Sufferings of Christ and His People, # 2

Driving home: Peter goes to the very heart of this issue by treating the subject of suffering for righteousness' sake in terms of bringing into the crosshairs of their spiritual vision the great sufferer himself, even the Lord Jesus.

The phrase 'Christ also suffered' implies others suffered. Just as 'Mary also came' means someone else came, and 'John also had the flu' means someone else had the flu, so Christ's suffering is presented in parallel to the suffering of believers, indicating a shared experience.

Christ also suffered with the suffering that issued in death. And he is concerned that the suffering saints remember certain facets of the suffering of the Lord Jesus that they might be enlightened, comforted, and strengthened in the face of their own suffering. Now, what we did last Lord's Day in our initial study of verses 18 to 22 was to consider the basic similarities between the sufferings of Christ and the sufferings of his people. And this is pressed upon us by the language of the text because or for, not merely, Christ suffered. That would be pointing us to put all of our attention upo...

9:15 - 10:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin clarifies that 'Christ' is not a name but a title, identifying Jesus as the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King, the Messiah, Son of God. He recounts Peter's initial…

The word 'Christ' is explained as an official title, not a personal name, similar to how 'President' in 'President Reagan' denotes an office rather than part of his birth name. This clarifies the theological significance of Jesus being identified as 'the Christ' or 'Messiah'.

When we say President Reagan, the word President is not a part of the name that is on his birth certificate by which Ronald Reagan is identified from any other Reagan. But President Reagan points to an official title of an official office. And likewise, when we read Christ, it is not a personal name. Jesus is his personal name.

16:36 - 17:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin clarifies that 'Christ' is not a name but a title, identifying Jesus as the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King, the Messiah, Son of God. He recounts Peter's initial…

Peter's act of drawing a sword and cutting off a servant's ear when Jesus was apprehended illustrates his inability to accept a suffering Messiah, showing his disposition before his understanding was divinely opened.

When they came to apprehend our Lord, what did Peter do? He took out the sword and he went for the servant's head and thankfully ducked quick enough to lose only an ear.

21:01 - 21:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Confront the reality of sin by gazing upon the crucified Christ and asking what He is doing there if sin is not real, ugly, and wrath-deserving.

A comparison between modern lethal injection executions (designed to preserve dignity) and ancient crucifixion (designed to strip all dignity) is used to emphasize the extreme shame and cruelty Christ endured on the cross, highlighting the penal nature of his suffering.

biblical scholars who in their examination of the facts emerging from secular historians give us insights as to what a cruel and shameful death crucifixion was. They write it was an exquisitely designed means of bringing total humiliation and shame upon the accused as they slowly made their way toward death. It entailed, and it is the belief of many, a public status degradation, destroying every vestige of a person standing in society before he actually died. The intent of crucifixion was to strip its victim of every last vestige of human dignity and to make him know it before he died. It's cr...

29:11 - 30:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second exclusive aspect is that Christ suffered 'once,' meaning His death was final. Martin explains that 'hapax' signifies a once-for-all, fully satisfactory sacrifice. He…

A quote from Mother Teresa about Christ's willingness to be humiliated to the point of being held between a priest's fingers is used to illustrate the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Mass, which Martin contrasts with the biblical truth of Christ's 'once for all' sacrifice.

Christ died for sins once for all. By one offering he has perfected forever them that are sanctified. And it is in the once-for-allness of his death that we find our life and our salvation. We delight to look back not merely with sentimental glances backward, but with the eye of faith and see him writhing in agony, trying to tell us it stands accomplished, bowing his head and yielding up his spirit, coming out of the grave on that third day to go back to the right hand of the Father, not to be humiliated to death again and again and again on Roman altars. In one of Mother Teresa's meditations ...

43:59 - 45:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The fourth exclusive aspect is that Christ suffered 'that he might bring us to God,' making His death purposeful and efficacious. Martin explains that Christ's death was not…

The prodigal son's return to his father's house, not just his father's possessions, illustrates that Christ's purpose in suffering was to bring us back into personal fellowship and communion with God Himself, not merely to secure benefits like forgiveness or heaven.

He views us all as a race of prodigals in the far country. And Christ died to make us rich. And make us returning prodigals who like that prodigal in Luke 15. When he is ready to go home he doesn't say now I will arise and go to my father's desk and find his checkbook and begin to live the good life again.

54:40 - 55:03 Read in full sermon