Unashamed (2)

The Gospel of Easter

We will begin a 3-week series focusing on the good news of Easter this morning. Throughout this series I hope to remind each of us of the events that took place in the last days of Jesus – the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper with the disciples, the humiliation of Jesus at his trials and betrayals, His crucifixion, and His Resurrection.

To begin I want us to understand the reasons behind what Jesus did for us. For that, let’s begin by going backward to an OT prophet by the name of Isaiah.

Isaiah 53:1–12 NIV

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 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. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 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 its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. 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. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, 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. 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.

This would have made very little sense to the people of Israel. In fact, Jews ignore this chapter even today. But for us on this side of the Cross, it makes perfect sense. There are some really deep truths inside of these 12 verses. Fortunately, our worship celebrates these truths, and we explore these truths in our services and Bible studies. I would like to explore 3 specific benefits that we receive through Christ as we enjoy the Easter season. Because of Christ we are Unashamed, Forgiven, and Forever Free.

Unashamed

If a benefit of the work of Jesus is to be unashamed, we ought to understand the concept of shame.

Among North Americans, honor and shame often refer to a psychological state—a person’s internal moral character or the actions that reflect that character. In the world of the Bible and in traditional Mediterranean societies, however, honor and shame are social values determinative of a person’s identity and social status. Honor is a person’s claim to self-worth and the social acknowledgment of that claim—i.e., honor is a person’s public reputation which constitutes his or her identity. Shame is a person’s concern for reputation. It is a positive value by which one seeks to maintain or protect his or her honor. If one is unable to maintain his honor, or if his peers do not acknowledge his claim to self-worth, then the person is shamed, i.e., dishonored and disgraced. A person with no concern for his honor or reputation is shameless.[1]

Americans may think that shame is simple embarrassment, but it is much more than that. It is a part of identity and reputation in your community. Cindy and I were watching The Chosen when friends of the family of Jesus ran out of wine for their wedding. They were mortified because of the effect that it would have on their reputation in the community. They would have been disgraced, or shamed, within their circle of friends and the larger community.

Of course, each of us understand the psychological implications as well. In simple terms the public embarrassment on the playground or stage as a kid stays with us. The mistakes or misfortunes of life as adults have a tremendous impact. Shame goes even deeper. It goes to our identities.

But here is good news…Christ took away our shame.

1 John 2:28 NIV

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

Think about how remarkable that statement is! “… confidant and unashamed before him at His coming.” HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

Confidant and Unashamed

Let’s jump back to the prophecy of Isaiah for just a moment to see what is going on with the Messiah:

Isaiah 53:2 (NIV)

... He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was no Brad Pitt. He didn’t wear the latest Nikes. Didn’t follow the latest trends.

Isaiah 53:3 NIV

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Imagine, people hid their faces from him and held him in low esteem. He was the social outcast.

Isaiah 53:9 NIV

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.

In death His grave was associated with the wicked and the rich (who the common Jew distained). Let’s go into the events of Easter for a deeper look at the shame Jesus endured.

The Shame of the Cross

Today we hang crosses on beautiful gold and silver chains around our necks. There was nothing beautiful about the Cross or the events that led to the Cross. As Jesus was tortured, the Jews and Romans did everything they could to shame Jesus.

Matthew 27:27–31 NIV

Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Shame was a significant factor in the crucifixion of Jesus. Although the Gospels record in varying degrees the physical torture of Jesus, they all emphasize the attempts to shame Him. It is clear that Jesus endured shame. What may be difficult for us to accept is that He did it so that we can be UNASHAMED.

An Unashamed Life

Shame is tied to our identities. If our identity is placed in ourselves, we will ultimately feel shame. But, if our identity is placed in Jesus, we will be unashamed.

There is No Condemnation for the Believer

I was recently reading from the book of Romans and chapter 8 jumped out at me. I knew that I would be speaking on Unashamed and what I read gave more evidence to share what was on my heart:

Romans 8:1–4 NIV

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

We feel condemned because Satan uses past guilt and present failures to make us question what Christ has done for us. Our assurance must be focused on Christ, not our performance.

Our own conscience reminds us of guilt.

Non-Christian friends will notice (and point out) our inconsistencies.

Past memories of how we lived can haunt us.

Personal dysfunctions such as shame, low self esteem, or compulsions will trip us up.

The perfection of the law will show how imperfect we are.

We can allow Christ’s perfect example to discourage our efforts rather than encourage our trust.

Unhealthy comparisons with other believers will make us feel inadequate. [2]

But those thoughts are not in agreement with the Word of God. Because of Christ we are not condemned. We are Unashamed! The Apostle John says it this way.

1 John 3:19–20 NIV

This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Going back to Paul in Romans, he emphasizes the peace that we have in Jesus.

Romans 8:31–35 NIV

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

At Christmas each year we highlight the theme of peace and enjoy tranquil snowy scenes but our peace was won through the living sacrifice of Christ. That is how we know we have peace and can be Unashamed!

Continue in Him Unashamed!

There was a man who married a beautiful woman. Over and over again he told her that she was beautiful, but she always believed that she had some kind of flaw. She was reluctant and ashamed in front of her husband. As the years went by, they, of course, changed physically. In her 20’s she put on a little weight. By her 30’s her body bore the evidence of having children. In her 40’s her hair began to gray. By her 50’s her face showed lines. By her 60’s she moved more slowly. However, each year her husband continued to tell her that she was beautiful to which she would disagree.

One day they pulled out the photos that showed all the years. Together they looked back on the pictures of the wedding, and she had to admit that she was, in fact, beautiful. They looked at pictures from her 30’s and she had to agree that she was, in fact, attractive. As they looked at the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s she realized that considering the reality of life, she is and had been attractive. All along what her husband had expressed was the truth. Actually, what her husband had realized was the most important truth. To him, at least, she was beautiful.

Many Christians today are like that woman who for decades disagreed with her husband about her beauty. They come up with excuses, point out scars and imperfections. Meanwhile, Jesus keeps telling them that He loves them and that they should be able to come to Him unashamed in intimacy with Him.

The Apostle John said that we should be unashamed at His coming. The woman in that story didn’t see herself from her husband’s perspective. He loved and adored her. She was beautiful in his eyes. So are you and I in Christ’s eyes. Let’s live unashamed!

[John’s great desire for his dear children is that it may be with confidence, a word which implies freedom of speech and joyful access, and not the shame that turns away from him (a better translation than before him). There is perhaps a play on words here. God’s children should have parrēsia (confidence) at his parousia (appearing). That can be so only if we continue in him now; but it is the assured outcome of that daily lifestyle. Perhaps our present attitude towards his coming gives us some idea of whether or not we are ready to meet him.[3]

Although believers already have fellowship with Christ through his indwelling Spirit, a time is coming when they will see him face-to-face in all his glory (3:2). Those who have continued in him will be confident and unashamed before him at his coming—his second coming.

There are two responses that people will have when Christ returns:

1. Those who are confident can approach him in boldness. They know their relationship is secure in him because they confess him as Christ (2:22) and abide in him (2:24, 27–28). They have no reason to dread his judgment.

2. Those who are ashamed will be afraid. Those who reject Christ will be rejected by him in the final judgment.

Persevering in their relationship with Christ ensures that believers will remain in the true faith. Continuing in the faith keeps them truly ready for Christ’s return.[4]]

Altar call for people who need to embrace this truth and allow the past to be resolved by the work of Christ.

[1]Ronald A. Simkins, “Honor, Shame,” ed. David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck, Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 603. [2]Bruce B. Barton, David Veerman, and Neil S. Wilson, Romans, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), 147–148. [3]David Jackman, The Message of John’s Letters: Living in the Love of God, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 78. [4]Bruce B. Barton and Grant R. Osborne, 1, 2 & 3 John, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1998), 58.