The Suffering Of Christ
Text: I Peter 3:15-22
Intro: . I learned on the Internet that 1/3 of world-population is “Christian.” However, the number is in decline, while other religions are gaining. (Muslims are now over 1/5th of the population, and are the fastest growing religion. Some are predicting that soon England and much of Europe will be predominantly Muslim.)
· Theologians calling this the post-Christian era.
· A time of testing & challenge to Christianity.
Why happening?
· One reason—churches concentrating on the temporal & physical, attracting crowds.
Becoming a crossless religion; a social gospel.
· Cross: a smooth, attractive ornament…where is “Old Rugged Cross”…”suffering & shame”?
· Jn. 12:32
What was message that shocked the world in 1st century A.D.?
· Not messengers: “unlearned Galileans.”
· Message (Acts): Jesus crucified, buried, risen, Lord & Christ, returning.
1) 1 Cor. 1:23-24
All religions have that which commends them: moral principles, ethics, appeal to religious nature.
What is the appeal of this message: Death of a martyr? To show us what sinners we are? Much more!
Two trains of thought: (1) The nature of Jesus’ sufferings; (2) the purpose of His sufferings.
I.. THE NATURE OF JESUS’ SUFFERINGS
1. Penal, vicarious & propitiatory
2. Penal (Penalty)
--Text: “Christ suffered for sins” (1 Pet. 3:18a).
3. Vicarious (In the place of others)
· Text: “the Just for the unjust.” (I Peter 3:18b)
· “In peace let me resign my breath, And thy salvation see; My sins deserve eternal death, But Jesus died for me.”
4. Propitiatory (Made satisfaction for our sins)
· Without dishonoring His laws.
· Without encouraging violation.
· Accepted Jesus’ sufferings in the place of our eternal death.
· Rom. 3:25-26—“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare I say at this time His righteousness: that He might be just & the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
--All who do not accept will suffer the just penalty themselves.
II. THE PURPOSE OF JESUS’ SUFFERINGS:
1 Pet. 3:9c—“That he might bring us to God.”
1. To bring us to knowledge of God.
· Know the Father through the Son (Mt.11:27— None can “know the Father, save the Son & He to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal Him.”
· Jn. 1:18
· Knowledge of God’s love (1 Jn. 3:16)
· “This is life eternal…” (Jn. 17:3).
2. To bring is into the fellowship of God.
· Fellowship destroyed by sin (Isa. 59:2)
· Driven from Eden.
· Universal (Rom. 3:23)
· Fellowship possible by death of “righteous for the unrighteous..”
· e. Fellowship announced through Gospel (2 Thess. 2:14).
3. To bring us into the likeness of God.
· 1 Pet. 2:24—“…bare our sins in His body upon the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live unto righteousness.” (Character of God—Eph. 4:24—“Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness & true holiness.”)
· “Created”—through the death and resurrection of Christ. Newness of life in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
4. To bring us into the presence of God.
· In the new heavens & earth…New Jerusalem…”the Lord God Almighty & the Lamb are the temple of it…The glory of God did lighten it, & the Lamb is the light thereof”—Rev. 21:22-23.
· Who shall enjoy this eternal light? (vs. 24, 27 --“The nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it… There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” By contrast: Rev. 21:8
· Mt. 5:8
· Purity for His church (Eph. 5:25-27).
1) “Purifying their hearts by faith”—Acts 15:9.
2) Obedience (1 Pet. 1:22)
· God is “able to keep you from falling, & to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy”—Jude 24.
Conclusion: Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins, offering Himself in our behalf, to bring us to God. He asks for our acceptance.