For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls. 1 Peter 2:21-25, NLT
Can you imagine it? All that the Scriptures record Jesus went through—and without sin no less—and yet He did not lose His temper or even utter an angry word. He never said hurtful things in retaliation. Instead, He always spoke the truth that convicted His hearers of their sins.
Because of His sinlessness, He was willing to bear in His own suffering all my sin, your sin, and everyone else’s, too. It is hard for me to imagine how wonderful God’s love is for us to do this. And, according to verse 24, there was a purpose to all this. It was not just to be nice and loving. It was done “so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right!”
Christ’s wounds had a purpose as well—to heal us. It is as though each thing that you or I need healing from was transferred to Christ’s body instead. The gravest, of course, was our “sin-sickness.” And that was what killed Christ—not the torture. The sheer weight of the sin of all mankind on His sinless soul drove Him to lay His life down, only to pick it up again in three days as He prophesied.
How can we sit through Easter season after Easter season and not become completely overwhelmed with this amazing truth?
Lord, please show me if there is someone who needs me to share the wonderful truth of Easter. Amen.
Copyright Dr. Dan Elliott.
Dr. Elliott, a lifetime Christian Educators member, is currently retired and living in California.
