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A Living Hope

“The Suffering Jesus” 1 Peter 2:21-25

Date:September 15, 2024
Author: Wayne J. Edwards

Introduction:

Ray Overholt was a “profane man” who needed a Savior.  Overholt sang in a country band at a Battle Creed, Michigan dance hall. However, in 1958, at the height of his career, the Holy Spirit touched his heart, and he was moved to write the gospel song “He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels.”

Overholt couldn’t believe God was calling him to do this, for he didn’t know much about Jesus. Overholt said: “I opened the Bible and began to read the portion of Scripture that describes Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, telling Peter to put away his sword. Jesus told Peter, if He asked, the Father would send 12 legions of angels to deliver him, but it was to such suffering He had been called. I didn’t know then that that would have been more than 72,000 angels.”

After reading the passage, Overholt says he thought “He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels” would be a good title for the song. “I wrote the first verse and put it in my guitar case, gave the club my notice that I was quitting, and while trying to find out who Jesus was and writing the song, I was saved.” The song says:

“They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where He prayed.
They led Him through the streets in shame.
They spat upon the Savior, so pure and free from sin.
They said, “Crucify Him; he’s to blame.”
Upon His precious head, they placed a crown of thorns;
They laughed and said, “Behold the King.”
They struck Him, and they cursed Him, and mocked His holy name.
All alone, He suffered everything.
He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels but died alone for you and me.”

In Matthew 26:53-54, Jesus told Peter, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” Instead, Jesus calls those who are lost to come to the cross where He was crucified for their sins. The Apostle Peter said, it is to such suffering on behalf of others that we have been called.

This Sunday, we will continue our sermons from 1 Peter: A Living Hope — “The Suffering Jesus.” While Christians are called to stand firm in their faith, God has also called us to prepare to be persecuted because of our convictions.

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Old Testament Reading – Psalm 22:1-19
New Testament Reading – Hebrews 2:9-14

A Living Hope
“The Suffering Jesus”
1 Peter 2:21-25

Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor

   The events of the Lord’s final hours of suffering began on Tuesday evening, shortly after His special time with His disciples, which we call The Lord’s Supper.

  • After rejecting Jesus’ final offer to turn from his rebellious ways and embrace the divine agenda Jesus had explained many times, Judas abandoned Jesus and then betrayed Him.
  • Later that evening, Roman soldiers arrested Jesus, and took Him to the house of Caiaphas, where He was tied and tortured for the rest of the night.
  • On His way to stand before Pilate, Jesus saw Peter, warming himself by the fire, and a rooster crowed just as Jesus said it would after Peter had denied Him three times.
  • Then, Jesus was questioned before Pilate, and then Herod, and then back to Pilate, and while neither of them found cause for Him to be crucified, the people demanded it, and the most horrible, inhumane treatment of mankind began.

  • Jesus was scourged from the top of His head to His heels.
  • They put a Roman robe on Him, with a crown of thorns, to mock Him for pretending to be a king.
  • They paraded Him through Jerusalem and out to Golgotha; the place of the skull, where they crucified Him.
  • As He hung there for six hours, the people walked by and scoffed at Him, spit upon Him, laughed at Him, and mocked Him.
  • “If you are the Son of God, come down from that cross and save Yourself!” “He said He could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, but look at Him now.”
  • To fulfill the prophecy of Psalm 22:18, the soldiers gambled to see which one would get Jesus’ clothing.
  • At 3:00 PM – the same time the Priests sacrificed the lambs for the Passover – Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Then He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit,” and He breathed His last.
  • Jesus, the very Son of God, submitted Himself to the godless government of Rome, the unrighteous religious rulers of Israel, and to the selfish wickedness of evil, feckless men; all according to the divine plan of God.
  • Jesus, the very Son of God, was rejected, betrayed, denied, ridiculed, mocked, scourged, humiliated, crucified between two criminals, and forsaken by God the Father until He died.
  • Why did Jesus, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; Who, when reviled, did not revile in return, and when He suffered, did not threaten those who were hurting Him, allow Himself to suffer such humiliation and degradation?
    • Short answer: To pay God’s wages for our sins!
    • Long answer: To show us the pathway to glory!

“To this kind of suffering you were called, because Christ suffered for us; leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21

  • “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning, and shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
  • “Oh, foolish men and slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things to enter into His glory?” Luke 24:25-26
  • “Though Jesus was a Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered, and having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” Hebrews 5:8-9
  • If God the Father allowed His only begotten Son to endure such undeserved suffering, on what basis do we believe He should spare the likes of us?
  • The Scriptures are clear: Christians should not expect to escape suffering, but rather we should expect it and prepare for it, for as Jesus showed us, suffering is the pathway to glory!

   Christians are like aliens among unbelievers, because we have a different worldview, and we live by a different set of values, and as such, we are going to be persecuted.

  • Nonetheless, we are still to be salt and light in society – we are to be in the world, but not of the world, so that God can use us as His witnesses to the world.
  • We are God’s people, chosen before the foundation of the world, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and assured of our blessed hope of eternity in heaven.
  • Times of persecution give us the opportunity to reveal the value of our faith in Christ, hoping that those who are persecuting us will see Christ in us, and be drawn to Him.
  • To accomplish this assignment, Peter said Christians are to:
    • “Be holy in all our conduct.” – 1 Peter 1:15-16
    • “Love the brethren.” – 1 Peter 1:22
    • Then, knowing we will be treated just as Jesus was by those who are ignorant of God, Christians are to be:
      • Model citizens – submitting to every ordinance of man.
      • Model employers – submitting to those in authority over us.
      • Model mates – submitting to the order God established for the home.
      • Model brothers and sisters – submitting to one another in a loving, compassionate, caring way.
  • Because the credibility of Christianity is being exposed.

   Jesus illustrated that attitude of submission in His actions during the Lord’s Supper.

  • When He discovered the disciples arguing over which one would be the greatest in the new kingdom, Jesus girded Himself with a towel, took a basin of water, and washed their feet as a servant.
    • “If then, your Lord and Master washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet, for I have given you this example.” John 13:14
  • After Judas left, Jesus took a piece of bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said,
    • “Take, eat, this is My body which shall be broken for you. And then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for man for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28
  • The essence of the Christian Faith is that Jesus Christ suffered and died for us (1 Peter 2:21-25), and that act of submission was:
    • Our example – 21 – in that Jesus showed us how to suffer patiently, even if we endure unjust or unfair treatment.
    • Our substitute – vs. 24 – Jesus died in our place. If Christ did not die in our place, then we are still lost in our sins and condemned to hell for eternity.
    • Our Shepherd – vs. 25 – having laid down His life for our sins, we can now trust Him as the Shepherd of our souls.
  • And notice we are not putting our trust in a religion or in some theological system but rather in a personal, intimate relationship with God, whom we can trust as our Heavenly Father.