1Peter 2:21--24
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an
example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and
no deceit was found in His mouth." When they hurled their insults at
Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats.
Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore
our sins in Hes body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live
for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.
NIV
In the name of the suffering servant, amen.
The patient Christ lay in the grave. The voice that stilled the storm
was itself still. The hands that raised up to bless lay motionless at
His side. The eyes that looked on us with pity, were hidden by the
stone. The head that bowed in prayer, the feet that were washed with
tears, the back that took the scourge--all these lay in the hopeless grip
of death because of our sin, not His own. Who dares whisper His name
without feeling shame that it was our sin that drove Him to the cross?
It isn't fair. Why should He have to suffer? Why should He have to die?
It was we who deserved to suffer and die, but even that would not be
enough to pay the debt we owed to God. It would not be enough if the
whole world died because we are imperfect, full of sin and lacking every
good thing.
And so we see that God is unfair. To our great benefit our God is not
fair. He punished the righteous for the unrighteous. He has forgiven us
because of His great love for us in Christ Jesus. And now, through the
faith created by God's unfairness, we are ones who follow in Jesus'
steps, patiently looking for the unfair thing we can do that will draw
others to Christ. This is love. This is glory, the glory of the Only
Begotten from the Father full of Grace and truth. Let His death and
resurrection shape you into His reflection that His glory may shine
through you, even when He is hidden from us by the stone.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, we have sinned against you even in our innermost
thoughts, as well as our outward actions. But in your incredible grace,
you are not fair. You punished your own Son rather than us. This is a
mystery that is beyond our understanding, but a mystery we hold dear.
Never let us tire of this mystery. Never deal with us in fairness
according to what we deserve. Rather give us reason to praise our Savior
in eternity by keeping us in the true faith. Amen.
The next devotion is scheduled for Monday.