Building a Character like Christ

Our Perfect Example

I. Intro

We suffer for many reasons. Some suffering is the direct result of our own sin; some happens because of our foolishness; some is the result of living in a fallen world. Peter is writing about the suffering that comes as a result of doing good. Christ never sinned, yet He suffered so that we could be set free. Jesus’ suffering was part of God’s plan. This is how much God loves each and every one of us. He planned for His own Son to be tortured and tormented so that we might be set free. And yet, we still reject His love. Our goal should be to suffer like Christ did- with patience, calmness, and confidence that God is in control of the future. Christ died for our sins, in our place, so that we would not have to suffer the punishment we deserve. This is called substitutionary atonement. When we see our children about to suffer, we want to take the suffering away. That is what God did for us. He robed Himself in human flesh and paid the penalty and took our suffering upon Himself so we wouldn’t have to suffer what we deserve. And not once while Jesus was being tormented did He complain, regret going to the cross, wish revenge upon His attackers, but instead He publically forgave them. Jesus is the example we need to follow. He lived a perfect life. He was persecuted, and he suffered, and He didn’t sin while He suffered. The Greek word used here for “suffering” is hypogrammos. This is the only occurence of it in the NT. It means a pattern or model for copying in writing or drawing. It figuratively describes behaviour. Growing up, we as kids always looked up to a role model. That person could be our father, or other family member. It may have been a superhero you saw on Saturday morning cartoons, or maybe someone in the church. We always wanted to be like that person. Every one of those people have one thing in common. They all have a sin nature. Why don’t we try to imitate Christ, who was without sin? He lived a perfect life, and every aspect of His life was without blemish. In everything He did, He aimed to please the Father. Often, we choose not to follow Christ because it is too hard, or we don’t want to put forth the effort. Sometimes, it’s because we think that if we follow Christ, then we have to be perfect. That is not the case. God knows we aren’t perfect, and doesn’t expect us to be. Jesus said if we choose to follow Him, we will be persecuted. But we will have rewards waiting on us in Heaven for His name sake. More often, when somebody ridicules us, or offends us, it is our nature to want to get revenge on them. We want to get revenge on them, and get even. Sometimes we have to fight hard to hold our tongue. Other times, its in our hearts. If we have it in our hearts to guile against someone its just as bad. But Jesus not once did He have any ill feelings towards the soldiers who were crucifying Him. He willingly laid His life down. And if it would have been against His will, there wouldn’t be any force in the universe that could’ve held Him there. It was His love for you and me that held Him there. Now let’s see what Peter says about the example Christ gave us.

II. He is our example in His Life

From His birth to His death everything Jesus did on Earth was a perfect example for us to follow.

Especially the way He handled suffering. In spite of the fact that He was sinless in word and deed, he endured suffering.

Peter, in the garden, during Jesus’ arrest, used his sword instead of submitting to the will of the Father.

Jesus willingly went with the mob that came for Him during the night. If they would have attempted to capture Him against His will, there wouldn’t have been enough soldiers to overcome the power of God. Jesus escaped mobs of people before.

Jesus proved that a person could be in the will of God, be greatly loved by God, and still suffer unjustly.

Our Lord’s humility and submission was not a sign of weakness but a sign of power.

At any time during His suffering, He could have summoned the armies of Heaven to rescue Him.

His words to Pilate are proof that Jesus was in complete control of the situation.

John 18:33-38 “Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.  Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.”

We are not saved by following the example of Christ, but by grace through faith.

Sinners need a Saviour not an example. But after a person is born again, he will need to follow closely in His footsteps.

Verse 22 says that Jesus did no sin, but He was persecuted and mocked on a daily basis. If you read through the NT, it seems you can’t turn a page without reading how Jesus was persecuted in one way or another.

We haven’t even endured a tenth of what Jesus endured. He was scourged. His hands and feet were nailed to a tree, hanging on to every breath, He had His side pierced with a spear. He had a crown of thorns embedded in his head. He was spit upon, had his beard plucked out, while the Roman soldiers gambled for His clothes. And that is just the physical torture He endured. Most importantly, the most grueling torture was when all of a sudden, the weight of the sin of the world was placed on His shoulders. This is the only time the fellowship between the Father and the Son was broken. Not once did Jesus wish anything harmful upon any of his attackers, but He faced them with compassion and love. We tend to give up at the first sign of trouble. Take a lesson here from the perfect example. Don’t give up when it gets tough. Ask our Father for some grace.

III. How was Jesus able to endure all the suffering?

Prayer and Commune with the Father

Jesus prayed to the Father many times throughout the Bible, usually for hours. He also, most of the time, went in solitude to be alone with the Father.

Matthew 6:5-8 “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

Right after the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sent His disciples to the ship, and sent them off to sea, and He went away to pray. This happens shortly before He walks on water. Let’s look in Matthew 14:23 “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”

Jesus prayed regularly- Luke 5:16 “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”

If you read the stories of the NT, you will see that pretty much anytime before He spoke to large crowds, and after He spoke to large crowds, He went off by Himself to pray. This may have been into the wilderness, to a mountain, or to the hills.

Jesus often prays alone. Luke 6:12 “ And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”

Jesus trusted in God. Psalms 37:5-6 “Commit thy way unto the LORD; Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, And thy judgment as the noonday.”

In a farming community, it hadn’t rained in a long time, and things were getting desperate. The ministers decided they were going to call a prayer meeting. They said, “Look, we want the whole town to come to the prayer meeting and bring their religious symbols.” So the whole town showed up for the prayer meeting and people brought crosses, they brought their Bibles, the Catholics brought their rosaries, and they all cried out to God. They finished their prayer meeting. No rain was in sight. They all went home. The next day though, in the town square where they had the meeting, there was a little boy. “Oh, God, we need rain. Show us your power and give us rain.” The day before, with all the preachers and all the religious symbols, calling on God, no rain. The little boy shows up the next day by himself in the town square, and as soon as he was praying , rumbling occured. As he was praying, the shower hit, and it was pouring down rain. What was it about this little boy that was different than all the people and religious leaders of the community? He said the same things they did. But the day the little boy came, when the clouds got dark, he lifted up his symbol he brought- an umbrella. He expected it to rain. When you anticipate rain, you take an umbrella. When a man tells you it’s going to rain, when the meteorologist says it’s going to storm that day, most people get their umbrellas because they believe his word. Meteorologists are wrong half the time and we still take their word on it. Why is it, when it comes to God, who is never wrong, we hesitate to believe and act on His Word?

b. He submitted to the will of the Father. Matthew 26:36-42 “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”

His soul was exceedingly sorrowful, because he knew what was about to happen to Him.

He went a little further in the garden, to be alone with the Father, and fell on His face in front of the Father in humility.

He says, not what I want, but I surrender myself to whatever you want me to do. Whatever your plan is for my life, I will do it. He prayed like this for an hour.

But that wasn’t enough, because he said that His spirit is willing, but His flesh is weak. So He went in a second time and once again, He surrendered Himself to God.

IV. Conclusion

Jesus told his disciples that they (and we) would face suffering. You are going to face suffering on a daily basis. Not to the extent that Jesus did, but suffering is something you can’t outrun. Paul said whoever persecutes you, God will judge justly. Jesus also said that whoever is persecuted for His name sake will have their reward in Heaven. I want to challenge you today to not worry about the agony of the torment and persecution we may face as followers of Christ. I want you to look to the perfect example of Jesus Christ and see how He handled it. We can also handle it the same way. It all has to do with a relationship with the Father. Prayer and trust. Two little words, but they have so much power and authority in them.