Pastor David B. Curtis
Pastor David B. Curtis
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Good morning, Bereans. We're continuing our study of 1 Peter this morning. We'll be looking at verses 21-23 of chapter 2 which deal with Christ as our example of unjust suffering. We are called to live as Yeshua lived. Do you agree with that?
whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 2:6 ESV
This phrase, "abides in Him," means having a close, intimate relationship with Him. What John is saying is that we cannot claim to abide in Him unless we behave like Him. The conduct of the historical Yeshua is put forward here as a model for believers to emulate and this would include that we adopt His attitude and action toward unjust suffering.
Many scholars consider this section, 2:21-25, to be a hymn because it is set off in meter in many Greek New Testaments. The early church had hymns that circulated among the people, hymns devoted almost exclusively to extolling the person and work of Christ.
In these verses, there is a series of references to the "Suffering Servant" passages in the Book of Isaiah. Peter compares the unjust suffering that Christian slaves may have to endure to the suffering of Christ.
What is Isaiah 53 about? It is the message of the substitutionary death of Yeshua the Christ, of Yahweh's laying our sins on Him, and of then crushing Him in an atoning death on our behalf. The good news of the Gospel is rooted in the story of redemption—the work of Yeshua on the cross.
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:1-6 ESV
How do we know that Isaiah 53 is talking about Yeshua? The French rabbi Rashi authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. Rashi's claim was that the suffering servant is a metaphor of the people of Israel who suffered at the hands of the gentiles. Obviously, those who identify as Jewish have a problem with this text. The website OneforIsrael.org states,
Long ago the rabbis used to read Isaiah 53 in synagogues, but after the chapter caused arguments and great confusion the rabbis decided that the simplest thing would be to just take that prophecy out of the Haftarah readings in synagogues. That's why today when we read Isaiah 52, we stop in the middle of the chapter and the week after we jump straight to Isaiah 54.
So, how do we know that Isaiah 53 is talking about Yeshua? We know because the Bible tells us that this verse is about Yeshua, the sacrificial lamb of God. If you go to In Acts 8, we read of the account of Philip's interaction with the Ethiopian eunuch who is reading Isaiah 53 and attempting to ascertain its meaning.
So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.
And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" Acts 8:30-34 ESV
The eunuch asks Philip, "Of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself? Or of someone else?" Contemporary Jewish interpretation was divided about this matter. Some said that it referred to the nation, some taught that Isaiah spoke of himself, and some contended that he pointed to the Messiah. But Philip had no doubts.
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Yeshua. Acts 8:35 ESV
Philip starts at Isaiah 53, which he knew by heart, and preached Yeshua to Him. Isaiah 53 is all about Yeshua; he fulfilled this prophecy.
Isaiah 53 is known as the greatest chapter in the Tanakh on the suffering of Christ, and Peter in our text uses five different quotes or allusions to it.
Let's look at our text. Last week we looked at verse 20.
For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is gracious thing in the sight of God. 1 Peter 2:20 ESV
"For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?"—what's the answer to this question? Peter is teaching his audience that it's no credit to someone if he endures being beaten for his own sinfulness. He goes on to say:
"But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God"—here Peter is states that when they endure suffering for doing good it is a credit to them. "This is a gracious thing in the sight of God." Gracious here is charis ("this is a grace to God"). It means that this finds favor with God. God is pleased when believers patiently bear unjust suffering because it will count to their credit with God. Believers, Yahweh is pleased and blessed by our conduct when we endure unjust suffering.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21 ESV
Charles Sheldon's famous book, In His Steps, was based on the wording of 2:21. It became one of the best-selling novels in American history.
Kenneth Wuest: For to this very thing were you called [namely, to patient endurance in the case of unjust punishment], because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving behind for you a model to imitate, in order that by close application you might follow in His footprints;
"For to this you have been called"—the "for" (gar) with which verse 21 opens should always cause us to pause to ask: What is he explaining? Peter is alluding to what he has just written in verse 20 about suffering for doing good.
What does he mean by "called"? The Greek word here for "called" is kaleō which Peter used in 2:9.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 ESV
This is a call to salvation. In our text kaleo is in the aorist passive, the passive that some linguists refer to as "divine" passive because it indicates that the action is performed by God. In this verse, it is God Who calls saints to bear up even when suffering unjustly for doing what is good.
Peter is teaching them that they were saved for this purpose. What purpose? It is "to patiently endure suffering you do not deserve." As we saw last week, suffering is a gift from God. That believers are called by God to endure suffering is a startling statement, especially to a western culture which thinks of Christianity in terms of "what's in it for me"? Obviously, many believers need to work on changing their thinking about suffering.
Listen believers, part of the Christian's calling includes suffering. Yeshua suffered at the hands of sinners because of His righteous conduct (cf. Matt. 26:67; Mark 14:65). We, too, can expect that our righteous behavior will draw the same response from the ungodly of our day. Why? Because as Christians, we're at odds with the world. They're hostile to us; they reject us. As a result of that, there is unjust punishment, there is unjust criticism, and there is unjust persecution to one degree or another.
"Because Christ also suffered for you"—Peter now proceeds to illustrate his exhortation to slaves by citing Christ's example of suffering unjustly. Yeshua is the perfect example.
In spite of the revealed truths found in Isaiah 53, most Jews, expecting a conquering, military Messiah, found the suffering of the Messiah a surprise. The Jews almost exclusively saw Messiah as a military deliverer. Even though Yeshua taught his disciples that he must suffer and die.
And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Luke 24:25-26 ESV
Christ's suffering and subsequent death were an integral part of prophecy and the apostolic preaching of the early church in Acts.
this Yeshua, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Acts 2:23 ESV
"Because Christ also suffered for you"—there is a textual question here. The term "suffered" (epathen) is found in MSS P72, A, B, and C, but other ancient MSS, P81, א have "died" (apethanen). The UBS4 gives the first reading an "A" rating (certain), assuming that "died" has been transposed by copyists from 3:18.
While Yeshua is our perfect example in all conduct, He is especially our example of how to suffer, especially when we are living righteously. Don't believe the false teaching that if you are suffering, it is because you are not in the moral will of God! Such teachers show that they know very little about the Cross which is the preeminent example of suffering in the moral will of God!
For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. Hebrews 2:10 ESV
So, God has perfected Christ through suffering. It is the path to glory, and the path to completion. In other words, fulfillment for Christ was the path of suffering. That was God's plan. Paul puts it this way.
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, Philippians 2:7-9 ESV
"Therefore"—begins this section with a ringing contrast. Because of Christ's humility (verses 6-8), his exaltation now follows (verses 9-11). The crown always follows the cross. The two are inseparable. Here we see the Divine principle in operation—it applies to you, me, and every believer. He who humbles himself shall be exalted. And to endure under unjust suffering is to humble yourself.
The words "highly exalted" are the Greek word huperupsoo which means "to elevate to a surpassing position, to exalt beyond all others, to exalt to the highest, maximum majesty." This exaltation is so grand that this particular Greek word is not used anyplace else in the whole Bible. No one ever humbled himself like Christ has, so not one will receive so great a reward.
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, Hebrews 5:8-9 ESV
This literally reads, "Son though he was," and denotes "Son of God though he was, even he learned by suffering." "He learned"—points not to intellectual but to experiential learning. He "learned" it like you do, except to a greater degree—in the crucible of conflict! Obedience is learned in times of stress, when strong inclinations to disobey are felt by the soul. There in Gethsemane he learned how it feels to obey when such obedience only promises further pain.
"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. Matthew 10:24-25 ESV
In other words, if they did it to Christ, who is the teacher, why not also to the disciple? If they did it to Christ who is the master, why not also to the slave? They persecuted Christ, they'll persecute you.
"For you"—the preposition "for" (huper) can mean in behalf of or for the sake of and in this context, it clearly depicts Christ's substitutionary death. The suffering of Yeshua was for the sake of our sin; he suffered in order to bring men back to God. His suffering was in fact vicarious.
"Leaving you an example"—Yeshua is our example as someone who endured punishment unjustly. The Greek word for example here is hupogrammos which comes from hupo ("before") and grapho ("write"). This word is only used here in New Testament. It literally means "writing under" and was used of words given to children to copy. It refers to a writing or drawing that someone placed under another sheet of paper so he or she could trace the image on the upper sheet.
Hupogrammos is used in the non-canonical book, 2 Maccabees 2:28, where it describes the outlines of a sketch which the artist fills in with details.
Figuratively, as used by Peter, hupogrammos signifies a model or example of conduct to be imitated or to be avoided. What is the example? Although not a popular teaching, suffering unjustly is the example Yeshua gave believers to follow.
If we truly want to become like Christ, we must be willing to follow His lifestyle of undeserved suffering. This is why Paul's primary goal in life was not just "to know Him" but also to "share his sufferings."
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, Philippians 3:10 ESV
You may have never thought of this before, but the New Testament gives three reasons why Christ became incarnate:
1. Propitiation—he came to be the vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice for our atonement. He, the innocent, blameless Lamb of God, offered Himself on our behalf.
The next day he saw Yeshua coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 ESV
2. He came to reveal the Father.
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. John 1:18 ESV
Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Yeshua said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? John 14:8-9 ESV
3. Example—He came to be an example for believers to emulate. He is the ideal Israelite and the perfect man—what humanity should have been.
Now in what way is the death of Christ an example? Was it an unjust execution? Yes! Was it the most unjust execution ever perpetrated on any human being? Absolutely. Christ in His death gave us the standard of how to respond to unjust persecution.
In the next few verses, Peter expounded at length on Yeshua's example. These verses [21-25] contain the fullest elaboration of the example of Yeshua the Christ for believers in the New Testament.
"So that you might follow in his steps"—the phrase turns from the idea of imitating Yeshua's life pattern to the more dynamic metaphor of following so closely as to walk in His "steps." The Greek word "follow" is epakoloutheō which means literally "to take the same road" as someone else takes.
The word "steps" is from the Greek ichnos which means the sole of the foot on which men and animals go, a footprint or an impression left by the sole of the foot in walking. Ichnos is plural and means tracks, a line of footprints. To follow a man's steps is to move in the direction he is going. So, in the figurative sense ichnos indicates a record left by someone's conduct or manner of life which provides an example for others to imitate.
We see a similar pattern in other New Testament exhortations.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. Philippians 3:17 ESV
whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 2:6 ESV
As Yahweh's children we are to follow his example in every way. And the way Peter next gives us is the example of his sinlessness.
He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 1 Peter 2:22 ESV
The prophet Isaiah 53:9 says,
And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:9 ESV
Peter teaches that "He committed no sin," Isaiah states that "He had done no violence," and the Septuagint, the Greek translation of Isaiah, proclaims that "He had done no lawlessness. In other words, He never violated the law of God. The Septuagint translators understood in his used of the word "violence," Isaiah meant sin—violence against God.
Peter understood what Isaiah meant that is why he came right to the heart of it by simply saying "sin." Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says that what Isaiah meant was sin. Yeshua committed no sin, even under the most difficult circumstances of being unjustly treated.
"He committed no sin"— No is ou which expresses direct and full negation, independently and absolutely, and objectively. Peter is saying "no sin," no exceptions!
Over and over, we are told that Yeshua was sinless.
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:7 ESV
The word "likeness" is homoioma which suggests similarity but difference. Though his humanity was genuine, he was different from all other humans in that he was sinless. We see this same Greek word in Romans 8:3.
For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, Romans 8:3 ESV
This is homoioma again which suggests similarity but difference. Yeshua had real human flesh—he felt pain, sorrow, wept, died, but he was sinless.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 ESV
You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 1 John 3:5 ESV
Could Christ have sinned? What would have happened if he had sinned? We would all be damned because He could not have died on our behalf if he had to die for His own sin!
So, I ask you again: Could Christ have sinned? NO! Yeshua was impeccable—not liable to sin, exempt from the possibility of sinning.
To say that you must be able to sin in order to be tempted is as absurd. Have you ever been tempted and not given in to it and sinned? I hope so. Was the temptation still real? Yes, of course! If a man in a rowboat attacks an Aircraft carrier, is it really an attack? Yes. Does he have a chance of defeating the carrier? No!
Can you bend a coat hanger? Sure. If I took the same coat hanger and welded it into a steel I beam, could you still bend it. NO! Have you ever been tempted and not given in to it and sinned? I hope so. Was the temptation still real? Yes, of course!
Yeshua in his incarnation was impeccable. He was not liable to sin and exempt from the possibility of doing wrong. The human nature of Christ is temptable and peccable, but combined in hypostatic union with the divine nature, He is temptable but impeccable.
Peter had lived with Yeshua for more than three years and had observed Him closely, yet he could say that Yeshua never sinned. He could die on our behalf because He did not have to die for His own sin!
"Neither was deceit found in his mouth"— Deceit is from the Greek word dolos which is derived from dello meaning to bait. Literally it refers to a fishhook, trap, or trick—all of which are various forms of deception. Dolos is a deliberate attempt to mislead, trick, snare or "bait" other people by telling lies. A modern term in advertising is called "bait and switch" where the unwary consumer is lured in by what looks like a price too good to be true!
So, the word for "deceit" means any type of sin of the tongue.
For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. James 3:2 ESV
Yeshua was a perfect man. No wickedness came out of His mouth, and no wickedness ever came across His tongue. He committed no sin by act and He spoke no sin by mouth.
He is the most unjustly treated human being who ever lived. And because He was perfect and all the mistreatment of hell was thrown against Him and He never sinned, He is the perfect model of how you and I are to respond to unjust treatment.
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:23 ESV
Peter referred specifically to Yeshua's sufferings when He was on trial and during His crucifixion. Peter's picture of what Yeshua did not do come from the messianic picture in Isaiah 53.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. Isaiah 53:7 ESV
There is a series of three imperfect active indicatives which indicate repeated action in past time.
"When he was reviled, he did not revile in return"—Yeshua fulfilled this prophecy in His trials before Caiaphas, Annas the High Priest, Pilate, and Herod.
Reviled is from loidoros which means "reviling, railing, it means to subject one to verbal abuse, and thus to reproach, vilify, speak in a highly insulting manner, insult strongly." Reviling implies an abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred.
Yeshua did not curse Pilate. In fact, he talked about how God had given Pilate this power, this authority. Look at what he said:
So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Yeshua answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin." John 19:10-11 ESV
Christ saw Pilate's power as from above. He honored him and recognized God as the ultimate authority even over unjust leaders.
"Revile in return" is antiloidoreo which is from anti (in turn, return, back) and loidoreo (revile). It means to answer insults or slander with insulting or slanderous words. Returning good for good is commendable and even natural. Returning good for evil is Christlike and supernatural. Christ is our Example.
Now Yeshua stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Yeshua said, "You have said so." But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?" But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Matthew 27:11-14 ESV
The outstanding factor throughout this sequence of trials, all of which were both illegal and falsified, was that Yeshua, no matter what was said or done either to or against Him, never reviled those who were reviling Him. He answered only a few of the questions and not once did He rebel nor did He defend Himself against the injustices of the process.
"When he suffered, he did not threaten"—the word "threaten" is from the Greek word apeileō which means to menace, to warn, to threaten and so to declare that one will cause harm to someone, particularly if certain conditions are not met.
Yeshua is God the Creator and one word from His mouth could have literally burned them to a crisp, and the ground would have opened to swallow their ashes. But He never threatened them. And when He finally did speak about them, He said, "Father, "forgive them for they don't know what they're doing."
"But continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly"—the word "entrusting" here is paradidōmi which means to hand over to someone to keep. Paradidomi was commonly used of delivering up a criminal to police or court for punishment. It included the idea of one's being given over into another's power and in this case means giving one's self over to God, the righteous Judge.
Paradidomi is in the imperfect tense which gives us the picture of Yeshua - each time He was attacked verbally with abusive insults, He gave Himself over to His Father for vindication of the injustice and did not seek to retaliate.
Believer, when you as a Christian are persecuted unjustly in your job or your family or your environment, when you and I are persecuted unjustly, we are to follow the steps of Yeshua.
Look at a human illustration of someone who followed in Yeshua's steps.
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Yeshua, receive my spirit." And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60 ESV
Stephen followed the standard Yeshua had set.
Paul, just like Yeshua, entrusted himself to Yahweh.
for which cause also these things I suffer, but I am not ashamed, for I have known in whom I have believed, and have been persuaded that he is able that which I have committed to him to guard—to that day. 2 Timothy 1:12 YLT
Paul is about to die unjustly as well, but the reason he was not disappointed was because he believed and was convinced that God was able to guard what he had entrusted to him.
Believer, Christ is our example of how we should respond to unjust suffering. We have been called to suffer, and Christ has given us an example on how to do this. Learn about his life in the Gospels and follow in his footsteps. We can only do this as we entrust ourselves to Him.
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