JESUS OUR EXAMPLE 

I PETER 2:21-24  

In this time where there is lots of emphasis on having mentors and examples to pattern our lives after, this passage of scripture identifies Jesus as God’s choice for our example.  The passage says that Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow.  Jesus is described as one who was sinless and who did not operate in any deceitful manner.  He did not threaten or curse at those who wrongly treated him, but left the matter in the hands of God.  Thus Peter points to the manner in which Jesus handled his sufferings as an example for us to follow.  Of course this is not the only way in which Jesus is to be an example to us and to the world.  I want to talk today about 5 ways in which Jesus is to be an example to us.

1.     Jesus an example of enduring suffering – MATT.  26:66-68

Here the high priest and Jewish leaders already having determined to kill Jesus begin to badly mistreat him.  They spit on him, blindfolded him and began to tease, slap and beat on him.  But this was only the beginning of his suffering.

MATT. 27:26-37 – When taken before the Romans and condemned by Pilate the Roman soldiers beat him.  A scourge was a Roman implement for severe bodily punishment.  It consisted of a handle with about a dozen leather cords with jaggered pieces of bone or metal at each end to make the blows more painful and effective.  The victim was tied to a post and the blows were applied to the bare back and loins and sometimes to the face and bowels.  The flesh was cut in several places by each blow.  So hideous was the punishment that the victim often fainted and some died under it.  It was designed to get confessions and secrets from its victims.  Flogging was permitted by the law up to 40 stripes (Deut. 25:3).  To make sure that the law was not exceeded, Jews reduced this to 39 stripes (2 Cor. 11:23-25).  If the scourge used on Jesus had 12 thongs and he was hit 39 times this would make 468 stripes.  If some struck in the same place and cut even deeper each time one can see how his body, because of the hatred behind each blow, was marred beyond recognition.

          Not only did they beat Jesus but they plaited for him a crown with long thorns.  Imagine someone pressing long nails down into your head.  The drink that they offered Jesus when on the cross was intended to intoxicate him so that he would not feel the pain.  But Jesus refused the drink choosing to be clearheaded as he suffered the penalty for man’s sin. He did not run from his suffering or try to relieve himself of pain and all this he took realizing that he was innocent.

I PETER 3:17-18 – Christ is our example of how to suffer when we are innocent.  He suffered that he might bring us back to God.  1 Peter 4:14-16 says “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” Christ suffered quietly being innocent so should we.

2.     Christ is our example of applying the Word of God - LUKE 6:35-38

Jesus here in his teaching said love your enemies, forgive and give.

MATT. 5:38-45 – Here he says don’t fight back, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, treat those good that hate you and pray for those who mistreat you.  When confronted with each of these situations Jesus did exactly what he had taught should be done.  When they slapped him he did not fight back nor did he call for the angels on standby to help him.  Romans 5 explains that God showed his love for us in allowing Christ to die for us when we were sinners and enemies of God.

LUKE 23:32-34 – Hanging on the cross with his enemies staring and picking at him, Christ prays for them.  His prayer is that God will forgive them.  In asking us to obey his teaching, Christ did not ask us to do what he himself was not willing to do and in each case he did it under the most extreme circumstances.

3.     Christ is our example of obedience – PHIL. 2:5-8

Though Christ was and is God, He did not hold on to who he was, act like a spoiled brat and behave selfishly.  Rather he chose in humility and obedience to accept the will of God and suffer death on the cross.  Jesus told his disciples in John 4:34 “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”  In other words he fed on doing the will of God.  Doing the will of God was his sustaining source.

HEBREWS 5:8 – Some of us think that we will just wake up one day and decide to abbey God.  We will never be able to abbey God in the big things if we will not submit to him in the little things.  Jesus himself learned obedience by suffering and submitting to the will of God.  Can we learn it in any other way?

4.     Christ is our example of serving and giving – JOHN 13:12-15

In preparation for their last dinner together Jesus washes the feet of each of his disciples, even Judas who was to betray him.  Jesus wanted his disciples to understand they could not be self exalting, thinking of themselves more highly than they should.  They were to be servants as he was and humble in ever since of the word.  To show that being a leader meant serving not being served, Jesus served his disciples. 

JOHN 15:12-13 – Jesus requires that his followers love others not just in word, but also in deed.  He demonstrated this by sacrificially giving the greatest of gifts, his life.  There is no greater way to show love than to sacrifice for another your most valuable possessions.   As an example to us, Christ gave his life.

5.     Jesus is the example of the standard of God – JOHN 14:6

Jesus is the only way by which man can enter into relationship with God. 

ACTS 17:31 – God will judge all mankind by one standard and that standard is Jesus Christ.  He is the yardstick that God will use to determine entrance into heaven.  But we all recognize that we cannot measure up to Christ.  God also knows this so how then can we make it into heaven. 

2 COR. 5:21 – Recognizing that we would never be righteous enough on our own to measure up to Jesus, God made Jesus to become sin for us and then when we accept Jesus as savior and Lord he considers us to be as righteous as Jesus.  In other words by accepting Jesus as savior, God declares us not guilty of sin, deems us righteous in his sight and declares that we have met the standard.

PHIL. 2:9-11 – Sooner or later everyone will come to understand that Jesus is the standard by which God judges the world.  We can open our hearts, receive that understanding now and submit to the will of God by accepting Jesus as savior.  Or man can be rebellious now, and wait until he stands before God in judgment to admit that Jesus is Lord.  Of course at that time it will be too late to accept the sacrifice made by Christ.  Sooner or later everyone will bow to Christ, those in heaven, those on earth and those in hell.  While alive mankind is given the opportunity to bow in appreciation for the sacrifice Jesus has made.  If mankind will not bow in life, in judgment as a person stands before God he will be brought to his knees in forced subjection to Christ.  He is God’s standard.  There will be no other.  Each person should now ask himself, “Without accepting God’s provision for my sin, can I alone measure up to the standard of Christ?”  Certainly we would all answer no and thus with thankful hearts we should praise God for the free gift of salvation that he offers us.

          Jesus Christ is our example of God’s will for mankind.