Title: Jesus' Suffering and Saints
Contents
Jesus' suffering and saints
(2007.04.01. Palm Sunday) (1 Peter 2:20~25)
(Chapter 436 - The body that received the new life of the Lord)
To say that a murderer with no trace has been caught and put in jail after many years - he sighs of relief and says he's lucky.
If you say you went to jail for a democratization movement during the dictatorship - I hope you will be released with regret
It's the same as going to jail and suffering - a sinner who says it's right to go to jail, and a righteous person who is framed and goes to jail, waits for release with regret
In Japan, there is an event that honors and praises Korean youth every year - A Korean young man saved a Japanese who fell on a railroad track at a Japanese train station and died without being able to escape, so he remembers the young man and mourns every year.
Not all hardships are the same. Not all deaths are the same.
No one feels sorry for suffering because of sin or death because of sin.
The sufferings of the righteous and the deaths of the righteous are sad and commemorative.
Our Jesus also suffered tremendous suffering, being beaten, ridiculed, taken up on a cross, and killed by Jewish religious people and Roman authorities.
Why did Jesus suffer such suffering? How do we relate to Jesus' suffering?
Today is Palm Sunday, when we remember the day our Jesus entered Jerusalem to suffer suffering even though he knew that he would suffer.
The sufferings of Jesus are not meaningless sufferings. We hope that we will know the meaning of Jesus' suffering - so that Jesus' suffering is not in vain - and become precious saints who repay Jesus' suffering even a little.
1. The sufferings of Jesus.
If Jesus also suffered and died for his sins, who would believe in such a Jesus?
(3:20)-“What praise is there if you are beaten for a sin and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, it is beautiful in the sight of God.”
① Suffering without sin.
(3:22) - “He sinned not, and no lie was found in his mouth” - Jesus did not sin in deeds or even a single word. It means that Jesus, who had no sin, suffered.
② It is a hardship that cannot be dealt with.
Normal people try to avoid hardship at all costs. If you can't avoid it, you try to reduce suffering.
They spend a lot of money to buy a lawyer so they don't get punished even though they have committed a crime and been tried for their sins.
Even after being convicted of a crime, they file an appeal and appeal to reduce the price of the crime.
If that doesn't work, he makes excuses for himself and complains.
But Jesus was completely different. Even though he was innocent - dragged, beaten, crucified, ridiculed - he did not respond, let alone defend or excuse himself.
(3:23) - “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but entrusted himself to him who judges righteously.” , when he suffered, he could have summoned twelve more angels to punish them, but he did not threaten them.
Why did the sinless Jesus suffer and die like a sinner, yet He did not avoid suffering and death?
③ Because it was suffering for the sake of redemption.
I often watch the news and see people who run into a burning house and die without being able to get out - there's a reason they jump into the fire without fear of dying - because there's a family out there who didn't come out, so they went in to save their family.
In order to save the children you love, you jump into the fire without fear of your own death.
Will they be dried by drying them? Won't you let me in?
It was the same with the sufferings and death of Jesus.
Sinners cannot be forgiven unless Jesus suffers for them. There is no other way to save the souls of sinners without Jesus dying for them.
If Jesus suffered instead, the way for sinners to be forgiven was opened, and if Jesus died instead, the way for sinners to receive eternal life was opened.
That is why Jesus suffered and died instead.
That is why Jesus did not escape suffering and death. - What a noble suffering, what a noble sacrifice, what a noble death?
To forgive me and you, to save me and you, to lead me and you to heaven - He suffered for me and you, and died for me.
2. The grace received by the believer.
How will the suffering and death of Jesus, who had no sin and could possibly avoid it, even to die without avoiding it, have any effect on us?
① I receive forgiveness of sins.
Jesus' suffering was never in vain. Because the suffering of Jesus was the suffering that made the sins of many people forgiven.
(3:24)-“He Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree...” All are forgiven.
Do you believe that Jesus suffered for you to wash away your sins? - Please be sure that all your sins who believe in it are forgiven.
② You will be healed.
As long as you are guilty, you are a sinner, but when your sins are forgiven, you are no longer a sinner. It is being righteous.
A sick person is a sick person, but when they are healed, they are not sick. - You have changed your status from being a sinner to a righteous person. One who is forgiven, one who is healed. He is a healed person.
"By his wounds you are healed" - Please rely on what he said.
③ You will be saved.
My sins have been forgiven, and I have changed from a sinner to a righteous person, and my status has changed.
(3:25) - “Once you were lost as sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” - Amen !! - Now we return to Jesus, our Shepherd and Bishop. Not a lost people. They are the people who have found the right path, and they are the people who have been saved and have been embraced by the Lord. - Please be sure.
3. There is the duty of a saint.
We were not righteous, but we became righteous in our place through the sufferings of Jesus.
Through the death of Jesus, we received new life instead. - How should we repay this great grace freely? We should repay it, but we do not have the capacity to repay it. Although we may not be able to reciprocate, we must do our part in gratitude for the grace. What is the mission of the saints?
(3:21) - "To this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps" - Amen!!
Now we have to live according to the will of Jesus - imitate Jesus and follow Jesus.
How do we imitate Jesus and follow Jesus?
(3:24 middle) - “That we might die to sin and live to righteousness” - We must die to sin We must not sin again - We must put away sin. (Psalm 1:1-Blessed is the counsel of the wicked...).
We must do our best to do what is right. I pray that you will become beautiful believers who forsake sins and practice righteousness, and be good believers who follow the footsteps of Jesus, who suffered and even died for us.