7 Reasons Man Is Embarrassed of Jesus
There is something about the name of "Jesus" that causes a lot of people to become embarrassed. If the reaction wasn't so widespread and so noticeable, you could perhaps just write it off as a fluke. But given the constant reality of this phenomenon, one is led to wonder, "What's up with all this embarrassment over Jesus?"
Here are 7 reasons man is embarrassed of Jesus:
1) Man, by nature, wants to keep "religion" completely separate from the rest of his daily life and discussions.
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Many people feel awkward talking about Jesus, especially if they don't know Him. It feels to man like religion should be in one compartment, and his "real life" should exist without the "burden" of religion entering those daily discussions. It's only natural to think that way.
Jesus, on the other hand, is a supernatural Being who produces supernatural changes within those who accept Him as Savior. And that changes everything, including of course this misguided notion of separating religion from the rest of my daily life and discussions.
2) People tend to associate Jesus with "holy rollers," and that perception is a big turn off.
Whenever the Lord's name is mentioned, some people instinctively think, "Oh, you're one of them." One of the biggest misconceptions held by unbelievers is that "holy rollers" represent biblical Christianity. And it really throws them for a loop.
Perhaps you have known a "holy roller." He or she may have seemed "way out there." But have you personally known some Christians who demonstrate the spirit of Christ in their dealings with others? There are literally millions of believers in the world who fit that beautiful description.
Meanwhile, plenty of unbelievers seem embarrassed by a caricature of Christianity. Unfortunately, most of those who get duped by their own faulty thinking on this matter do not even come to realize their error until it is too late. They go to their grave assuming "holy rollers" are a legitimate reason to reject Christ's offer of forgiveness. How tragically misguided and uninformed.
3) My "right" to rule my own life feels threatened whenever the "King of Kings" is presented as the only Savior and Lord.
It's embarrassing for us to admit we need God. And it's embarrassing for us to admit we are "below" God. We tend to live as though the world "revolves around me." That makes me the king of my universe. And King Jesus is a threat to man's personal kingdom and personal dominion of his own space.
After all, we are led to believe we "have the right" to do just about anything we feel like doing. That is, as long as it's not illegal. But wait a minute? What about God's laws? What about those actions which are "illegal" in God's kingdom? The worst transgression before God is the rejection of His Son. No other sin is as bad as that one, and no other sin is the source of more embarrassment. The sin of rejecting Jesus keeps people out of heaven for eternity. And that reality is deeply embarrassing to those who write off the biblical teaching concerning heaven, hell, and God's one road to eternal salvation. (see John 14:6 & Matthew 7:13,14)
4) Man, by nature, is afraid of what others will think of him if they discover he is with Jesus.
Most of us want to be liked by others. And if being a "Jesus follower" makes me unpopular with the world, that places pressure on my mind and my heart. I want people to like me. I want people to accept me. And if I desire their acceptance more than I desire God's acceptance, I will cower in fear every time the topic of Christianity comes up in a public setting. I will simply refuse to engage with others on this issue because of what they might think of me.
5) The sinful nature within man always resists the idea of Jesus as God and the Savior of my soul.
Everyone resists God. Everyone wants to be their own boss. No one, by nature, runs into the arms of Jesus. But as the Holy Spirit begins to work in a person's heart, it makes all the difference in the world. A stubborn and unbelieving person is turned into a humble believer who accepts Christ and immediately begins to follow Him as Lord. In fact, millions of people are experiencing that relationship at this very moment.
Are you one of them? If not, "Come near to God and He will come near to you." (James 4:8)
6) We all tend to be afraid of the unknown.
People who don't know Jesus often experience fear because it's an area that is "unknown" in their life. When they hear things about Christ, they are mystified and confused. This confusion can easily turn into fear and embarrassment at the very mention of the Lord.
I can certainly understand why faith in Jesus seems scary to a lot of people. I bet it would seem that way to me too if I didn't believe the Gospel. It sounds so mysterious. That is, until you come to see how easy it is to accept God's free gift of eternal life.
Living for Jesus while denying yourself is definitely challenging. But receiving God's free gift of salvation is a piece of cake. There is no reason to be afraid of a free gift from God, right?
7)The world cannot accept Christ, and therefore it chooses to hate Him.
Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18) Why on earth would people hate Jesus? What did He ever do to deserve such animosity? And yet, scores of people over the centuries have been "haters." These people were not merely neutral toward Jesus. They actually hated Him. And this hatred led them to hate His followers as well.
There have been more Christians killed for their faith in the past century than in the previous 19 centuries combined. The hatred is real, and the hatred is pervasive. This hostility takes embarrassment to a whole new level. It takes it to a level whereby man is capable of actually crucifying the Son of God.
And yet, that was God's plan all along. History is "His story" of salvation through Christ. God was not embarrassed to love us enough to send His only Son to be our Savior. Will you accept Him by faith, and then follow Him? Or will you allow your natural embarrassment of Jesus to drag your soul through life without peace, and into an eternity without Christ?
You make the call. But I would be extremely careful at this point if I were you. You need to know that God is not embarrassed of anyone in His family. And so why should you ever be embarrassed to call Jesus your Savior, friend, and Lord? He certainly wasn't embarrassed of you when He was dying for your sins on the cross. His love for you and me was far too great.
When it comes to Jesus, will you be ruled by fear and embarrassment, or by God's love? "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment." (1 John 4:18) Jesus bore the punishment you and I deserve, and now everyone who comes to the Father through the Son receives grace and mercy rather than punishment.
So why be embarrassed about the only Person who can provide peace for your soul not only in this life, but also in the next life? There is nothing embarrassing about living in Paradise. With that in mind, would you like to follow Jesus all the way to heaven? Or will you allow your embarrassment to dominate your heart and mind and literally drag your soul in the other direction? Always remember: there are only two destinations available once your earthly body perishes.
Do you find that reality embarrassing, or is it something you know you need to start taking seriously? After all, you are not getting any younger. Oops. There is something else we tend to get embarrassed about. Our age. Go figure.
"Help me Lord to get over myself and begin to love You and the things you love. Apart from you Jesus, I will make an embarrassing mess of my life. Forgive me Lord, and help me to be proud of You as my Savior and what You did on the cross to redeem my soul."
Now that right there is the best foundation to build your life upon. Will you be the next person to take that step of faith?
