Sermon Snippet – Despising the Shame – Part III
INTRODUCTION – We have been considering Hebrews 12:1-2, especially the phrase “despising the shame.” The central teaching of this passage is that Jesus “endured the cross” for us. Let us think about the Cross of Christ today.
1. THE CROSS WAS SHAMEFUL
In the Roman Empire in the first century, nothing was more shameful than death by crucifixion. It was reserved for the worst of criminals, violent men who posed a threat to the public peace. No doubt some innocent people were crucified – Jesus being the most obvious example. Culturally, crucifixion was not a fate worse than death, but it was the worst way that someone could be fated to die. The Cross has become a symbol of Christianity, but for anything to have symbolic meaning, it must first have literal meaning. The Church is in peril of turning the Cross of Christ into just a symbol, a distinctive decoration. Let us not fall into the Satanic snare of romanticizing Jesus’ Cross; let us not sanitize the suffering and gloss over the gore. The Cross of our Savior was bloody, nasty, repugnant, shameful. The Bible presents it in its historical reality, in its “shame.” Only when we recognize this truth can we begin to understand what “despising the shame” meant. In part, Jesus’ death on the Cross is a rejection of the wrongness of mankind’s viciousness and violence.
2. THE CROSS IS POWERFUL
In Romans 1:16-17, Paul proclaims, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” Jesus despised “the shame” of the Cross, and Paul follows the lead of his Savior. He understands that the Cross is powerful, powerful “unto salvation.” Without the Cross, there is no “gospel of Christ.” Thus, Paul refuses to minimize the historical reality and the theological necessity of the Cross. The modern Church needs to do better in presenting the fullness of the message of the Cross. Hebrews 6:6 is a stern warning in this regard, for minimalization far too easily becomes dismissiveness. Hebrews 5:11-14 is a warning to all Christians about the danger of ignoring the power of the Cross. The thoughtful Christian analyzes the contemporary music of the Church, compares it to the Bible, and finds weakness (lyrically, musically, and, most importantly, theologically). The absence of teaching about the Cross in too many of these modern songs is distressing. Pastors of large churches have recently and openly lamented the lack of spiritual growth in their congregations. One reason for this paucity of “power” is the relegation of the Cross to a secondary status. Without clear teaching about the Cross, people cannot be saved, and Christians cannot grow (the meaning of “faith to faith” in Romans 1:17). Casual Christianity is a contradiction in terms and is what Paul has in mind in Philippians 3:16-21 when he refers to “the enemies of the cross of Christ” (verse 18).
CONCLUSION – Let us close with two basic applications. First, we must preach about the Cross (I Corinthians 1:23-24), no matter what others think or what other churches do. Each one of us needs to be saved from our sins; and only Jesus, Who died on the Cross, can save. Second, we grow spiritually only if we continue to remember and to reflect on the Cross (Luke 9:23). This “daily” practice is commanded by our Savior, Who desires the very best for us. We do not want to line up with “the enemies of the Cross of Christ.”