In, "The Return of the Prodigal Son," Henri Nouwen reminds us of, "the mystery that Jesus himself became the prodigal son for our sake."

While Nouwen focuses on Jesus' incarnation in relation to his being a prodigal son, this quote reminds me that Jesus also became a prodigal son in his crucifixion. He became the prodigal son or daughter each of us has been in our sin so that all our sin -- even that of the past day, past hour or past five minutes -- became his instead of ours at the cross.

At the cross he took our place as the ones who abandoned their home, trading it for a land where love was something you paid for, not something you were given.

At the cross he took our place as the ones who wished their Father dead (which is what asking for an inheritance early means), who showed him contempt instead of honor.

At the cross he took our place as the ones who squandered what their Father had given them on reckless, unprofitable living.

At the cross all the guilt for all your sin dies with Christ (if you've put your faith in him) because in that moment, it was him. He was your sin (even your sin today). He was treated as if he was you, as if he was me. What deserved to be punished -- the abandonment, the contempt, the squandering -- the Father punished in the only one who could bear our punishment and still bring us home.

So, as a Christian, whenever you feel the guilt of your sin, when you feel disqualified from the love of God, just remember that yes, your sin makes you guilty and unworthy, but at the cross Jesus Christ took all your guilt so that you should rightly be called (even today), "Worthy Daughter" or "Worthy Son."