He Died, That We Might Die
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Welcome/Prayer
Open to 1 Peter 2:21...
For Good Friday this year I want us to consider why Christ died… essentially, why is today, Friday, considered good if our Lord and Savior died?
And do not think that this message will focus on what is often presumed to be answer… it will go beyond that.. it will go where most of evangelicalism fails to go…
See, Christ didn’t suffer and die to merely pay a debt… there was a purpose to all of it… a purpose that could not be achieved unless the debt was first paid...
We dishonor God when we fail to see the why of it all..
And this is where our passage in Peter comes in to play... let’s go ahead and read it in its entirety… then we’ll take it verse by verse… 1 Peter 2:21-24
21 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. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 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. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
The first thing we must address is what is Peter referring to when he says “to this you have been called”? To what have you and I been called to?
To answer that question we must know the context...
Our passage finds itself in the midst of Peter teaching Christians, both slaves and free, to be submissive to the government and to their masters…
On the other side of our passage Peter continues that teaching as it relates to husband and wife...
But it’s what precedes our passage… not what follows that gives us our answer… what precedes is the “this” of v. 21...
In the midst of Peter teaching Christians to be submissive to their masters, Peter tells them to do so with respect… not only with the good masters… but even with the unjust masters, v. 18...
He goes on to speak to the witness of such lives and how God views such faithful service… which is explicitly stated in v. 19- 20 1 Peter 2.19-20
19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 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 a gracious thing in the sight of God.
And this isn’t restricted to only those who are actual slaves… but this principle carries over to all who are under authority...
Thus, in v. 21, when Peter says “to this you have been called”— he speaks to all Christians...
Meaning… We all, have been called to good service, faithful service… and if you suffer, even unjustly, continue on… endure through it..
This keeps with Peter’s theme of the epistle which he spells out for us in 1 Peter 2.12
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
When Peter uses the word “call” here in v. 21 — he’s telling us this is the ordained path for believers… to do good while suffering…
Suffering is not some hiccup or some speed bump in the road of salvation...
Nor is it, as one commentator put it, “a detour” along the way to our inheritance...
Suffering is the path… the road ahead is paved with suffering… if you’re road lacks any kind of suffering… you’re on the wrong road...
And this isn’t just Peter… we see this in all four of the Gospels… we see this in most of the letters of the NT… this is the plain teaching of Scripture
Anyone trying to sell you on the idea that our faith leads to one of comfort and prosperity is a wolf and ought to be avoided
Now, this doesn’t mean we go out looking for suffering… the suffering that Peter speaks of and that God speaks of elsewhere… finds you...
Faithfulness will bring you face to face with it…
As it’s once been said, if you’ve never run into the devil, it’s because you’re running in the same direction as the devil…
And some will suffer far less than others… Some may suffer like Job… or Peter… others may suffer like Abraham or John...
Regardless, one must be faithful.. one must continue in holiness… and why does Peter say this? Why does he make the claim that this is our calling?
Because of Christ...
V. 21 - Because Christ, He too, He also— suffered...
And He did so for you...
As an example… for a purpose… that you would follow in His steps… Mk 8.34
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
When we consider Good Friday, we ought to consider the path of our own lives… the orientation of it… the destination of it
For what Good Friday represents is not merely a doorway… or a gate… but the road less traveled, the narrow way… Good Friday, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ— is the map that leads us to the promised resurrection
With Christ being such an example for us, Peter then goes on to expound on the example of Christ...
V. 22 - Christ, though He suffered… suffered as a sinless man...
He had no sin… you on the other hand, are not so innocent… no human in all of eternity is innocent… except Christ… who suffered the greatest injustice of all, by suffering as a guilty man when indeed He was anything but…
Yet, He did so willingly and faithfully
V. 23 - When Jesus was reviled, He did not revile back… and when He suffered… He did not respond with threats or violence…
He was the lamb of Isaiah 53 led to the slaughter… and if you haven’t noticed yet… Peter uses the language of Isaiah 53 often in our passage… as it relates to the Suffering Servant…
And Peter tells us why Christ was able to do what He did… so peacefully and faithfully… without falling into sin or striking out against those causing such suffering and sorrow...
It was because of His faith..
Jesus entrusted himself to God who judges justly…
Now, it wasn’t just himself Jesus entrusted...
Jesus isn’t merely concerned about His fate, but the fate of His enemies… the fate of those who are unjustly causing harm upon Him..
In the Greek, “himself” which is supplied in the English translation… is missing… the object of what Jesus entrusted is not there… it’s missing, it’s unspecified...
And that could be because Peter is intending to show that Jesus is entrusting not just Himself, but the whole situation, His whole sphere of life to God… all that is within it… to include all that happens within it...
And Jesus does this for He knows from the OT, what Paul tells us in Romans 12:19-21
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
It is, as we are currently talking about in Hebrews 11, it is by faith that Jesus was able to endure the cross as He did… He knows the One who knows all things… will judge all things in accordance to His perfect justice… no man, woman, or child will be judged unjustly or imperfectly...
And all will be judged by their deeds and words which bear witness of their hearts…
In v. 24, Peter concludes expounding on the example of Jesus’ suffering by reminding his people what they already know...
In using language similar to Isaiah 53:4 which reads..
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
Peter says that Jesus, Himself, bore our sins in His body on the tree...
That is Jesus… withstood the weight our sin… the weight of the curse personally… physically, in the flesh…
In other words, the Son of God, suffered greatly for you, because of your sin...
And Peter uses the word “tree” here instead of cross intentionally… he’s calling to mind Dt 21:22-23
22 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
It’s not that Peter thinks Jesus is a guilty man…
Obviously, Peter just mentioned how sinless Jesus was...
But that’s the point
Jesus, the sinless man, suffered the death of a sinful man… of a cursed man… by hanging on a tree…
But it was for a purpose… and notice how Peter orders this...
Normally, the church focuses on the last part of v. 24 - our wounds being healed… our reconciliation… but that’s not Peter’s focused…
Peter’s focus isn’t reconciliation… it’s holy living...
Look at it again 1 Peter 2.24 (That we might die to sin and live to righteousness)
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
This is the reason… this is why Christ died… so that we would die to sin… that we would live to righteousness...
He didn’t die so we could remain in sin...
Good Friday isn’t good because Jesus reconciled us to the Father...
And because of what He has done we get to enjoy the passions and desires our flesh without a reckoning…
We all have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ...
And we will give account for all that we have done and said… or not done and said...
Good Friday is good… because Jesus has made it possible for us to receive new life… to be united with Him, not only in His death, but in His resurrection… Rom 6 - so that we may walk in the newness of life...
That we may be the walking sacrifice He calls us to be as we die to self daily and follow Him
And to the person who loves God— this good news
For the one who loves God desires righteousness… and despises their sin…
The one who loves God desires not merely to avoid their just judgment
They desire God Himself…
And that is made possible only by the Son of God healing us of our sinful nature…
By restoring us in right relationship to the Father… who by the blood of His Son, transferred us from the domain of darkness to the domain of light…
God has freed us from the bondage of sin and of the devil, and has made us co-heirs with Christ...
And in order for us to live this way, we must know that we are well… that we are no longer sick… no longer unclean...
Hence why Peter ends v. 24, by saying “by His wounds you have been healed”… referring back to Isaiah 53:5
5 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.
This isn’t about physical healing, just as the physical healings of Christ during His earthly ministry were not about healing people… it was about Him having the authority to forgive sins, as well as being a marker of who He is… the Promised Messiah...
It is hard to live a life of righteousness when you think you are still unclean… or still unwell… An elephant who is chained as a baby… never knowing freedom… when full grown, though powerful enough to pull the stake out of the ground… will not… for he knows not what he can do...
It’s the same for us… And Peter is reminding us that we are no longer enslaved to sin… we are no longer under the bondage of the devil… we have been healed… thus… live like it...
No longer do we need to wait for the prayer of David in Ps 51 to be answered… especially verses Ps 51.10-12
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
For the blood of Christ, has done this… We have been cleansed, our consciences perfected, by His shed blood…
Not by our works, but by His...
And His Spirit, the Comforter, the Helper, is in us… as a guarantee until we received the promised inheritance…
This is the New Covenant joy that Christ has ushered in by His body offered on the Cross… two millennia ago...
By God’s grace and the blood of the Son… sin no longer has dominion over you… and you are no longer estranged from the Father… Eden is no longer off limits to you… the throne room of God is your sanctuary… amen?
This is why we can rejoice, always… and be grateful in all things… because of this day, which is truly and eternally good...