Example and Exchange

1. CHRIST THE SUPREME EXAMPLE

• suffering for doing good (see verses 9, 13-14, and 16-17)
• good behaviour does not ensure that we will not suffer for it!
• in fact it often attracts trials! (see 2:12, 18-21, and 4:12-19)
• it was the same for Jesus! - hence he is our great example of how to live
  Jesus our example – (see 2:21ff and compare Philippians 2:5ff)
• Christ's life and death is more than an example which inspires us to follow

2. CHRIST THE SUFFERER (FOR SINS)

(a) “once” – how is this so?

• Christ’s life experience was one complete “event” and within this were all his sufferings, but it also included being “put to death”!
• his life and death were but “once” - unrepeatable because successful!

(b) “for sins” – his suffering and death are inseparably connected with sins!
-see Rom. 8:3 stating that Christ was by God the Father “sent...for sin”!

• Christ was not sent for sins of his own yet he made our sins his own!

(c) “the righteous for the unrighteous”

• what does “for” mean? – it’s to act “on behalf of” or to “represent”
• the same “for” is found at 2 Cor. 5:21 which speaks of an “exchange”!
• take this back to “for sins” in Lev. 5:6 – an animal instead of the person!
• so Christ’s death was not only “for sins” – it was also “for sinners”! It was a substitutionary offering. He took our place!

(d) “that he might bring us to God”