1 Pietro 2:24

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THE VICARIOUS SACRIFICE OF CHRIST

1 Pietro 2:24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

AN attentive reader of the New Testament cannot but have observed, that there is one subject in particular to which the Apostles frequently recur, and on which they delight pre-eminently to dwell: and that is, the great work of redemption. St. Paul scarcely ever has occasion to mention the name of Christ, but he digresses from his main subject, to indulge the feelings of his heart in expatiating upon the glory and excellency of his Divine Master.

It is the same with the Apostle Peter. He has been speaking to servants; and instructing them to bear with meekness and patience any injuries that may be inflicted on them for the Gospel’s sake: and he has proposed to them the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose patience, under the most painful sufferings, was altogether unmoved and inexhaustible. But he could not be satisfied with the bare recital of the Saviour’s excellence.

Having touched on the subject, he must enlarge upon it, and not leave it till he has more fully declared the greatness of our obligations to him. Yet was this digression not by any means irrelevant to his purpose. It had a manifest bearing upon his main subject; and was, in that view, capable of the richest improvement.

In opening to you his words, I will,

I. Consider the work of redemption, as here set forth—

And, that we may enter the more fully into it, let us distinctly shew,

1. Who is the person here spoken of—

[He was a man: for what he did, he did “in his own body.” But was he a mere man? No: he was God as well as man, even “Emmanuel, God with us [Note: Matteo 1:23.].” He was “Jehovah’s Fellow [Note: Zaccaria 13:7.];” “the Mighty God [Note: Isaia 9:6.

];” “God over all, blessed for evermore [Note: Romani 9:5.].” He it was, “who, being in the form of God, and thinking it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made him-self of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross [Note: Filippesi 2:6.].”]

2. What he did for us—

[He, “his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree.” What this imports, will be understood by referring to the rites by which it was shadowed forth. Under the law, sacrifices were offered. The victims were beasts: to them were transferred, by the imposition of hands, the sins of the offender: in the offender’s stead they died; their flesh was consumed upon the altar: and, through the sacrifice thus offered, the sins of the offerer were forgiven.

But Jesus, who came down from heaven to redeem us, had no other offering to make but his own body: on him, therefore, our sins were laid: and the cross was, as it were, the altar on which he was placed; and the fire of God’s wrath, the flame with which he was consumed.
Stupendous mystery! But “it is a true saying, and worthy of all acceptation.”]

3. For what end he did it—

[Doubtless he did it, in the first place, to effect our reconciliation with God; as St. Peter says, in the very next chapter, “He died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God [Note: 1 Pietro 3:18.].” But he had also a further end in view; namely, to destroy in us the power of sin; and to restore us to that life of righteousness which is indispensable to our happiness, either in this world, or in the world to come.

In truth, if this were not effected, it would be to little purpose that an atonement had been made for sin: for as long as sin retained its dominion over us, we must of necessity have a very hell within us: nor would heaven itself be any source of blessedness to us, for want of a disposition suited to it, and a capacity to enjoy it.]

4. What is already the issue of it to every believing soul—

[“By his stripes” every believing soul “is healed.” The whole elect world was virtually healed in him, as soon as ever his sacrifice was offered; even as a debtor is absolved, the very moment that his debt is discharged; or a captive is liberated, the very instant that the redemption price is paid for him. But really, and in fact, our souls are healed, the very instant we believe in Christ: “our sins are blotted out as a morning cloud,” and are “put away from us as far as the east is from the west;” “nor shall they be remembered against us any more for ever [Note: Ebrei 8:12.

].” A principle of grace, too, is infused into the soul, just as the cruse of salt was into the fountain by Elisha the prophet [Note: 2 Re 2:19.]; and by it are its deadly qualities corrected; so that whatsoever proceeds from it in future is, comparatively at least, salubrious: the Holy Spirit in him is “a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life [Note: Giovanni 4:14.].”]

That we may not lose sight of the objects for which this mystery is here adduced, we shall,

II.

Improve it in the precise view in which the Apostle intended it to be applied—

We must bear in mind, that he is speaking to servants, and exhorting them to take patiently whatever injuries they may be called to sustain for righteousness’ sake. For their direction and encouragement, he proposes to them the example of our Lord Jesus Christ: and, not content with specifying his conduct under the most cruel injuries, he suggests the ulterior ends of his sufferings, and the benefits which we derive from them; intending thereby to fix our attention on that mysterious subject,

1. As a balm for all our wounds—

[Sia così; stiamo soffrendo ingiustamente e perché ci sforziamo di mantenere una buona coscienza verso Dio. Ma quali sono le nostre sofferenze, rispetto a quelle che il nostro benedetto Signore ha sopportato per noi? Ascolta le ingiurie che gli furono rivolte: “Dì che non siamo bene, che hai un diavolo, e sei pazzo [Nota: Giovanni 7:20 ; Giovanni 8:48 ; Giovanni 10:20 .

Niente di meno che questo esprimerebbe sufficientemente il loro disprezzo per lui.]?" Ecco le sofferenze inflitte su di lui! Entra nella sala di Pilato; e là vedono le spine conficcate nelle sue tempie, e il suo sacro corpo squarciato dai flagelli, “gli aratori che aravano sul suo dorso, e allungavano i loro solchi [Nota: Salmi 129:3 .

]!” Ecco la sua mansuetudine e rassegnazione; e non ti vergognerai di lamentarti? Non prenderai piuttosto la tua croce con allegria; e "rallegrati di essere considerato degno di prendere parte alle sue sofferenze e di essere conforme a lui [Nota: 1 Pietro 4:12 .]?" Se si è sottoposto alle “strisce, affinché siate guariti”, non li accoglierete, se in qualche modo “è glorificato [Nota: 1 Pietro 4:14 .

]?" Sicuramente, se rifletti bene su questo argomento, considererai il sacrificio anche della vita stessa come una piccola cosa, o meglio come un motivo di autocelebrazione [Nota: Filippesi 2:17 .], e di gratitudine a Dio , che ti ha conferito quell'alto onore per amore di Gesù [Nota: Filippesi 1:29 .]

2. Come incentivo ad ogni dovere—

[Cosa ti "vincolerà [Nota: 2 Corinzi 5:14 .]", se questo non è vero? o quale altro motivo puoi desiderare, se non quello che offre questo stupendo mistero? Esiterai a rinunciare a qualsiasi cosa per Colui che ha rinunciato a tutta la gloria del cielo per te? o sopportare qualsiasi cosa per Colui, che ha sopportato le pene della legge violata di Dio, e "è diventato una maledizione per te?" Penso che più arduo è il dovere, più sarai desideroso di adempierlo; e quanto più abnegate saranno le vostre fatiche, tanto più vi renderete onorati di essere chiamati a sostenerle.

Nulla ti sarà di ostacolo, se solo tu potrai fare la sua volontà, e la sua gloria sia avanzata [Nota: Atti degli Apostoli 20:24 .]

3. Come modello di ogni grazia:

[In tutto ciò che Gesù ha fatto, intendeva “darvi un esempio, affinché seguiste le sue orme”. Segna i suoi passi, quindi, dalla culla alla tomba. Segnalo, specialmente in quelle circostanze peculiari a cui si fa riferimento nel mio testo. Guarda come ha tenuto salda la sua integrità, in mezzo alla più feroce opposizione. Fate lo stesso: né lasciate che tutto ciò che gli uomini o i demoni possono fare, vi distolga mai dal "fare bene"; o farti violare, in minima parte, i dettami della tua “coscienza davanti a Dio.

Segna ciò che ha reso ai suoi persecutori: mai, per un momento, ha reso male per male; o cessare di cercare, fino in fondo, il benessere dei suoi stessi assassini, pregando il “Padre di perdonarli”. Lascia che questa sia anche la tua invariabile linea di condotta; “benedicendo coloro che ti maledicono, e pregando per coloro che malgrado ti usano e ti perseguitano [Nota: Matteo 5:44 .

].”. Non c'è grazia che tu non veda esercitata da lui, durante le sue ultime ore, nella più alta perfezione possibile. Mettilo dunque davanti a te, in tutte quelle circostanze; e sforzati di “camminare in ogni cosa come egli camminò”: così avrai una prova che sei suo e che la tua speranza in lui è ben fondata; vedendo che “avete la stessa mente che era in lui” e “purificatevi come egli era puro [Nota: 1 Giovanni 3:3 .].”]