Daily Reading 31

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" -John 1:29

Most "criminals" that were killed by hanging on a cross did pretty nasty things like murder. The "guilty" person had to carry a heavy cross beam through the streets, wearing a sign that stated the crime committed. Then when he arrived at the place of death, he was stripped and taunted.
This punishment was so awful that Cicero once wrote, "Let the very name of the cross be far away, not only from the body of Roman citizen, but even from his thoughts, his eyes, his ears."
Jesus experienced the feeling of shame for ALL of the sins that had or ever would be committed. He was not a liar, but felt the shame of one. He was not a cheater, but knew that people looking at him thought he was. He felt ALL of that shame. Jesus was not guilty. He hadn't done any of the things of which he was accused. he didn't deserve this punishment. We were the ones that did wrong. We deserved to be judged for our actions, not him. "BUT HE CHANGED PLACES WITH US." - Galatians 3:13.

Sometimes I can't stand to feel shame for the things I do. It is even worse for others to be aware of it. When I read these stories about Jesus' actions, I am always trying to imagine what it would be like to feel what he felt. In this case, I really don't want to feel all of that. Imagining what it was like to have so many people and God the Father looking at all of that shame heaped onto ONE person. He did that foe ALL of us! Man. I really need to try to do less shameful things.