Near the end of 1 Peter 2, the Apostle again describes how Christ provided to believers an example of suffering.
The Lord Jesus declared that He must suffer death on several occasions. Peter had rebuked Christ, and Christ had rebuked Peter in turn, for not loving the things that are of God.
God delighted in the suffering of Jesus at Calvary, but the disciples did not understand the purpose of that suffering.
Soon thereafter, Peter was eye witness to the transfiguration of Jesus, which he foolishly stated was more to his liking, but God the Father then rebuked him, commanding Peter to hear and obey everything Christ taught.
And right afterwards, Jesus repeated His declaration that He must suffer and be rejected by the people.
Just before Christ's death, when certain Gentiles sought to see Him, Jesus described His distress and trouble of soul at the prospect of dying. But His conclusion was, that only by dying could He glorify His Father, and save His people.
There could be no life for His people, if Jesus declined to lay down His life to save us.
Jesus' discourse here was both to document the true suffering He would undertake, the anguish of soul it was to Him, and His determination to suffer to glorify God and save His loved ones from wrath and judgment.
Christ's urgent prayers in Gethsemane, and submission in His humanity to the death He must die, teach us that His was real suffering.
It was no mere "pro forma" suffering, but actual, deep, distressing anguish and pain to Christ, and yet He stayed in that garden, knowing that Judas would come with his thugs to take Jesus away to put Him to death.
Praise God that He did, to save His people! |
