out to be dumb, befuddled, thick in the head, insensitive to
pleasure, boring and dry-boned, frazzled and frizzled, frumpy and nit-wit, shallow and flat
affected.
Sweetnessofthe cross
Do you now see more clearly the contradiction woven into the Fall of all things?
Whatever worldlings consider apex, the cross-bearer knows to be losing. In that is the cross-
bearer’s shame. Yet in that shame is the sweetness of the cross. It becomes sweeter still the more
one clutches the cross, kisses its pleasures, marries oneself to its Lord and knows that there is
nowhere else to call “home.”
That is why Paul, an early follower of Christ, and countless others have claimed the shame of the
cross as no shame at all. From eternity’s perspective, it is indeed no shame at all. How so?
Because the very cross becomes the bridge to light and life, eternal glory, pleasures evermore.
Shame? As far as the world defines it, the cross is shame.
As far as the cross-bearer knows it to be true, it is only sweet peace, the gift of God’s love.
https://nowwhat.cog7.org/the_shame_of_the_cross-2/
“Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well adjusted lives. His
purpose is far deeper: He wants to make us like himself before he takes us to heaven. This is our
greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny.” – Rick Warren

61. The "Shame of the Cross" and its Glory
Part 4: Consequences: Where do we go from here?
We have seen that we do sharply disagree whether Jesus was crucified or not. And this issue will
have to be discussed further if there should be any meaningful Christian - Muslim dialog at all.
And this is not just about opinion "how Jesus died", it is ultimately about our understanding of
the character of God, the seriousness of sin, and other extremely fundamental issues, which I
didn't explicitly bring out here.
But there is one more aspect of the Cross which is worth pointing out as we think about the
question: How now do we handle our differences?
Nobody who really cares for truth, can go on his way and say, well, it doesn't really matter, let us
not take this too seriously. We are probably all "right in some way". If we really seek truth, this
relativistic "feel good" approach is unworthy to even be considered.
There is one horrible historical event that has poisoned so much of the relationship between
Muslims and Christians. I am talking about the Crusades. Some evil politicians (even Church
polititians) back then and in some instances still today, have used the name of God to justify their
greed and plans to enlarge the domain of their power.
The teaching of Jesus on this matter is very clear (Matthew 5):
1 Now when he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His
disciples came to him,
2 and he began to teach them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty
again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand,
and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven.

62. And though we have to disagree sharply in regard to the content of the truth, let me quote again
part of a passage that I already drew your attention to in part 2. In 1 Corinthians 5 the Apostle
Paul writes:
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the
ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins
against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal
through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
The Cross means:
The voluntary suffering and death of Jesus on our behalf
The Crusades were:
The enforced suffering inflicted on others by a terrorist gang of "out of control soldiers" who
operated under the abuse of the name of Jesus.
I hope you see that the Crusades are the complete perversion of the command by Jesus to spread
the GOOD news. Sometimes "Christians" have been very bad news indeed. The Crusades are the
complete anti-thesis of the Gospel message.
The Gospel = evangel (Injil) = good news or reconciliation which seeks the free and loving
response of men and women to the acts of love done by God for us.
True Christians are followers of the crucified Lord, not followers of those who crucified him.
There is not only the Cross of our Lord in which we believe, but also a cross for each one who
follows him (Matthew 16):
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem
and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law,
and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall
never happen to you!"
[It seems, Peter also had quite a problem with this concept.]
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to
me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples,
"If anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself
and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will
find it.
26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or
what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
The cross in the life of any believer is to be applied to ourselves, not to others. We have no
justification for bringing others suffering in order to further our wishes and goals, but we are to
die to our selfish ambitions and give up [=crucify] everything that hinders us in following Christ.

63. The true Gospel message can only be and always has to be the offer of God's love to us through
Jesus, the offer of forgiveness and reconciliation and new life. And this offer is free and there is
never any force of violence to be mixed up with it, lest the message of love be perverted to a
message of evil.
Jerome, a Christian scholar of the fourth century, writes about the first threehundred years of
Christianity:
The church of Christ has been founded by shedding its own blood, not that of others; by
enduring outrage, not by inflicting it. Persecutions have made it grow; martyrdoms have
crowned it.
And that is true without reservations. One of the worst things that has happened to the church is
the strong affiliation with the political power that developed from the middle of the fourth
century onwards. Power corrupts, not only outside but also inside the church. And "the church"
has at times abused the power it had, and also was abused by those who had the political power
and wanted to have some religious blessing for their evil politics. But any violence in the name
of Christ is against the message of Christ himself.
During Ramadan 1996 the following message has been circulated among Millions of Christians.
They are a very good formulation of a true Christian attitude towards the horrors and evil of the
Crusades. Maybe these statements can help in a small way that understanding and forgiveness
can grow. They definitely do reflect the true Christian and Biblical attitude, though it is very sad,
that still today, the name of "Christian" religion is abused for violence and power politics.
These lines were not intended for a Muslim audience, they were in a booklet of prayer topics for
Christians. But I decided to just let you know of them without editing them.
The Crusades
The 900th anniversary (1095-1099) of the dreadful events of the First Crusade presents
Christ's followers with an opportunity to express deep remorse for the past. We need to
humbly ask for forgiveness for the blood that was shed in the name of Christianity. As
each Crusader wore the symbol of the Cross, we need to recognize the great mistake
which made the symbol of love for all men into a sign of division, hate and
extermination.
Jews, Eastern Christians and Muslims were all affected by the Crusades. Jews were
slaughtered in several places. Eastern Christians (Greek Orthodox and others) were
mistreated and humiliated by the Crusader armies, increasing the divisions which already
existed. Muslims were killed in great numbers, encouraging centuries of deep hostility.
Wars have been a major part of human history, but religious wars in the name of Christ
do not reflect the spirit of the Gospel. Jesus said, "Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you. Do good to those who hate you, and bless those who curse you."
(Luke 6:27-36)
Many Muslims have a much better memory of the Crusades than Christians. "It's another
Crusade!" is a phrase that recurs regularly in the rhetoric of some Muslim leaders.
Muslim fundamentalists frequently refer to western cultural and economic influence as
the last crusade.
On this first day of prayer during Ramadan 1996, let us reflect on the past and ask the
Lord to search our hearts concerning our present attitudes. Many of us have ancestors

64. who were involved in the Crusades. Many more of us are the spiritual descendants of
those who participated in and supported the Crusades.
While the past cannot be rewritten, each one of us can take a step toward laying a new
foundation for future generations. As Christians we can say that we are sorry for the past.
Let us pray for a healing of wounds between Jews, Christians and Muslims. Through His
death on the cross, Jesus made the way for us to have forgiveness of sins, to be reconciled
to the Father and to one another (2 Cor. 5:17-20). "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
shall be called the sons of God." (Mt: 5:9).
I fully endorse these lines. I myself am very sorry for the suffering and evil that "the Church" has
brought on many Muslims. "We" will have to give account to God for distorting His Gospel in
your eyes beyond recognition. I understand that these memories live on and are even reinforced
by current situations like Bosnia. I want to assure you that this has all nothing to do with the
message Jesus has commanded us to preach and with the character we are supposed to display.
And though I personally had nothing to do with the Crusades of old, I also have to bow ashamed
before God's holy commands, and I am sorry for those times where I myself in the heat of the
argument have offended anyone. It never was my intention. We are admonished in God's Word
and it is my desire to speak the truth in love.
And this obviously means "as much as I think I understand of the truth". Nobody has absolute
understanding of all truth. And I am learning and growing, often accompanied by errors and
sometimes painful ones. I am a fellow pilgrim in the quest for truth and deeper understanding,
but I want to share with those who are on the same way that which I have already found and
which has enriched my life. And the wonderful gift of forgiveness through the death of Jesus, my
Savior, is part of what I cannot keep just to myself.
When I ask hard questions, then it is not in order to try to make Muslims look ridiculous, but it is
in the hope that you will start to think about those issues which in my conviction are of utmost
importance. We cannot afford any blind faith, but have to know what we believe and why we
believe it, and as best we can, make sure what we believe is really the truth. Our eternal destiny
depends on it.
If I only win an argument
[and I am obviously convinced that the case for the Christian faith is better than the one for
Islam, and in the same vein I hope that you are a Muslim only because you are convinced
that Islam is the Truth and has the answers for the essential questions and also hope that
many of us would change our allegiance if we see that we have indeed been wrong]
and in the course of it have offended you and lost your willingness to listen any further then I
have failed and it would have been better if I had kept my mouth shut. I do not only share this on
the Internet. Both, in Germany and in the USA, I have Muslim friends whom I love dearly and
because they are dear to me, I can not keep quiet and have to let them and you know as best I am
able to, that you are on a way that leads to your destruction [according to my conviction and
according to the Bible].
In the same vein, I have received "concerned" emails of some from you who warned me that I
must take seriously the truth of Islam because my eternal destiny depends on it. I do appreciate
these comments, because it shows these people have the right priorities, even if they speak based
on a conviction which I consider wrong.

65. With love and the desire for truth,
Jochen Katz
The Cross of Christ
Answering Islam Home Page
a guest post by Rosina Schmucker, who blogs at Arabah Rejoice. To follow her blog, click on
this link.
Enduring the Cross, Despising the Shame
If I were to try to convince someone to become a Christian, shame is not a quality I would
advertise. I would probably talk about the wonderful sense of being set free from guilt, the
comforting presence of a communicating God, and the indescribable joy of Spirit-infused life.
Not shame.
Certain verses have come alive to me in the last five years, as I gain a sort of experiential
knowledge that replaces what was merely intellectual knowledge before. Recently, reading this
verse brought that familiar twinge of oh, I think I’ve experienced that! Not fully, to be sure, but
the beginnings of identifying with Christ are there.
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the
throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 (ESV)
What does it mean to despise the shame? In this context, despising means something closer to
disregarding, or paying little attention to shame. This isn’t typically the way we use the word
“despising,” so the phrase is a little confusing until we dig deeper into the meaning.
Jesus experienced the ultimate shame. While being part of a strongly honor-based culture, He
hung naked on a cross for sins not His own. He was rejected, a man of sorrows, and acquainted
with grief (Isa 53:2). He humbled himself and became obedient to death on a cross (Phil 2:8).
But he could despise–or look away from–this shame, because He saw the glory that would be
revealed (Phil 2:9).
Shame is an ugly thing, and I have spent years slowly opening up the festering shame-wounds in
my heart, bringing them to light so they can heal. Shame has often tricked me into a false
identity; made me feel sick and unsafe instead of secure in Christ. Some of the shame came from
arrows lodged from people around me whom I love; other darts of shame came from religious
systems that promised what they could not deliver. Trust turned to self-hate, love morphed into
fear. Shame is ugly.
As God heals me of this shame, I am simultaneously discovering that a certain type of shame
comes from being a radical Christ-follower. But this shame is different–it does not give me a
false, fear-based identity. It does not strip me of who God created me to be, but is part of a
journey into wholeness.

66. Growing into a deeper understanding of who I am in Christ has led me on a rocky journey of
being able to embrace the shame of the Gospel, while rejecting unhealthy shame from the devil.
It is a treacherous process at times, but I am finding my way. Here are two areas in which I have
experienced the Gospel’s shame in my own life.
Living, breathing, and teaching the Gospel makes me sharply counter-cultural. I don’t fit
any political or religious paradigm, and I often feel a keen sense of dislocation and inability to
explain what I know in my heart to be true. I want to belong somewhere on this earth, and I
never find a complete sense of earthly connection because I belong to Jesus.
As much as I want to sometimes, I can’t remake Jesus to conform to sticky situations that arise. I
can’t reinterpret the Bible to make it more palatable and to better match my idea of what works
in the world today. I can’t instruct the Holy Spirit to do what makes sense to me. Being a
Christian means I am a misfit, and God’s ways will often be misunderstood even among the
religious world.
This is hard for me, because I want to fit in. I want to be accepted and liked. Confrontation or
disagreement of any sort is very difficult for me, and when the Gospel runs counter to popular
thought, being the “salt of the earth” (especially when it ostracizes friends and family) is
enormously uncomfortable.
But the foolishness of the cross is powerful.
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being
saved it is the power of God.
I Corinthians 1:18 (ESV)
Besides being counter-cultural, another way I experience the shame of the Gospel is by
believing what I can’t understand. I’d like to be able to neatly package up my beliefs and back
them with indestructible proof, but the fact is that I can’t. Some things about God and the Bible
baffle me, and I couldn’t tell you why they are the way they are.
I suppose many of us have a chink in our armor, a certain weakness that makes some part of God
and/or the Bible a stretch of faith for us to believe. I know I do. And I also know many Christians
would probably be horrified at the thing that makes me stumble–the belief in the resurrection of
the dead.
Life without the promise of a resurrection seems completely intolerable, and I know the
resurrection is central to the Christian faith. But still, sometimes I get sucked into doubt. I have
no way to prove an afterlife. I don’t have any problem with believing in God or in a created
world or the authenticity of the Bible. But that one thing–the resurrection of the dead–hits me
now and then, and I have to read the Scriptures and wrestle through embracing what I cannot
prove.
I can’t explain everything, and I have to accept the shame of not having hard evidence to prove
my faith.
For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed–a righteousness that is by faith
from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 1:17 (NIV)

67. I’ve found that whether through being counter-cultural or through being unable to fully explain
God or the Bible, this shame of the Gospel promises a true identity. And that is why I am a
Christian.
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
Abba! Father! So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through
God.
Galatians 4:6-7 (ESV)
Embracing the cross of Christ and its discipline and shame requires deep humility. But this
humility paradoxically leads us into glory, the dislocation to a kingdom unshakeable, and the
faith despite uncertainty to a reign forever with Christ.
If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign
with him
2 Timothy 2:11b-12a (ESV)
https://mywindowsill.com/enduring-the-cross-despising-the-shame/
An Atonement of Shame – Orthodoxy and
the Cross
March 6, 2017 · Fr. Stephen Freeman
Some decades ago in my early (Anglican) priesthood, a parishioner brought a crucifix back from
South America. The question for me as a priest was whether I would accept the crucifix as a gift
and place it in the Church. I like crucifixes, my taste was always towards the Catholic direction.
But, you have to bear in mind that Spanish/Latin crucifixes have a tendency to be, well, rather
gory. My congregation was pretty straight-up WASP. But, I was young, a still largely unbruised
banana, so I installed the crucifix over the rear door of the Church. Everyone could see it as they
exited.
The first Sunday was the test. I got my clock cleaned pretty quickly. An irate woman said, “I
want that thing removed! I do not want my children seeing it. I believe in a risen Lord!” We had
a short theological discussion the outcome of which was that I left the crucifix where it was. I do
not think she adjusted. I also do not think her children were scarred for life.
But I understood her sensibilities. The brutality of the crucifixion is easily overwhelming. It is
particularly overwhelming if the brutality is depicted in Spanish splendor. My defense of the
brutal crucifix, however, did not prepare me for my later encounter with Orthodox presentations
of Christ on the Cross.

68. https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/wp-
content/uploads/sites/15/2017/03/OL_Crucifixion-
1.jpghttps://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/wp-
content/uploads/sites/15/2017/03/OL_Crucifixion-1.jpgLike all Orthodox icons, the Crucifixion
is somewhat stylized, conforming to the norms of Byzantine grammar. It is a theological rather
than historical presentation. Typically, the icon presents a very calm Christ on the Cross. He is
clearly “dead” (His eyes are closed). But there is no particular sense of agony. The suffering is
more a note of sadness rather than pain. And, contrary to history, the plaque over the Cross
reads: “The King of Glory.” As glory goes, it is indeed subdued. There is a profound stillness
that comes with it.
The icon of the Crucifixion could also be placed with two other icons that are common to
Orthodox Holy Week: the iconhttps://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/wp-
content/uploads/sites/15/2017/03/jesusbridegroom.jpg
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/wp-
content/uploads/sites/15/2017/03/jesusbridegroom.jpg of “The Bridegroom,” and the icon of
“Extreme Humility.” The portrayal of Christ in both icons is similar. He is seen with head
bowed, arms folded in a dropped position in front of Him. It is a picture of submission and
acceptance. The Extreme Humility makes a certain obvious sense: it is Christ in death. The
wounds are obvious; He is seen in the tomb; the Cross is placed behind Him; the spear and the
sponge are there as well. Indeed, the placement of the hands are reminiscent of the hands on the
Shroud of Turin.
If Christ in death is extreme humility, then Christ as Bridegroom is extreme irony. For the term
“bridegroom” is a title
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/wp-

69. content/uploads/sites/15/2017/03/extremehumility.jpghttps://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godfo
rallthings/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2017/03/extremehumility.jpgfor Christ associated with
His coming in glory (Matt. 25 ff.) The Orthodox focus on the Bridegroom, however, is a Holy
Week devotion, a call to repentance. On the first three days of Holy Week we sing with great
solemnity:
Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight!
And blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching,
And unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless.
Beware, therefore, O my soul.
Do not be weighed down with sleep, lest you be given unto death,
And lest you be shut out of the kingdom.
But rouse yourself crying, Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God.
Through the Theotokos have mercy on us!
This is the Great Irony: the Great becomes small; the Rich becomes poor; the Mighty becomes
weak; the Author of Life enters death; the God of All becomes the servant of all. This same irony
lies at the heart of the Christian way of life. It strikes down every pretense to power and exalts
the emptiness of humility as the fullness of being.
Of great note, however, is the absence of pain and torture in this presentation. The theme of the
Orthodox account of Christ’s suffering and death is that of bearing shame and mockery. You can
search the texts of Holy Week for the word “pain,” and come up with almost nothing. The
mocking and the shame, however, color everything.
The same is largely true of the New Testament as well. When St. Paul describes Christ’s self-
emptying (kenosis) on the Cross, he says that Christ “became obedient to death,” and adds, “even
death on a Cross.” The point of the “even” is not that the Cross is painful above all pain, but that
the Cross is shameful above all shame. There are no gospel accounts of characters taking some
sort of masochistic pleasure and delighting in Christ’s pain. However, there are repeated
descriptions of His humiliation. The purple robe, the crown of thorns are not unique images of
pain, but torturous bits of mockery.
All of this runs counter to the penal theories of the atonement. In those theories, Christ is
punished on our behalf. It is His pain and suffering as sacrificial victim that come to the fore.
What Western (cf. Spanish) art did to the Crucifixion, Western rhetoric did to the atonement. The
Reformation did nothing to change this other than to avoid its artistic presentation in Churches (it
looked too “Catholic”).
But what role does shame play within an understanding of the atonement? It is, I think, essential,
though hard for us to understand. America has been described as a shame-based culture where
shame itself is not acknowledged (it’s too painful). It helps if we understand the nature of shame
itself.
Shame is the natural response to broken communion. [Kaufman, The Psychology of Shame,
1996, pp. 32-33] The relationship of communion with others is the very essence of safety and
comfort. Its most primal expression is the bond between mother and nursing infant. Face-to-face,
the child is held and nurtured. There the child is comforted and protected. [footnote] Every later
experience of union draws on this primal experience. It is not accidental that the ultimate
relationship, that of union with God in Christ, is described precisely in the language of face-to-
face.

70. The first instinct of shame is to look down, to turn the face away and hide. Blood rushes to the
face (it “burns with shame”). Shame is the very sacrament of broken communion, the most
proper and natural expression of sin. When Christ enters our shame (and bears it), it is as though
God Himself stands before us, takes our face in His hands, and turns our eyes back to Him. This
is the action we see in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The Father’s actions demonstrate his
running to meet his son in his shame. Had the father remained in the house, the son would have
born his shame alone. The father not only shares the shame, but in sharing it, restores
communion, illustrated by the robe and the ring. Even the shame of the elder son is met with the
same meekness and shame-bearing.
The shame that we experience in the natural settings of our lives is an image of something truly
and ontologically real: sin shatters our union with God. Christ’s incarnation is an entrance into
this realm of ontological shame and brokenness through union with our human nature. That
reality is made manifestly clear in the events of His passion and the description that has come
down to us.
Pain and suffering are tragic parts of our lives. They are the burden of our mortality. But far
deeper and more profound is the shame that represents our ruptured union with God. Pain and
suffering are only symptoms.
The Orthodox portrayal of Christ in the events of Holy Week clearly reflect the themes found in
Scripture. It is only in understanding Christ’s bearing of shame and mockery that we will fully
understand what has been done for us in His death and resurrection. Our culture, as noted above,
has an aversion to shame (it’s one of our greatest secrets). We have somehow come to prefer
stories of violence. Our cultural treatment of the Cross majors in violence. But nothing sinful can
be understood apart from the role played by shame.
In the Ladder of Divine Ascent we hear: “Shame can only be healed by shame.” As difficult as
this is for us, it is the place of atonement and exchange that Christ has set. I have been learning
recently, however, that to speak of “bearing a little shame” (in the words of the Elder Sophrony)
is overwhelming to some. Popular shame researcher and author, Brene Brown, uses the term
“vulnerability” when she speaks of confronting and healing shame. Vulnerability, at its core, is
nothing other than “bearing a little shame.” It is the willingness to be real, to be authentic with
the risk that it entails. This is on the psychological level. There is a deeper level, though we
cannot really go there without enduring the psychological first.
God give us grace to be vulnerable in His presence, vulnerable enough to discover our true
selves.
https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/glory2godforallthings/2017/03/06/atonement-shame-orthodoxy-
cross/
The Guilt and the Shame
September 7, 2015 #sin
Share l "

71. It is a theme I have been thinking about quite a lot. It is a theme I have known in my own life at
various times and in certain circumstances. I have pondered guilt and shame, and today I want to
return to some reflections on them.
So many Christians live their lives racked with guilt and shame. They think back to the things
they did, the sins they committed, whether two days ago or two decades, and they live under a
cloud of shame. This shame hurts, it burns, it incapacitates. It raises this question: What is the
place of guilt, what is the place of shame, in the life of the Christian?
We need to begin by distinguishing between guilt and shame. Here is how I differentiate between
them: Guilt is the objective reality that I have committed an offense or a crime; shame is the
subjective experience of feeling humiliation or distress because of what I have done. God has
made us in such a way that sin incurs guilt and guilt generates shame. But there is a catch and a
caution: Guilt and shame come in helpful forms and in paralyzingly unhelpful forms. Guilt and
shame can be a good gift of God or a curse of Satan.
When I sin against God I may find that my conscience accuses me, that it convicts me that I have
done wrong. My guilt, the realization that I have sinned, brings a feeling of shame. This guilt and
shame is a good gift of God when it motivates me to repent of my sin, to look again to the cross
of Christ.
When I repent of sin, I am assured by God that Christ himself has already dealt with the guilt of
it. At the cross the guilt of that offense was transferred to Christ. He took that sin—the full,
objective, legal guilt of it—upon himself to such an extent that my sin became his sin. Jesus
Christ took every hateful thought and adulterous glance and spiteful word and every other sin
upon himself. He took that sin to the cross and suffered God’s wrath against it to the point that
justice was satisfied. This means that the offense has been truly and fully paid for. It is gone. I
am no longer guilty before God!
But Christ did more than that. Not only did he take away my guilt, but he also gave me his
righteousness. This is the great exchange of the gospel, that my sin was transferred to him and
his righteousness was transferred to me. I am not only not sinful, but I am actually righteous.
Because the guilt of the offense is gone, the shame is gone as well. Because that sin is no longer
my own, the shame is no longer my own.
Think about this. The sin is no longer my own, which means the guilt is no longer my own,
which means the shame is no longer my own. The guilt and the shame of that sin now belong to
Christ. If anyone ought to be feeling shame for that sin, it is not me but Christ! Do you think
Christ is at the Father’s side today racked with shame because of the adultery and murder and
envy that he took upon himself? Of course not! Christ knows that those sins have been dealt
with, that they have been forgiven, that they have been removed as far as east is from west.
There is no shame left for him to feel.
So why, then, do I feel shame for sins I committed so long ago? Why do I get all wrapped up in
guilt and shame? Because Satan wants me to be incapacitated by that shame, to doubt that it has
been dealt with, to convince me that I still need to carry the weight of it. He wants to destroy my
joy, to cripple my usefulness to the church, and he can do this by wrapping me up in guilt and
shame.
The hymn “Before the Throne of God Above” speaks powerfully about forgiveness for guilt and
shame.

72. When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Here is Satan, actively drawing old sins to mind, and convincing me that I still bear the guilt and
shame of each one of them. But…
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
The guilt of my sin, the shame of it, cannot withstand just that one glance at the cross, for there I
see the death of Christ and with it, the death of sin, guilt, and shame.
Christian, when you commit sin and feel shame, embrace it as an opportunity to turn again to the
Lord, to repent of that sin, to preach the gospel to yourself, to assure yourself once more of the
Lord’s grace for those who put their faith in Christ. And then embrace the freedom of
forgiveness and let Jesus feel the shame.
https://www.challies.com/articles/the-guilt-and-the-shame/
The Shame of the Cross
The River Walk / December 8, 2014
t h e - s h a m e - o f - t h e - c r o s s
https://tworiversblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/the-shame-of-the-
cross.jpghttps://tworiversblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/the-shame-of-the-cross.jpg

73. It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the
next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So
they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies
could be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with
Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his
legs. (John 19:31-33)
Read: Hosea 10:1-14:9, Jude 1:1-25, Psalm 127:1-5, Proverbs 29:15-17
Relate: The greatest strength of a Roman crucifixion was as a deterrent. There were other forms
of execution that were far more efficient. As horrendously painful as the cross was, there were
other ways to exact pain just as well if not better. What made the cross such a favorite method
was how public it was. When Spartacus lost in his rebellion, six thousand rebel slaves were
crucified along the Appian Way between Rome and Capua. This was the most highly trafficked
part of the busiest road in Italy if not the entire world. They were sending a very public message:
“Don’t try this ever again.” Part of what made it such a great message was how grotesque it
would look. I have mentioned earlier how crucifixion would kill someone, but I did not point out
there what the cross did to its victim’s arms. Because of the stretching and the unnatural
placement of the weight, eventually the shoulders would be pulled out of joint. Then later the
elbows. A victim who has managed to live well into the second day would have unnatural
looking arms that were more than six inches longer than they had been just three days earlier.
The problem was, this deterrent would not have been much of a deterrent of those three men
were still on their crosses once Jews started pouring into the city by the thousands. For the
religious Jew, seeing those men still hanging on the cross would simply stir up anger and hatred
for the Roman occupiers who deliberately flouted Jewish law and custom that demanded no
criminal could remain hanging overnight. (Deut 21:23) If Rome allowed those crosses to stay
where they were, they would very soon be needing a whole lot more crosses. Pilate wasn’t so
much caving to those Jewish leaders demands as he was pragmatically avoiding a mistake he had
already made before in not taking the local religious customs seriously.
React: Honestly, this fact about the arms was not something I knew much about. I came across
the information when fact checking what I thought I knew about leg breaking. I had heard about
the shoulders sometimes being pulled out of joint but the how and the gruesome details behind it
are new information to me. I have done my best to keep it fairly pg rated above but what I was
reading made me want to cringe, and vomit, and cry all at once. It brought home in one more
way exactly what is referred to with phrases like the shame of the cross (Heb 12:2) and “in
humiliation His justice was taken away” (Acts 8:33). No one can fully know all that He suffered
on the cross but every time I think I have a grip at least on the concept of what it must have been
like, it just gets worse.
My only right reaction to this is to cry out, “God I am so sorry.” Every time my mind comes
back to this cross, I cannot escape the horror of the truth that it was my sin that held Him there. It
was for my rebellion against Him that He suffered the fate of traitors. It brings home once again
the truth that no sin is small and His grace, while free, is most certainly not cheap.

74. The Shame and Power of the Cross
04/28/2017
GBC Bowie
• Share
• By Pastor Brady Wolcott
• But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of
Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
• It is important for us to understand not only that Jesus died for us but HOW he died for
us. Dying for others can be a glorious thing. The movie Glory depicts the African American
soldiers risking everything to fight for their country and gloriously charge up a hill to their deaths
for freedom’s sake. Gladiators died for the glory of the empire and it’s Caesar. A police officer
may die in the line of duty protecting a neighborhood or community. These are all forms of
sacrificial death. They all bring honor to the fallen. But these are not like the death of Christ.
Christ died in great shame and weakness. He died without any human glory. He died outside the
city- away from his people. An outcast. Despised. Rejected. Fleming Rutledge in her book The
Crucifixion, says, “Crucifixion as a means of execution in the Roman Empire had as its express
purpose the elimination of victims from consideration as members of the human race.” She goes
on to call it “ritualized extermination.” Crucifixion was entertainment. Mocking was not just
allowed but required.
Jesus allowed himself to become less than human in order to save humanity. The cross is the
most shameful, dishonoring, unhuman way to die. And beyond this it is completely irreligious.
When Jesus cries out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he is revealing to us the
futility of all our religious trappings and efforts and the cursed state of all humanity. Jesus died
under the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:10-14).
He is not dying a hero’s death. He is not dying for heroes. He is dying for the scum of the earth-
you and I. He is dying as the scum of the earth. He is cursed. Shamed. Scorned. Humiliated. But
worst of all he became sin (2 Cor. 5:21). The sinless one sin thus succumbed to death. Why?
Sin uses the Law to bring death (Rom. 7:5-25). That is what happened to Jesus on the cross. That
is why he was accursed. Sin uses the Law to condemn, constrain, control, and crucify us. That is
what happened to Jesus both physically and spiritually.
Only by faith can we see that Jesus’ death of shame and weakness is actually great honor and
power. Only by faith can we see that Jesus’ sin is our righteousness. His curse is our blessing.
His cry of dereliction (My God, My God…) was our battle cry of victory.
https://gbcbowie.org/blog/the-shame-and-power-of-the-cross/

75. Scorning its Shame
Adam Moran
In Hebrews 12:1–4, it says:
“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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured
such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your
struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your own blood.”
I have read these verses many times, but I tend to breeze over one particular part, without giving
it much thought. In verse 2, it says that Jesus went to the cross, “scorning its shame.” What does
this really mean, “scorning its shame?” Simply put, it means that Jesus scorned or despised the
shame that was associated with the cross. What did the cross mean to those living in Jesus’
lifetime?
Crucifixion was the most shameful means of execution used by the Roman Empire. This means
of torture and execution was so humiliating and painful that Roman citizens were not even
allowed to be executed in this manner. Only the lowest of the low were executed on the cross. To
Jews, crucifixion was horrendous and seen as being one of the most revolting forms of
execution. Those displayed or hung publicly in their execution were seen as being cursed by
God. Let there be no doubt that Jesus’ crucifixion was one of the most humiliating and painful
deaths anyone could suffer. There was truly no more shameful way to die than by being
crucified.
Jesus’ death on the Cross, however, holds more shame than being a humiliating way to die. As
Jesus, a perfect, blameless man, died on the Cross, he took on all the guilt of every wrong thing
ever done in the history of humanity. As he was executed, he took on the shame and guilt of
genocides, murders, brutality, and hatred, truly shameful things, the worst crimes humanity has
ever committed against itself and God. This is not all, though; his death rights all the wrongs you
have done in your life: Jesus’ sacrifice, his death, covers over the shame of all your sins; all of
your lies, gossip, selfishness, arrogance, rage, bad attitudes, greed, vengeance, and immorality.
The shame you feel, or that you know you ought to feel, when you do something wrong was felt
by Jesus at the moment of his crucifixion. Ultimately, each of us should recognize that the
humiliating and painful execution he went through is actually the punishment we deserve to
suffer ourselves. Each of us is imperfect and sinful. The truth is that you should be on the cross!
This overwhelming shame of the imperfection of the human race, as well as the humiliation of
the slow, excruciating death Jesus went through, is what the writer of Hebrews refers to when he
says that Jesus went to the Cross “scorning its shame.” He despised the humiliation of the Cross,
but even more he hated the fact that each one of us was imprisoned by the guilt and shame we
felt for the wrongs we have done. Jesus’ sacrifice, his brutal death, was a rescue mission for all
of us. As we take the bread and juice which represent his body and blood, let us consider the
shame that comes from our darkest secrets, our most shameful moments. Then, remember Jesus’
amazing love for you and that he has freed you from this humiliation and failure through his
death on the Cross and his resurrection from the dead.

76. • First delivered as a Communion message at CrossWay Church in Tallahassee, FL on
January 22, 2017
Despising the Shame of the Cross
https://www.blogger.com/post-
edit.g?blogID=2907816974556980237&postI
D=3467175445721900542&from=pencil
Kevin Booker
Brothers and sisters, have you ever been in a situation where you were tempted to be ashamed of
the cross of Jesus?
In Luke 9:23 Jesus said that if anyone would come after him they must take up their cross daily
and follow him. When we carry our cross there is always the possibility of being persecuted in
some way. We may be stigmatized or ridiculed or shunned or treated badly by others. Personally
there are times when I have been tempted to ‘put down my cross’ because of shame it might
bring on me. Whether it is because I don’t laugh at a coarse joke or I walk away from an
immoral conversation; or praying in public at a restaurant, or preaching the gospel to the person
sitting next to me on the train or bus, or for even refusing to engage in gossip. Whenever we are
faced with the temptation of being embarrassed or ashamed Heb 12:2 teaches us how to
overcome these thoughts:
“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seatedat the right hand of the
throne of God.”
The word ‘despise’ is the Greek word ‘kataphroneō’, which means to think against. Although
there were many valid reasons for Jesus to have felt shame for being on the cross, including the
fact that he was falsely labeled as a criminal and was publicly humiliated, Jesus did not despise
the cross or feel ashamed because He was nailed to it even though it caused him to be ridiculed
and insulted. Instead Jesus rejected any and all ideas of that nature in his mind. In fact Jesus
refused to dwell on any negative thoughts associated with being hung on the cross and instead
embraced the idea of taking the blame and punishment for our transgressions knowing that his
sacrifice would bring us redemption! How amazing is it to know that Jesus was proud to suffer
and die for our sake? It was because of his mindset that he endured the cross with joy.
Brothers and sisters, the example that Jesus has set motivates me to proudly pick up my cross
and carry it everyday knowing that Jesus did the same for me. So whenever the temptation to be
ashamed of the cross that you bear comes, look to the author and perfecter of our faith and
remember that Jesus despised the shame of the cross and in so doing transformed the idea of the
cross as unattractive and unappealing to the very thing that now attracts all men to him!
Posted 13th April 2012 by Kingdomsaint

77. Labels: Spiritual