Christ’s Sufferings

The apostle Peter, “a witness of the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 5:1), repeatedly reminded us of Christ’s sufferings and encouraged us to follow His steps in his first epistle: “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1:11), and “Christ also suffered for us…when he suffered, he threatened not”“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (3:18), and “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind…But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings” (4:1, 13). Our Lord Jesus came into this sinful world to suffer many things even the shameful death on the cross for sinners, saying, “ The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22). Then, what are Christ’s sufferings so that we may follow His steps? (2:21, 23), and 

Be despised and rejected : Although Jesus was the holy God and the Creator, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isa 53:3). Even His own people did not receive nor accept Him (Luke 4:24; John 1:11). May the Lord help us not to be hurt or offended when we are despised or rejected.

Be hated, persecuted, blasphemed and evil spoken of: Although Jesus lived a perfect life, gentle, meek, good, holy and righteous, as well as He preached the truth and His Father’s Word and served His Father faithfully and obediently according to His Father’s will, the Jews persecuted Him and sought to kill Him (John 5:16, 18; 7:7), and spoke evil of Jesus, “he deceiveth the people” (John 7:12), and “This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils” (Matt 12:24), and “this man is a sinner” and “He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?” (John 9:24; 10:20). May the Lord help us not to be hurt or offended when we are hated, evil spoken of or persecuted.

Be betrayed, forsaken and denied: Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, which made Him “troubled in spirit” (John 13:21). He was forsaken by His disciples when they fled for life (Mark 14:50) and denied by Peter, one of His very close disciples (John 18:17, 25-27). May the Lord help us not to be hurt or offended when we are betrayed, forsaken or denied.

Be exceeding sorrowful unto death: Jesus’ “soul was exceeding sorrowful unto death” in the garden of Gethsemane with the great suffering in view ahead of Him (Mark 14:34). May the Lord help us not to give up our faith and hope even in our great suffering or sorrow.

Be tortured, smitten and crucified : The wicked people falsely accused Jesus, spat on His face, smote Him, put a crown of thorns on His head (Matt 26:67; 27:12, 29, 30, 41), crucified Him with the two thieves and derided Him (Matt 27:35, 38; Luke 23:35). May the Lord keep us faithful unto Him and His Word even unto death.

Be misjudged and thought to be punished by God: The religious leaders mocked Him, saying, “He trust in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God” (Matt 27:43). Actually, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isa 53:4). May the Lord help us not to be hurt or offended when we are misjudged in our afflictions and trials of life.

Be burdened with the sins of all mankind: Jesus bare our sins as well as “the sins of the whole world” in His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2), and it seems that His holy Father turned His face from His dearly beloved Son at the moment when all the wickedness, sins, unrighteousness, iniquities, and transgressions of human beings were upon the Lord Jesus, who cried “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46).

Dear friends, you and I can never fully understand how great and deep Christ’s sufferings were. That is not because of His faults, but because of your sins and my sins: “ Christ also suffered for us” (1 Peter 2:21; 4:1). It is because of Christ’s love and of our salvation that He has suffered for us. May His love constrain us to willingly be “partakers of Christ’s sufferings” (1 Peter 4:13).