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Jesus surrendered His cause to God.
1Peter 2:23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting [Himself] to Him who judges righteously;
Hebrews 12:3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
“To avoid evil tempers, and the uneasiness and danger of avenging ourselves, it is a great advantage in all such cases to be able to refer our cause to God, and to be assured that the Judge of all the earth will do right”, Adam Clarke’s Commentary.
Considering the obvious application of not returning harsh words for those received, I would think we all have something to work on! Even if we do not verbalize our remarks, the thoughts we have which are odious towards others make us guilty.
Jesus was accused, although He was innocent, by those in authority in the face of many present. Think of the public humiliation and shame thrown at Him, yet He did not return insults or even answer harshly. He did not seek revenge but instead prayed for their forgiveness. He committed all things to God knowing that God would exact justice.
It is impossible for man to attain a position of perfect holiness. So even in that rare instance of wrong accusation, reproach for something is probably deserved. Our fight must be to remain as holy as possible, following the example set before us so that any accusation brought against us has no merit. The concern we should concentrate on is to seek to prove our genuine faith in humility before our gracious and forgiving God.
How should you respond when you meet with false accusations, harsh words, and unfair treatment?
Keeping some truths before us will help in our response –
We are worthy only because of Christ – being reminded of this helps to pull down the inflated picture we have of ourselves,
Our value and confidence rest in His claim on us – not because of any claim we might have,
Our hope is in God’s righteousness and perfect judgment – He alone sees all things exactly as they are and He alone is worthy to bless or condemn,
We are to be an example of His holiness in all our behavior – regardless of the circumstance or even perceived atrocities against us. We need to remember love is unconditional; We are called to forgive without limitations.
It is entirely God’s right to use His children as He wills for His glory. Our humble submission to His will proves our genuine love for Him. When we are wronged, responding rightly gives glory to God. This is not an excuse for individuals to mistreat others, but it is an opportunity for God’s children to grow in holiness.
Psalm 37:5-8 Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret, [it leads] only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
Jesus entrusted Himself to God, “who although He commands His people to manifest a Christian spirit towards all, will nevertheless condemn and punish those who oppress or injure them”, Family Bible Notes.
Read Matthew 25:40-46.
Judgement is God’s call alone – He is the only One who is completely righteous and sees all things as they truly are. When I consider what my submissiveness should look like, my mind goes to a familiar snapshot of what it should not look like. Picture someone who must have the ‘last word’. In the following verse, read how Scripture teaches against this.
Titus 2:9-10 [Urge] bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.
The phrase ‘not argumentative’ means not answering back, not disputing, not contradicting, not speaking against. And look at the purpose of this instruction – so that the doctrine of our Savior in all things might be adorned.
Think! What type of behavior attracts others towards the beauty of God’s truths?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary notes, “Leave your case in His hands, not desiring to make Him executioner of your revenge, but rather praying for enemies. God’s righteous judgment gives tranquility and consolation to the oppressed”.
Ephesians 6:7-8 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
Notice the words, ‘but kept entrusting Himself’. Our example is to keep on committing ourselves and circumstances to God. This is to be a continuous practice, not a ‘one and done’ deal.
I love what is shared in Spurgeon’s Devotional Commentary, “What an example! May the Holy Spirit enable us to imitate it. He was the paragon of patience, the mirror of endurance. He was absolutely perfect, and yet was infinitely a sufferer, but he never complained, or resented wrong. Master of Patience, teach thy disciples”.
Perhaps you pray these same words I pray –
“O Lord, keep my thoughts holy, my actions helpful, and my words encouraging, and when necessary, keep my ears deaf and my mouth silent”. I want to think of those things that are right, good, and true. I want to always be mindful of serving others rather than self in my actions and conversation. I do not need to hear or know every detail of circumstances and I absolutely do not need to share what I think at every instance.
1Peter 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
Jesus offered Himself up to carry the burden of our sin so that we who were dead in our transgressions would be made righteous through Him. Only by His suffering are we healed.
Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
We can either focus on the difficult circumstances we may face, or we can remember the incredible gift we have received from Jesus. Because of Him, we are no longer under the power and control of sin. Because of Him we are purposed to righteousness. Remember who Peter was writing to – those who were being treated unfairly and persecuted. The truth they now followed was different than what they had seen practiced. The high priests in the Jewish culture had regularly offered sacrifices for their own sins and the sins of the people. These sacrifices needed to be repeated again and again. The Gentiles had not even been considered as God’s people.
1Peter 2:10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
In contrast, Jesus offered Himself as the One perfect sacrifice for all mankind, the only complete fulfillment of the debt owed. Even in difficulties, these converts were reminded to follow Jesus’ example and patiently endure just as He did for them. The same is true for us today.
Is your focus on the problems which permeate our world or on the greater purpose of salvation through the Gospel?
Look up Romans 6:1-23.
Colossians 1:21-22 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, [engaged] in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--
John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
1Peter 2:25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
We were once straying like sheep; we are now under the care of the Shepherd. To go astray means to roam from safety or truth, to be deceived, to err, to be seduced or delusional. We were weak and under the guise of the deception of sin. In this position we had no hope but to stray from Truth. Following the tradition of laws and the idols of men offers no hope for the future. This message was one that needed to be heard then and now. The Apostle Peter offered a reminder and encouragement with his words of belonging to the Shepherd and Guardian of souls.
Remember who we are without Jesus – straying sheep. We walk away from safety and Truth. We are easily deceived and seduced by the world.
Ezekiel 34:6 "My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill, and My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth; and there was no one to search or seek [for them.]"
Because of Christ, we have been rescued and returned to His care. The reference of Christ as the Guardian of your soul, places His children directly under His care and charge. This is Whom you can place your complete hope and trust.
“It follows that the welfare of the soul may be committed to him with confidence. It is the object of his special guardianship, and he will not be unfaithful to the trust reposed in him. There is nothing more safe than the human soul is when it is committed in faith to the keeping of the Son of God”, Albert Barnes’ NT Notes.
John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Read God’s promise to the nation of Israel – Ezekiel 34:11-15
This is the Gospel of God’s grace.
We are saved from –
Danger to Protection,
Death to Life,
Wandering to Purpose, and
Despair to Hope.
2Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
To say I am convinced in the above verse means ‘I am able, by the evidence and authority of God before me, to depend on with certainty and confidence’ that Jesus is my Example, my Defender, and my Protector.
How do we respond to 1 Peter 2:21-25?
With a heart of gratitude, commitment, and faithfulness
Seeking to live righteously causing no offense towards others, patiently and quietly enduring unfair treatment
Looking to our eternal future
Placing complete and constant trust in the One who knows all things, has endured all things, and will one day cause all things and persons to bow at the feet of His throne.
Philippians2:9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Revelation 5:13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, [be] blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."
“But now ye are, by divine grace, recovered and turned again to him who bears the important and tender character of the great Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, who has graciously received you under his pastoral care, and will maintain that inspection over you which shall be your continued security from returning to those fatal wanderings; and the sense of this may cheer and comfort you under any oppression or injuries to which you may be exposed”, Philip Doddridge.
Philippians 2:5-8 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Because of God’s love, because of His grace and mercy, we are saved, we are cared for, we are protected, and we are kept.
