Here we are, guilty people in a guilty world, often dumping our guilt and sadness on others, blaming them, pointing the finger, making ourselves out to be victims. Why are we like this? Because we know we cannot bear our own guilt. We deeply need someone else to bear it for us. “Hey roommate with whom I am having this argument, I am so unhappy, so uncertain about myself, but I know I cannot face the reality of what I am. So I want you to make it all your problem. Please stand still for five minutes while I really give it to you, okay? All this guilt, all this sorrow, all this anger — would you please bear it away for me?” Trouble is, my roommate or spouse or child or parent or colleague or neighbor or whoever — their strategy for off-loading their own misery is the same. Every human being on the face of the earth is so guilty, and looking for a scapegoat.

Above it all, Jesus stands forth and says to us, “Anyone need a scapegoat? How about me? Let me bear for you the sin and regret and shame you cannot possibly bear yourself. I cannot bear it without being sunk under the weight of it all. But I am still willing to bear it. At my cross, I carried away the guilt of many sinners, some worse than you, and that guilt will never ever return to them. I bore it that far away. And I rose up from it all, too, because God was so pleased with me. I am the perfect scapegoat you’re looking for. Bring it on.”

By Ray Ortlund – you can check out Ray’s blog on the gospelcoalition website for more great posts like this one.