Finding Strength in Brokenness: How the Shame of the Crucifixion Speaks to Our Struggles Today
"Exploring the themes of shame, humiliation, and resilience in the crucifixion narrative offers a path to healing and connection in our own lives."
Good Friday compels us to confront the brutal reality of Jesus's suffering. The scriptures detail a horrific scene: 'You will be scourged and crowned with thorns, struck in the face and mocked, given vinegar and gall to drink, and nailed to the cross.' (EG 81,2). Jesus, like many victims of violence, endured not only physical torment but also systematic degradation. He was ridiculed, stripped of everything, and subjected to intense humiliation, aimed at breaking his spirit.
This article focuses on the theme of shame and humiliation in the crucifixion narrative. Shame is a deeply human experience, one that many people struggle with in silence. It’s a taboo emotion, often accompanied by feelings of isolation and the sense that one is fundamentally flawed. But this Good Friday, we remember that the crucified Christ shares in this suffering.
Stephan Marks, a leading researcher on human dignity and shame, describes 'traumatic shaming' as the experience where the four fundamental needs of a person are excessively violated: the need for recognition, safety, belonging, and the preservation of one's own integrity. The Gospel of Luke's depiction of the crucifixion reveals these forms of traumatic shaming.
Understanding Shame and Its Treatment
A 2025 review describes shame research as spanning varied conceptualizations and operationalization methods, and set out to synthesize current knowledge about how shame and its regulation are understood. A 2020 systematic review characterizes shame as a transdiagnostic construct associated with behavioral health problems, arguing that addressing it in therapy may reduce current symptoms and help prevent future adverse outcomes. Another 2017 source reports that shame and self-criticism can reinforce each other and are associated with psychopathological symptoms, identifying both external shame and self-criticism as treatment targets. The crucifixion, meanwhile, was intended not merely to deter but to degrade, according to a Good Friday sermon on the shame of the cross.
The Crushing Weight of Vulnerability: Understanding Shame Through the Crucifixion
Before Jesus is crucified, he is stripped of his clothing in public (Luke 23:34). Completely naked, exposed to the most private areas of his body, which is suggestively called 'shame,' he is nailed to the cross. Artistic depictions often cover Jesus's nakedness with a cloth, likely out of respect and to protect viewers from the offensive sight.
- Loss of Control: The inability to protect oneself or control the situation heightens the sense of shame.
- Public Exposure: Being subjected to the unwanted scrutiny and judgment of others intensifies the feeling of vulnerability.
- Prolonged Suffering: The extended period of torment amplifies the emotional and psychological impact of the shaming experience.
Shame, Identity, and the Cross
A qualitative study titled "Shame, Identity and Reconciliation with Christ" investigated how reconciliation with Christ influenced individuals’ shame-based emotions, identity, and overall experience of wholeness. A separate article examines Jesus’ crucifixion through an honor-shame lens, interpreting his cry from the cross as biblical lament expressing faith rather than doubt and describing his honor as vindicated through supernatural signs and resurrection. Another source argues that honor and shame are central biblical themes, describing humanity’s loss of glory and restoration in Christ. The article named in the prompt connects the crucifixion story to shame and isolation, and presents vulnerability and connection as paths toward healing and renewed hope.
Limits in the Evidence
A scoping review of shame in post-traumatic stress disorder identified limitations in study designs and areas needing more investigation, including multimodal shame assessment and additional longitudinal and treatment-focused research. A meta-analysis of trauma-related shame and psychopathology symptoms reported significant heterogeneity among studies. The pilot randomized controlled trial of C-METTA called for more studies, particularly randomized trials with active control groups and longer follow-up, to assess its usefulness for reducing trauma-related guilt and shame in clinical settings. A systematic review and meta-analysis of religious and spiritual interventions likewise pointed to diverse protocols and outcomes, and called for further studies because interventions lacked standardization.
A Different Reading of Shame
The source "Humility-Shame: A Positive Understanding of Shame from the Cross" presents an alternative understanding of shame rooted in Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. It grounds this reading in Philippians 2:6–11, as described by the Apostle Paul. The source also points to Philippians 3:4–11, where Paul reflects on his own life and aspires to the same type of shame Christ experienced on the cross.
Finding a Path to Healing
The Good Friday narrative, viewed through the lens of traumatic shaming, offers a powerful connection to contemporary experiences. Recognizing that Jesus shares our suffering brings concrete comfort and allows for the unspeakable to be voiced in His presence. For those burdened by guilt, the Crucified Christ offers reassurance that repentance is always possible and that forgiveness creates new possibilities. The true meaning of Good Friday becomes tangible: that is to heal, and to feel what has been hidden.