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March 21, 2022 12:00 am
For us, the Christian life isn't just difficult or severe or extremely taxing; it is impossible. That's why we're not called to just mimic Christ, but to surrender to Him.
Jewish law never allowed for trial to be held convened at nighttime and secret Jewish Supreme Court composed of 71 men.
These were the sages. These were the wise man.
These were the godly men they convened an illegal trial. Now they have Jesus right there and they have paid off witnesses lie perjured themselves to cues of the trouble as is almost humorous, and I can't find you witnesses you can lie well enough. How did you respond you lash out.
Did you retaliate what you do well. The example of Jesus is to return evil with good. However, that's not easy, and in our flesh that might be impossible when you agree today on wisdom for the heart Stephen Davey refers to returning evil with good.
As a supernatural way of living. Stevens calling this lesson the supernatural level of life. Let's join Stephen for today's Bible message and brings the mind that there are a number of different ways you can respond all the limitations of life. It certainly grow the bigger different levels we could call the first one sinful right just wait, I get all of that person and wait till you can see what I can do in return that's there. There's a sinfulness, though that might even early morning to responding to goodwill evil. That's the satanic level to live on is it's that level of a live thing where people are constantly thinking up evil even when they're being treated well like the young man. I remember in seminary a little church of 75 I served on their staff part-time. I going to school and then a young man came to church that Sunday evening and we were excited.
He seemed interested in one of the elderly couples in the church asked him where he was staying that nice of you. I just really need a place for one night and they invited him all and the next morning. As promised, he thanked them for their kindness and he left.
We were thrilled this could be the first step of disciple making with this unbeliever.
Maybe he would be ready to hear the gospel because of this kindness. None of us knew until the next day that he had unlocked the window in the guest room and when they came home that afternoon he had stolen everything that's satanic that sinful returning good with evil is another level. We can call this natural of returning evil with evil or good with you that's that's easy as somebody treat you badly. You treat them badly. They treat you well you treat them well that's actually a natural level of living and we started doing that we are really little kids we learn to treat other kids that way. They pushed us down on the playground.
We can push back the kickstart shed we can kick shins back. Now we get a little older. It isn't so much physical but it's verbal you criticize me on criticize you say something unkind to me. I'll get you back verbally. I'm reminded of what one author advise with a rather humorous tongue-in-cheek sort of ways this way said before, you're tempted to criticize someone walk a mile in his shoes. Then when you yield to temptation and criticize him. You'll be a mile away and you'll have his shoes. That's natural like that. That's pretty sure we would tell someone of that was it was he got it you got gave up what's coming. You got even natural does it occur to us that if you spend your time getting even. You never get to the sinful level of living returning evil for good. You have a natural level, returning evil, evil.
Thirdly, you have this spiritual level.
Frankly, I'd like to call the supernatural level of living that's returning good for evil against you and you respond to people as the Lord instructed what you wish they responded to you, but don't everybody in your world. By the way knows that you got to stand up for your rights immediately. You've got to hear in the right don't take anything from anybody you don't take anything on the chin you you fight back against intolerance and injustice in prejudice, unfair treatment somebody steps on your toes. Somebody crosses the line against you somebody a major little boundaries. Watch out Lee apostle Peter is been challenging our thoughts as any. Our natural way of thinking is calling us to a higher plane of living a higher perspective in our thought processes to see beyond the insult and the injury to see higher and farther from Earth. The John cover the politics were calling it.
Parliaments of this planet go back to his letter we call the first Peter chapter 2 is the focus of our exposition and this is where Peter's upsetting our world is commanding the believer to submit to institutions like government and governors verses 1 to 16. To honor the king who happens at that point in time to be Nero verse 17 to submit to earthly masters employers in our culture today. Even when they're thinking is unreasonable. All it is straight is the word Scully such crooked likes scoliosis of the spine about the time you get past that text in the first century, the believers would be more than likely holding back their emotion probably holding their tongues and thinking but Peter, you have no idea how bad I have no idea how unreasonable people are my life. No idea how I'm being treated unjustly and on fairly… If the spirit of God anticipates that response because he threw the apostle Peter effectively responds by saying let me give you an example of what it means to be treated unfairly. With that, we arrive at verse 21 notice.
Therefore, you have been called for this purpose.
Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps. You go back to just at first rather shocking phrase from the fact go back to verse 20 and get a running start so we connect the dots for what credit is there but good report. Is there when you send and are harshly treated you and dirt with patients what what what good is that you deserve punishment, but when you do what is right. Think of it this way when you are the right and suffer you bear that patiently is find favor with God, for you have been called for this purpose. Wait a second. This Peter mean that God is actually called us to suffer injustice because of ungodly rulers and ungodly culture, deceit, is he saying were called to face harsh circumstances because of unreasonable authorities. Yes, in fact, Peter says this happens to be your calling. According to the purpose of God and by the way going to be God alone is going to know all the purposes as to why your suffering. Peter Peter informed his got is called the Latin root is Banco foco which gives us the basis for English word vocation. It's it's the Greek word in this New Testament text for collection, your election, your spiritual location. Just as we prayed over deacons and elders who have been elected and because of that election.
They have responsibilities and duties so you believer have been a lot said to this office of suffering and were thinking really that Williams translates this first phrase it is to this kind of live thing that you have been called we got to see things differently through Peter's eyes understand it is actually our vocation. You not only gives us our vocation.
He gives us a pattern we verse 21 again. Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example. In other words, is leaving you a pattern for how to suffer how to how to live on this genuinely supernaturally incentivize level affect the word Peter uses.
For example, here is is packed with implications is the only time the word is used in this form and the entire New Testament. It means underwriting and have to go outside the New Testament to find out what he has in mind here in the early centuries.
This would be developed in the Victorian era where the students would obsolete sit developed on into our own culture with the chalkboard or with papers. This is how children learn to write, they learn to write by tracing over letters that the teacher had earlier faintly written on their slate and they traced over that day they learned how to write an been little dots and they connected the dots and informed the letter a or the letter B and so on. And then the children would progress and advance in the given a copy of letters from the teacher and they would look at that copy and they would imitate the foreman.
The motion for them. I look up at the that the copy had or or the chalkboard or whatever it might be. This is how they we learn to write Peter saying do you remember how you learn to write, Jesus is going to teach you to learn how to respond copy him trace the alphabet of his demeanor is vocabulary his disposition by the way, Jesus happens to show you and to prove with his own life that you can be in the will of God the father greatly loved by God the father walking closely with God the father experiencing the approval of God the father and be suffering at the same time will be discourage. This happens to be your divine calling in Jesus as your divine pattern. Peter changes the figure hereby showing us why Jesus provided the example notice the verse 21 for you to follow in his steps. The shift gears a little bit here he is not giving this picture of writing.
He's giving us a picture of walking, you are literally tracing you could render his footprints. You're you're watching the direction in which his footprints are going and and and this has the idea of the of taking note of his direction, which is actually, by the way, a very encouraging way for Peter to write this because as consistently failing disciples and by the way, that's what we do best.
Consistently fail as disciples, we can't put our feet perfectly in each of Jesus's footsteps. You picture in your mind a little child walking behind his mother or father in the snow is trying to put his feet in the snow. Friends of his father and he can't be can he can't take that big of a step in and he's trying to these missing and maybe it's 1/5, and he loses his balance and he falls over whatever Mrs. like that little boy or girl you're heading. However, in the same direction as the line of foot print that you see and and and you want to market like he marked it may be a good dad's 1/5 steps, but your direction is right. Your desire is right.
Your pattern is right, Peter is suggesting while you can put your feet perfectly in the steps you're following the line of footprint you're heading in the same direction as he is, and especially in this context, how you respond to unjust treatment and it's as if Peter says at this point I just in case you forgot what it was like for Jesus to be treated unjustly. Let let me back the truck up and remind you.
Verse 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth, and in other words, he didn't deserve any of the treatment he received, he didn't deserve any of he was completely right. In fact he never did anything wrong. Who committed no sin wasn't anything crooked in his mouth. Verse 23 and while being reviled. He did not revile in return. That idea of reviling means to deliver, file, verbal abuse, one Greek scholar translates it when they hurled insults at him paraphrases that he did not hurl them back to treat you like you're treating me that's natural Jesus is living a supernatural life by the way this is true not only that the event of his crucifixion, which peters leading us into, but throughout his ministry are constantly insulting Jesus as you read to the Gospels, they called him an illegitimate child born as a result of fornication out of wedlock. John 841 they called a glutton.
Matthew 1119, the called of a drunkard. Luke 734 they they said you're possessed by demons.
John 848 you RM secret Alliance with Satan house that Mark chapter 3 verse 22 day they called him a deceiver tax even Vader and a false teacher. All of that was in one conversation. Luke chapter 23 verse two.
They constantly hurled abusive accusations at him and thank Peter uses the present tense participle in forms that are really never lets up invective you want to get a picture of the reality of his ministry. He is on the receiving end of one insult after another. And even when he is dying on the cross. Even the other two other guy you decide to join in. Believers can resist marching up the hill insulting him.
Peter is asking all of us as readers. Remind me again how unjust is your treatment. Remind me again what those insults are against you. Remind me again how deeply you feel your wound. See Jesus Christ your great high priest has been touched by everything you feel feels it deeply. Hebrews 415 just move into the mock trial. If you're old enough in the faith that you've read through that scene.
The Sanhedrin is gathered unlawfully. It's a mock sham court. Jewish law never allowed for trial to be held convened at nighttime and secret Jewish Supreme Court referred to as the Senate, composed of 71 men. It seems that was the largest number through history, though it may very. These were the sages.
These were the wise man. These were the godly men they'd convened an illegal trial would sit in a semicircle and now they have Jesus right there and they have paid off witnesses lie perjured themselves to accuse him the trouble is almost humorous in its irony. They can't find two witnesses who can lie well enough to agree Mark chapter 14 finally, even though in the Sanhedrin system of jurisprudence, the accused is never demanded to speak or incriminate himself. We've adopted that a neuron system we call it pleading the fifth never required any kind of statement that would that would accuse her indicts the criminal from his own lips.
They demanded that he speak, and finally he dies and he does simply because he is going to give them what they need to kill the high priest in this mockery of justice as I sure you by the living God as if he is representing God, tell us if you are the Christ, the son of the living God in Jesus says I am said it is true. Matthew 26.according Sanhedrin custom the death penalty could not be determined until after day of fasting's was a day that represented their agony over their decision to potentially end a man's life, but not with Jesus you remember soon as he said that this Court room of 71, who'd been sworn to uphold the law of God without any deliberation without any fasting without any agonizing: immediately for his death about you. You probably like me. There's no injustice that turns our stomachs like the injustice of those who are supposed to uphold justice is nothing that upsets us more than the report of a crooked judge or a crooked jury, a block jury and even beyond that, a crooked deal. A crooked contracted supposed to be legal that is in all the Gospels record, they immediately surround Jesus if you can picture the scene they begin slapping him in the face and spitting on him. Can you imagine the love of the Supreme Court of our United States, condemning a criminal to die and then rubs it all coming down from the bench into the courtroom and they begin spitting on the condemned and slapping him in blind folding him.
Mark's gospel records and punching him in the face saying who was a big hit you that I wasn't the Roman soldiers at that point it was the judge. These were the judges of the Supreme Court of Israel degenerates into an abusive file, spitting, slapping, cursing, marching mob, Peter effectively says here why have and follow take those steps still revolutionary.
This is for the church something so easy to forget this is really supernatural being in the right and being willing to be treated wrong. You follow that you do this tomorrow at work or school or in the neighborhood or maybe even in your own family your treated unfairly or unjustly. Peter Nunnally gives us her vocation and our pattern. He provides us with the transaction but is verse 23 again while being reviled is verbally abuse.
He did not revile in return while suffering either no threats but kept here it is, but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. Jesus drew the strength he needed for this kind of amazing response in life from his trust in his father's ultimate purpose to accomplish righteous justice on his behalf.
In the end. In other words, Jesus is seeing beyond that court to that court room he seeing beyond this injustice that justice and he knew that his vocation in life was to die wise that he for those who would believe he could spare them the wrath of God in that crushing fearful holy demonstration of justice. Revelation chapter 20 the kind of perspective which we been commanded to trace and write in the following run, walk, allows us to live on this level. When we see beyond this world and we see that world. Jesus told her.
Notice again kept entrusting himself as verb means to hand over you could render tense signifies repeated past action.
In other words, here's the picture with every new wave of abuse with every fresh wave of insult with every fresh wave of injustice keeps handing himself over to his father by the way, would you notice Jesus didn't hand himself, his heart, his emotions, his mind to his accusers he didn't hand himself in that way to them. He handed himself over to his father. With that came pity and compassion.
Why, because he knew that unless they repented that injustice would lead them to the great and fearful justice of God judges righteously affect this verbal be among his final words say this from the cross, father, into thy hands I commit the same verb I can trust.
I hand over my spirit. 2346. How do you live in living avoid the sinful level returning evil for good living on the natural level which will be applauded. You live on the supernatural level of returning good for evil to battle listener.
The Christian author and poet of the early 1800s describes your battle and mine with this transparent honesty. Have you never tasted the luxury of indulging in hard thoughts against those injured you never tasted that luxury.
Have you never known what a fascination it is to brood over their unkindness and to pry into their malice and to imagine all sorts of wrong things about them. It has made you miserable. Of course, but it has been a fascinating sort of misery that you cannot easily give up Peter would say it has everything to do with understanding your vocation or calling from God.
It will include following your pattern tracing the footprints of your Lord, even when they leave down into that kind of Valley where you may be right at this demand is engaging often perhaps daily in this kind of transaction entrusting ourselves back again and again and again to our heavenly father knowing beyond all this is called the politics life of this way maneuvers. There is in the and righteous who will at that point everyone make everything I hope this lesson blessing. This is wisdom for the heart. The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey Stephen pastors the shepherd's church in Cary, North Carolina. Learn more about our ministry@wisdomonline.org we have a gift for you today that website. It's called the coming tribulation.
You can download a free PDF copy of that booklet today from our website. Visit wisdom online.org and you'll find the link there. That's all for today. Join us next time. For more