Christ Suffered FOR US!

The sufferings of Jesus at Calvary were well foretold, and are recited in the Gospels.

Mankind recoils from suffering, because from a human standpoint, there is almost never any redeeming purpose or good in our suffering.

Some teach that the suffering of Jesus was in like manner - all it did was prove the darkness of men's hearts.

Others claim that Christ's suffering was an example to a call for political justice.

Others teach that when we suffer, we are cleansed of materialism and ushered onto a "higher plane" like Jesus.

We might conclude that Christ's suffering is only our example to follow so that we might be purged unto purity and exaltation.

We might think that, but we would be wrong. The Apostle Peter adds those two sweet words that break our hearts, that point us to why Christ had to suffer, and what He obtained by His suffering.

Those two words are "for us!" Christ suffered FOR US!

You see, Christ surely did suffer, but more profoundly, Christ suffered FOR US.

His suffering was no mere example; it was a suffering FOR US.

Jesus suffered for no mere petty purpose, or to condemn His persecutors, or to point mankind to a method of personal cleansing or redemption.

No, Christ suffered FOR US! His dying saved His people!

It was no pointless or futile thing, but rather a bold act of rescue and deliverance!

Often Christ's suffering is declared in Scripture without providing a clear purpose. But there are two cases in which Jesus very clearly connected His death with our salvation.

When Jesus taught His disciples He must suffer and die, they scarcely paid notice of it.

But Jesus declared: I give my life a ransom for many!