Representing Jesus well in the face of suffering by following the example that Jesus modeled for us...

This week we have been looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of 1 Peter, where we discovered that Living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well in the face of suffering. In 1 Peter 2:18-25, we see Peter reveal for us three reasons why living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well in the face of suffering.

So far, we have discovered that we represent Jesus well in the face of suffering when we respect authority regardless of their character. We also discovered that we represent Jesus well in the face of suffering when we respond in a way that receives God's favor. As followers of Jesus, we receive God's favor when we bear up under unjust suffering in a way that is informed by our awareness of God and His character. And as followers of Jesus, we receive God's favor when we suffer for the right reasons.

Now you might be pushing back and disagreeing with everything you have read. Maybe you still do not see what this passage has to do with us today. You still feel like Peter is talking just to slaves and not to anyone else. If I just described your response to what I just said, let’s look at what Peter says next. Because it is in what Peter says next that removes any question as to the shift that Peter has made and reveals a third reason what living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well in the face of suffering. So let’s look at what Peter says next in 1 Peter 2:21-25:

 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, ²² WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; ²³ and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. ²⁵ For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Now here are some questions to consider as we think about what we just read from Peter: When Peter states for you have been called for this purpose, do you think that Peter only has slaves in mind? Now, I have to admit that I wish Peter was only talking about slaves here, because Peter is basically saying that we have been called, or chosen by God, to be rescued by our rebellion by Jesus and become followers of Jesus and part of following Jesus means that we could experience suffering. And part of following Jesus is to respond to suffering in a way that is an apologetic for the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel by doing the right thing in the face of opposition and suffering for doing the right thing.

In addition, when Peter states since Christ suffered for you, do you think that Peter has only slaves in mind? I mean, Jesus suffered on the cross, in our place, for the selfishness and rebellion of all humanity, not just the selfishness and rebellion of those who found themselves as house slaves in the Roman Empire in the first century. And because of that reality, Peter explains to the readers of his letter that Jesus suffering left us and example to follow in His steps. Now the word example here conveys the sense of a model of behavior to follow.

Peter then unpacks the example that Jesus modeled for us by quoting from a section of a letter that is preserved and recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Isaiah. Peter directly quotes and alludes to Isaiah 53:3-10. Now if you grew up in church, these verses may sound familiar because we often read these verses around Easter. Let’s take a minute and look at these verses that the prophet Isaiah wrote over 600 years before Jesus arrival on earth that predicted and proclaimed the suffering that Jesus experienced while on earth that first Easter:

He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. ⁴ Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. ⁵ But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. ⁶ All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. ⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. ⁸ By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? ⁹ His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. ¹⁰ But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

Peter pointed the readers of his letter to the prophet Isaiah because Jesus suffered in a way that fulfilled God’s prediction and promise. And Jesus suffered in a way that modeled an example for followers of Jesus throughout history to follow it comes to how they experience and respond to suffering. Peter pointed to Jesus because Jesus suffered even though He never committed an act of omission or commission against God and others that flowed from selfishness and rebellion against God.

 Jesus suffered even though no deceit was found in his mouth. In other words, Jesus never spoke or acted in a way that took advantage of another through crafty and underhanded methods.  Jesus was not shady in what he said. Peter pointed to Jesus because Jesus never responded in kind when he was abused. Peter pointed to Jesus because Jesus never threatened those who caused Him to suffer. Instead of threatening those who caused Him to suffer, Peter explained that Jesus kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. Instead of threatening those who caused Him to suffer, Jesus placed His confident trust in God as the right and just judge to care for Him in the midst of His suffering.

Peter pointed to Jesus because Jesus bore, or carried the selfishness and rebellion of humanity on His shoulders to the cross, so that followers of Jesus would follow His example by separating themselves from the acts of omission and commission that are committed against God and others that flow from our selfishness and rebellion and that hurt God and others. Peter pointed to Jesus because Jesus bore, or carried the selfishness and rebellion of humanity on His shoulders to the cross, so that followers of Jesus would follow His example by living for what is right in God’s sight.

Peter pointed to Jesus because Jesus bore, or carried the selfishness and rebellion of humanity on His shoulders to the cross so that followers of Jesus would be healed from the wounds that selfishness and rebellion inflict on and that separate humanity from God through His suffering. Peter pointed to Jesus because Jesus bore, or carried the selfishness and rebellion of humanity on His shoulders to the cross so that followers of Jesus, who once wandered away from the relationship with God that they were created for and wandered toward selfishness and rebellion, would return to God as the one who guards their souls through His suffering.

And it is here that we see Peter reveal for us the reality that we represent Jesus well in the face of suffering when we follow the example that Jesus modeled for us. As followers of Jesus, God has called us to respond to suffering in a way that represents Jesus well. As followers of Jesus, God has called us to respond to suffering in a way that recognizes that Jesus suffered for us. And as followers of Jesus, God has called us to respond to suffering in a way that follows the model that Jesus provides us.

You see, Jesus suffered in spite of the fact that He was sinless. And Jesus responded to the abuse He received by not responding in kind. Jesus responded to the suffering He endured by placing His trust in the right place. And Jesus suffered for us so that we would separate ourselves from selfishness and rebellion and do the right thing. And when we respond to suffering by following the example that Jesus modeled for us, our lives serve as an apologetic for the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel.

Now, I fully recognize that we are blessed to live in a nation where we do not experience persecution by the government. We are blessed to live in a nation where we have freedom of religious expression. And yet, as we have talked about, society and culture is changing at an increasing rate, and as culture and society continue to rapidly change, that Christianity is being left behind. And in many quarters, Christianity is now mocked and criticized for clinging to a religious belief system that is viewed as being outdated and outrageous.

So with that in mind, here is a question to consider: Are you representing Jesus well by how you respond? Do you respond to any mocking or criticism of Christianity by responding in kind? Do you respond to any mocking or criticism of Christianity with threats? Do you respond to any mocking or criticism of Christianity by calling for boycotts?

Or do you respond to any mocking or criticism of Christianity by following the example that Jesus modeled for us? Because, the timeless reality is that living as part of God’s kingdom community should lead to a life that represents Jesus well in the face of suffering. We represent Jesus well in the face of suffering when we respect authority regardless of their character. We represent Jesus well in the face of suffering when we respond in a way that receives God's favor. And we represent Jesus well in the face of suffering when we follow the example that Jesus modeled for us...