(21-25) The example of Jesus.
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
“Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
a. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example: Jesus is our example as someone who endured punishment unjustly. When He was reviled Jesus did not revile in return, but in His sufferings He committed Himself to the Father.
i. “He suffered, but not on account of any evil he had either done or said. In deed and word he was immaculate, and yet he was exposed to suffering; expect the same, and when it comes bear it in the same spirit.” (Clarke)
ii. “Which hour do you think of the sufferings of the Lord, from Gethsemane to Golgotha, would be most deeply engraved upon the memory of Peter? Surely it would be that space of time in which he was mocked and buffeted in the hall of the high priest, when Peter sat and warmed his hands at the fire, when he saw his Lord abused, and was afraid to own that he was his disciple, and by-and-by became so terrified that, with profane language, he declared ‘I know not the man.’ So long as life lingered, the apostle would remember the meek and quiet bearing of his suffering Lord.” (Spurgeon)
b. Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree: The suffering of Jesus is clearly an example for us; but it is far more than an example. He also bore our sins as sin-bearing substitute, and provided for our healing (by whose stripes you were healed).
i. Peter clearly meant the cross of Jesus when he mentioned the tree (literally wood). Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the wood – the wood of the cross. Peter stated it here both to constantly remind Christians of the great work of Jesus on the cross, and to show them that even as the suffering of Jesus accomplished much, so their own suffering can be used of God.
c. That we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness: Peter reminds us that when Jesus died on the cross, we also died to sins. Our life is permanently changed by our identification with Jesus on the cross, even as the Apostle Paul described in Romans 6.
i. We have died to sins in the sense that our debt of sin and guilt was paid by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. When we died to sins with Jesus on the cross, it means that He paid our debts. We do not trouble ourselves over debts that are paid. “He who bore my sins in his own body on the tree, took all my debts and paid them for me, and now I am dead to those debts; they have no power over me. I am dead to my sins; Christ suffered instead of me. I have nothing to do with them. They are gone as much as if they had never been committed.” (Spurgeon)
ii. We have died to sins in the sense that now a greater passion fills our life – a passion for the Lord Jesus Christ that is greater than our previous passion for sin. A miser may be dead to many pleasures and allurements of this world; but he is alive to the love of money. So we should be dead to sin but alive to Jesus.
d. By whose stripes you were healed: Peter quotes Isaiah 53:5, which primarily refers to spiritual healing but also includes physical healing. The provision for our healing (both physically and spiritually) is made by the sufferings (stripes) of Jesus. The physical aspect of our healing is received in part now, but only completely with our resurrection.
i. In context we see that Peter’s main point is that if a master treats us unjustly, we should not fear whatever harm he causes. We can be healed and restored by Jesus’ suffering for us.
e. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls: If not for Jesus’ patient endurance under the persecution of the ungodly, we would still be going astray. But because of His work for us, we have returned to the Shepherd (pastor) and the Overseer (bishop) of our souls.