All that was ours — sin, shame, death — He took; and all that is His — righteousness, acceptance, and glory — He freely bestows.— John Owen
The very shame that Jesus despised on the cross was the shame that we deserved to bear. And in His love, He not only took it, but replaced it with His own glory. No more shame remains for those who are in Christ.— John Piper
As we continue reflecting on the divine exchange accomplished through the sufferings of Christ, we now turn our attention to the profound and essential theme of glory.
From the very beginning, God placed humanity at the helm of creation, crowning us with honour and giving us dominion. But when sin entered our story, the first evidence of this tragic shift was nakedness. The visible loss of the glory that once covered us. Shame entered and became a haunting consequence of our fall, driving us from God's presence and from each other.
In our relationships, shame often magnifies moral failures and shortcomings, isolating us and eroding intimacy. In the wake of failure, many choose self-condemnation rather than the mercy that God offers. But from the beginning, God has shown His intent to cover shame with grace. When Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves, God replaced it with garments of skin. This was a foreshadow of the sacrificial covering He would later provide in Christ.
Under the Old Covenant, this plan unfolded in glimpses. God set apart Aaron and his sons as priests, commanding Moses to make garments for them "for glory and for beauty" (Exodus 28:2). These garments, intricately crafted and adorned with precious stones, symbolised honour and consecration. Yet, they were temporary coverings that could only be worn under strict conditions. A more perfect covering was coming.
In the fullness of time, Jesus Christ, the sinless High Priest, offered His own blood as the final atonement. But before He clothed us in righteousness, He took upon Himself our shame. Stripped, beaten, and hung between criminals, Jesus bore the full weight of human rejection and disgrace. As Isaiah foretold, there was nothing in His appearance to attract us. He became the object of scorn so we could be clothed in His glory.
This exchange is profound: our shame for His honour. Christ's righteousness is now our robe. As Isaiah prophesied, "He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10). We are no longer spiritual outcasts. In Him, we are royal priests, called to stand boldly in God's presence.
Jesus declared in His High Priestly prayer, "The glory which You gave Me I have given them" (John 17:22). This is not symbolic poetry; it's spiritual reality. The same glory that rested upon Christ is now our portion. Through union with Him, we are not only reconciled but elevated. We are made partakers of divine nature and destiny.
But this requires participation. Just as Jesus took on our shame deliberately, we must intentionally clothe ourselves in His righteousness. Paul exhorts us to "put off the old self... and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God" (Ephesians 4:22-24). This is the work of daily transformation through the Spirit and the Word.
As we behold His glory in Scripture and fellowship, we are changed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Shame begins to fall away. Our posture changes. We begin to walk in the dignity and authority of who we are in Christ. Where shame once bowed our heads, now honour lifts them high. We speak in faith, declaring double honour and rejecting every trace of disgrace.
Even in suffering, we hold to this hope: that our "light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Corinthians 4:17). In trials, like David, we declare, "You are my glory and the lifter of my head" (Psalm 3:3).
Let this truth be etched into your soul: "Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame" (Psalm 34:5). You are not who shame says you are. You are who God declares you to be. You are washed, clothed, radiant, and glorious in Christ.
The filthy garments are gone. You are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. As a bearer of Good News, your feet are beautiful (Isaiah 52:7), and your path is glorious. Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). This is your confidence. Hallelujah!