I want to speak today on the
subject Christ on the tree, Christ making a great sacrifice for
sin. Brother Baker gave us a good
lesson on the Old Testament types of sacrifices, why they were
ordained, their purpose and such like. All of them were types
of Christ and he therefore is the one great sacrifice made
for sin once and for all. So, In that chapter, let's read
1 Peter chapter 2. We begin our reading in verse
18 and read to the end of the chapter. Let me say while you're
turning there, it is a common thing in the writing of the scripture
for the author to address himself to certain ones, to the men,
to the women, to wives, to husband, to servants and such like, And
in this particular passage of the scripture, he is addressing
those that were servants and yet were Christian. So with that
in mind, let's begin in verse 18 to the end of the chapter. Our principal text is verse 24
and verse 25 when we get there. All right. Servants, be subject
to masters with all fear, not only to the good and the gentle,
but also to the fruitful. For this is thankworthy if a
man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory If when you be
buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently. But
if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently. This is acceptable with God. For even here unto where ye call,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example
that we should follow in his steps. Who did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously,
who his own self bare our sin in his own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness by whose
stripes ye are healed. For ye were as sheep going astray,
but now are returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your soul. Verse 24, the first act. Who his own self bear our sin
in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live
unto righteousness. Now, let me begin by saying here
is another place, because there are others, here is another place
in the New Testament where an exhortation to Christian service
and behavior allows the author to morph or to transition under
a majestic declaration of the glorious person and work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. setting forth his death on the
cross as the one great sacrifice for sin. Now, in this particular
text that we've read here this morning, the exhortations are
directed toward those who were both Christian and servant. Verse 18, servants be subject
unto master. Now a like exhortation you have
in Ephesians 6, 5, Colossians 3 and 22, 1 Timothy 6 and verse
1, and Titus chapter 2 and verse 9, directed
to this segment, shall we say, of Christendom in that day, those
who in the flesh were servants. Now the two states, Christian
believer and slave or servant, were not mutually exclusive one
of the other. For one could be both a believing
Christian and a servant. Now the word servant the word
doulos so often in the scripture and it means a slave in some
place it and the word here in our text this morning in verse
18 is might be rendered house servant or a domestic, one that
worked under and was subject unto a master. And in that capacity,
they might be wrongly treated by those that were over them. And the apostle counsels them,
verse 19, for or out of conscience toward God that they were to
endure any grief and any wrong suffering. Then look at verse
20. Endure unjust suffering patiently
for such is acceptable with God and reached its apex in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Then look at verse 21. Now, he
makes a transition. to the example of Christ in verse
21, because Christ also suffered for us. And as far as it was
concerned, he suffered unjustly as far as men would look at it. And in doing so, he left us an
example An example, not that we should bear the sins of others,
for none but Christ can do that, but here unto where ye call,
because Christ also has suffered for us. I mentioned in the beginning
certain passages of Scripture where the exhortation to Christian
service and behavior is enforced by the example of the Lord Jesus
Christ. One great one, perhaps the greatest,
is found in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5 through verse 11. We look at it only quickly and
shortly. The exhortation there in Philippians
chapter 2 is this. Let not everyone consider or
look on or deal with only their own matters or things, but also
look upon the matters or the things of others. Do not be concerned
only with ourselves, but also with others. Now the example
brought forth, Christ being in the form of God, took or assumed
the form of a servant. There the word is doulos, the
word for slave in the Greek in the New Testament. He assumed
the form of a servant. He took upon him the likeness
of men, and he was or became obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross." Philippians 2, 5-8. Here you have the highest
example available of looking on the things of others and not
only upon one's own self. So, in 1 Peter chapter 2, Christ
is a high example of silently and patiently enduring wrongful
and undeserved suffering. Christ is the highest example
that we might find. Why? Verse 22 again, who did
no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, because our Lord
was sinless in nature, in word, and in deed. But then look again
at verse 23. When reviled, he reviled not
again. Men blasphemed him, they falsely
accused him, but our Lord did not revile again. He did not
answer railing with railing. He suffered at the hands of some
without threatening them, but did commit himself to the one
God who righteously does judge all things and all matters, and
whose judgments are executed in absolute righteousness. Now, you may notice the margin
there in verse 23, committed himself, or the margin has his
cause. He put his cause in the hand
of God, the righteous judge. He committed his cause to the
one who only judges righteously, who will judge the world in righteousness,
Acts 17, verse 31. So Jesus committed himself and
committed his cause into the righteous hands of the judging
God. We read in the gospel, into thy
hand I commend my spirit as the Lord was dying and Upon the cross
Luke 23 and verse 46 as he died as to his fleshly body He committed
his spirit into the hands of the Lord God now as we come to
the very heart of our text here in verse 24 and in verse 25 of
Christ bearing our sin in his own body on the tree If you might,
please allow me a short introduction on the subject of the atonement
in the writing and epistle of the apostle. Hardly a one of
the apostle in their New Testament writing are silent on the subject
of the death of Jesus Christ. They all set it forth in all
of its glory. Almost every epistle contains
some reference to the sacrificial death which the Lord died. And they build on and they repeat
what the Lord had taught them and what they had seen and experienced
of the death. that he would die and that it
was not a martyr's death. Christ did not die a martyr's
death. It was not that things flew out
of control and so they put our Lord to death as a martyr. I said that to say that the death
of Christ is was a designed death for sin. I'll say it another
way. The death of Christ was a purposed
death for our sin. It was a redemption price paid
in behalf of many that the atonement was according to the divine purpose
of God, purposed even before the foundation of the world for
the saving of the elect, the ones the Lord God had given unto
him. And so, not only in their public
ministry, but also in their writing, they preached Christ as crucified,
as a sacrifice for sin, and that it was the only mean of saving
sinners. Now, the foremost declaring of
the atoning sacrifice of the Lord's Christ would be the Apostle
Paul. None spoke of it more fervently
or more often or more abundantly than the Apostle Paul. He exalts
our Lord as the one who answers the tide and the prophecy set
out by the Old Testament prophets and writers. And then another
truth, which they carried is that the race is fallen, that
men and women are sinners, that all have gone astray, and that
the death of Christ is the only appointed mean for bringing them
into salvation. All are sinners is the writing
of the scripture and of the apostle. The only way that sinners might
be saved is through him who hung upon the tree and made the sacrifice
of all sacrifices, his own self and his own body. Now, we come
to the first epistle of Peter and his testimony concerning
the salvation through the sacrifice of Christ. And again, let's say
a few words about this man, Peter, an apostle who is the author
of this epistle. He was called by Christ and made
an apostle. He was not made a pope. He was
made an apostle by the Lord Jesus Christ. And that office was chiefly
toward the Jew, though not exclusively. You have that in Galatians 2,
7, and verse 8. Peter was among the earliest
of them that were called by the Lord. Originally, his name was
Simon. He was given the name Peter by
the Lord, which means a rock or a stone. And it was Peter
that made the model confession of all Christian and Christendom. Thou art the Christ, the son
of the living God. You have that in Matthew 16,
16. You have it again in John chapter 6 and verse 68. and 69. Peter had many great privileges
with the Lord. For example, he saw the Lord
transfigured. He was there when the Lord was
transfigured. He was there at the tomb when
Lazarus was called forth out of his death. He raced to the
empty tomb where our Lord had lain and had resurrected. He saw the resurrected Lord in
the flesh. He was given the vision of Joppa. He provided over the church and
people at the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in the second
chapter of Acts on the day of Pentecost. And he presided over
the selection of another apostle to replace Judas. And he is very
prominent in the first half of the book of Acts in the Christian
church and assembly. And then he is the one that penned
two of the great epistles that we have in the New Testament
bearing his name, 1 Peter and 2 Peter. In his first epistle,
we can count at least five references that he has made unto the salvation
which is in and through the Lord Jesus Christ with exceeding glory. First of all, in 1 Peter chapter
1, Verse 1 and 2 as Christians he said you are elect according
to the foreknowledge of God and the sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ Sprinkle with a blood washed in the blood of the Lamb
secondly 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 18 and verse 19 and where he
declares that we're not redeemed with corruptible things like
silver and gold, but with the precious blood of the Lamb, as
of a lamb without spot and without blemish. And then again, in chapter
3 and verse 18, we have another mention of the saving by the
death of our Lord. Christ, the just for the unjust,
suffered for sin that he might bring us unto God. Then in chapter
4 and verse 1, Christ has suffered for us the flesh so there are
five references in this epistle to the Lord and his death and
salvation now in our text he had been speaking of Christ in
verse 21 through verse 23 verse 21 he suffered for us he suffered
under death he died and when the Lord said in Luke 24 and
verse 26, ought not Christ to suffer these things and enter
into his glory. In 1 Peter 3 and 18, he suffered
once for sin, not his own sin, but
the sin of others. This was the mistake made by
some when they saw the suffering, the agony, misery, and death
of our Lord. And it's described by the prophet
Isaiah in that great prophecy, chapter 53, Verse 4 and verse
5. First they thought, this man
is suffering because he is a great sinner and has aroused the displeasure
of God. But then the penitent convert
said, surely he has borne our grief, carried our sorrow, yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgression,
bruised for our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed, which Peter quotes
in our text. In other words, the Jew, they
who rejected and despised our Lord, at first they thought that
so great a sufferer must be so because he was also a great sinner
who had displeased God in a great way and incurred the wrath of
God by his sin. The same mistake was made by
Job's friends. They said to him, oh, come on,
confess, confess, you know that you've sinned. The same mistake
was made by they who saw Paul bitten by a viper. And they said,
uh-oh, vengeance suffereth not to live. But Christ's sufferings
were the just for the unjust not one equal like another but
the just for the unjust first peter 3 and 18 verse 24 in our
text in first peter chapter 2 and here We have a large measure
of the gospel in this one verse or in these two verses. Here
we have a large measure of the gospel. For look at verse 24,
who his own self as a reference unto Christ. Who? That is, He
Himself. Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth. He and no other. The incarnate Son of God. The one who was made flesh. and
dwelt among us." John 1 14 and 1 18. Now whether the apostle
is contrasting the case of Christ with the Levitical sacrifices,
I'm not able to say. But the great sacrifice is not
a beast. The great and true sacrifice
for sin is not a goat or a sheep or a bull or an oxen or red heifer
dove or any such thing like that it is the anointed one of God
it is God's anointed and it is the body that God had prepared
for him Hebrews 10 and verse 5 now what did he do Peter said
he bore that is the word kind of means he took he carried up
he took up and he He carried up, it means to bring, taking
them, meaning, of course, the sins of us, our sin. He carried our sin in His own
body. He carried our own sin in His
own body under the tree, and there He suffered and died and
paid the cost for them. Now the question comes and must
be answered correctly. How did our sins come to be upon
or in the body? of the Lord Jesus Christ. How did they get there? How did
our sins lie upon Him? He had no sin, and sin is repulsive
to this Holy One of God. How, then, did our sins get to
be in His own body? Now, be assured, the act was
not ours. They were already upon Him before
we ever came into being. The act was not ours. And I'm going to emphasize that
over and over. We did not put our own sin upon
the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a silly notion, sometime
you will hear it preached in the world by some, and it goes
something like this. Exhorting sinners, quote, roll
your sins off of you and upon Christ. Give your sin unto the
Lord Jesus Christ. Put your sins on the Lord. Transfer
your sin from off of your head and up on Him. Give them unto
Him. Give your sin unto Christ, not
us. But then, if not us, then how
are they said to be his own body so literally that he actually
bore them in his in his death. Now it seems evident that the
Apostle Peter here in our text certainly has in his mind the
prophecy of Isaiah chapter 53. He even quotes a part of it,
by his stripes we are healed. And in that great prophecy, in
the 53rd of Isaiah, we are told how the anointed one of God did
come to bear our sin in his own body. And it's in verse 6, Isaiah
53 and verse 6. It says this, All we like sheep
have gone astray. And the Lord has laid upon him
the iniquity of us all. The Lord there is God or Jehovah. All we like sheep have gone astray. And what did Peter say? We like
sheep have been brought again to the shepherd and bishop of
our soul. As we see the first half of verse
6, Isaiah 53 declares man's status by nature and by practice alienated
from God, run off from God, separated from God, alienated from God,
using a very familiar portrait or picture of that of sheep and
of shepherd, and their relationship as sheep to the great shepherd. And there in Isaiah chapter 53,
all we like sheep have literally had gone astray, everyone turning
to his own way. And how soon this occurred, we're
told in Psalm 58 and verse 3. Listen to this. It may shock
you. The wicked are estranged from
the womb. They go forth as soon as they
be born, speaking lies. Now it says that. And all, even
they be accounted as sheep, yet they have gone astray, and would
live as they please, live in alienation and enmity against
God, and go out in their own way. We repeat, this declares
their alienation from the Lord God, and being alienated from
God, they also are alienated one from another. There is not
only enmity against God, there is enmity, person against person,
nation against nation, and religion against religion. Everyone had
turned under their own way. But in the last half of Isaiah
53 and 6, and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all."
That is, I suggest the iniquity of us all refers to all of the
sheep, all of the sheep, for they are sheep while they're
lost. They are sheep before they are
found and brought again into the fold. For as the apostle
writes, ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned
unto the shepherd and the overseer of your soul. And in that same
sixth verse, the words we and us, all we, like sheep have gone
astray, and he hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all. And then the saying of Isaiah
53 and 6, laid upon him the iniquity of us all. And 1 Peter 2 and
24, who his own self bear our sin in his own body on the tree. Now, let's focus on how and why
the Lord God lay upon Christ the sins of the sheep, the sins
of many, and then he punished those sins in him rather than
punishing them in the one who had committed them. even imputing
righteousness unto them, did he. Now, for the prophecy of
Isaiah concerns Christ. Christ is here and none other. It is not Isaiah. It is not a
king. It is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is called the servant of Jehovah
in Isaiah 52 and verse 13 where by the way that prophecy literally
starts in chapter 52 and 13 and in 53 and 11 He is called my righteous servant,
referring to Christ, the anointed one, who shall by bearing their
iniquity justify many. This can be none other than Christ.
And though the Jews now deny that this is a prophecy of Messiah,
it can be none other. Now, as to this transfer of sin,
we have it in the English King James, the Lord has laid upon
him the iniquity of us all. And you notice the margin, if
you have a marginal reference Bible, has it like this, made
the iniquity of us all to meet upon him. The margin of the Geneva
Bible has it, He caused to land on him the iniquity of us all. And the NASB has it, to encounter
him. He caused the sins of us all
to encounter or to land or to lie upon him. Some commentators
see the word as being stronger than it is expressed in our English. Gil calling it this, rushing
upon him like a mighty army. Our sin, rushing upon Christ
as a mighty army. He said Gil did in a hostile
manner. John Brown shows how the word
is used in other places in the Old Testament to give an idea
of the force of the word in the prophecy of Isaiah, that it means
laid upon. In Numbers, for example, chapter
35, verse 19 and verse 21, the same word, Hebrew word, is used of the hostile assault of the
avenger of blood upon the murderer, that he pounced, as it were,
upon him and put him to death. In Judges 15 and 12, the word
is fall upon. Same word we have in Isaiah 53. 1 Kings 2 and 25 when Benaiah
was sent out by Solomon to slay Adonijah, it says he fell upon
him so that he died. So here is the word. The meaning
is the Lord making our sin to fall upon his righteous servant,
making a hostile assault upon him. And these sins came armed
with the curse of the law that was against us. The flaming sword
of God's divine justice was unsheathed against the Lord." Zechariah
13 and verse 7. the guilt of their sin requiring
satisfaction. So that Isaiah 53 in verse 5,
he was wounded for our transgression, bruised for our iniquity, chastised
for our peace, and the soul made an offering for sin. Yes, his soul made an offering
for sin. The prophet said his vicious
was more marred than any of the sons of men. We remember his
treatment, a crown of thorns, a whip of lashes, his beard plucked
out, and many such like indignities were heaped upon our blessed
Savior. Now please understand, This was
not forced upon Christ against His will, not at all. He willingly submitted unto it,
for it was the Father's will. Who for the joy set before them
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on
the right hand of God. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse
2. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians chapter 2. I came to do thy will, O God,
a body that has prepared me. Hebrews 10 and verse 7. John 18 and verse 11. When coming to arrest him, remember
Peter would spare him and took out his sword. Our Lord answered
this, the cup which my father has given me, shall I not drink
it? Oh yes, that bitter cup that
my father has set before me, I will and I must drink it. See also Matthew 26 and verse
42. No power of man could have put Christ to death
unless he submitted. There wasn't power enough in
all the Jewish Sanhedrin or all the Roman government or all the
soldiers. There wasn't enough power to
put Christ to death unless he gave himself up unto it and submitted. He might have slain his accusers
and his attackers with a word of his mouth. All of those involved
in the crucifixion, our Lord might have but spoken, and they
all perished from the face of the earth. Do you remember those
that came to arrest our Lord? He said, whom seek you? They
said, Jesus of Nazareth. Our Lord said, I am he, or literally,
I am the great I am. And at his words, They fell backward
to the ground. They fell down upon the ground
when Christ said, I am he. John 18 and verse 6. said the Lord when Peter drew
his sword against those come to arrest him. He said in Matthew
26, 53 and 24, put up thy sword. Even now I could pray my father
who would send 12 legion of angels. But then how shall the scripture
be fulfilled? Thus must it be. Christ must
fulfill all that was spoken. written and prophesied about
him. So I tell you, everything that
was done to Christ in putting him to death, however evil, however
unjust, and however malicious, was what the hand and the counsel
of God determined before should be done. And you can read that
in Acts chapter 4 and verse 28. He was delivered by the determinant
counsel and for knowledge of God. Acts 2 and verse 23, Luke
22 and 22, the Son of Man went as it was determined. The Son
of Man went exactly as it was for ordained and determined. So now we need to ask ourselves
the question, by what arrangement and by what authority is the
sin of the guilty laid upon and required of the perfectly innocent
one? How is it that sins of the guilty
are laid upon one perfectly innocent? Natural reason would count this
as an injustice, would they not? That an innocent one be put to
death or what someone else has done. We see it all the time,
prisoners being released having been proved finally innocent
of the crime that they're charged with. And there's a case or two
where it seems real that an innocent person actually was put to death
in Texas. To send an innocent one unto
their death. and not the guilty one who has
committed the sin. But herein is the heart of the
gospel. Isn't that what Isaiah did right? Number one, sin was laid upon
the servant of the Lord. And number two, it was the Lord,
even Jehovah God, that laid the iniquities of many upon him,
and he bared them. He died for them. He gave full
satisfaction. He made a sacrifice. He bore
the curse of the law. Galatians chapter 3, he gave
himself a sacrifice unto God for our sin. The Puritan Tobias
Crisp a long time ago once wrote, using Isaiah 53 and verse 6,
that sin was really transacted upon Christ. And he being the
sin bearer, bear them in his own body on the tree. He took
them away by giving himself a sacrifice to God, a sweet smelling savor. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse
2. Now the Lord having our sins
upon him, he suffered what our sins deserved. And then he was
released from death. because he'd done that. And those
sins that he bare are justified. All of those whose sins he bore
are justified. There's no condemnation unto
them. No condemning charge can be brought
against them. Romans chapter 8. For his bearing
their sin is the ground of their justification. And as Peter said,
Christ dying for their sin is the means of their becoming dead
to sin and living unto righteousness. Sin cannot condemn those for
whom Christ has died. The second death has no power
over them by virtue of Christ's death. We dare not omit that
great verse from Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 21. He has made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. He was made sin but not sinful. Christ was made sin, but not
sinful. For it was not an infusion of
depravity, it was an imputation of sin, that he pay the debt
as the surety of the covenant, and God spared him not when our
sins were upon him, and a sword pierced into his soul. He made one sacrifice for sin
forever. Hebrews 10 and 12. Let me say
it has everlasting power. It saves forever. It need never
be repeated. It need never be adjusted. It has the same merit to save
forever and forever, completely, to the uttermost, forever, that
one sacrifice. If the world goes on and on,
it has power to save sinners so long as the world stands. This great sacrifice was made
a perpetuation unto God. It appeased God. It made satisfaction
to God in behalf of the elect. God's justice is satisfied. His wrath is turned away off
of them. Nothing but the sacrifice of
Christ could ever accomplish that, for it alone answered the
curse of the law. Peter said, the Lord did this
on the tree. That is the word wood or tree
or cross. For it is written, cursed is
everyone that hangs on a tree. Galatians 3.13. Taken from Deuteronomy
21 and 23. He that is hanged is accursed
of God. In that Deuteronomy passage,
one who had committed a sin worthy of death was put to death, stoned
to death. And then can you believe this?
Their body was hanged upon a tree. Deuteronomy 21. left there till
the evening taken down and this is what it signifies cursed is
he that is hanged upon a tree even so christ being hanged upon
the tree acts 5 30 and 1039 marked his death as being an accursed
one. His hanging on a tree shows that
he was made a curse. I quote from John Eady, he bore
the curse of broken law and the mode and manner of his death
showed that he became a curse, unquote. In other words, by hanging
on a tree, on a cross, on a stake, he became in the express sense
of the law a curse. There he was numbered with the
transgressors and he bare the sin of many. Now by this death
the elect One, they became dead to sin. Romans 6-2, Romans 7,
1-4. Died to sin in and with Christ
and are free from the law and free from the dominion of sin. And secondly, they lived under
righteousness. It is the death of Christ that
puts us dead to sin, to live under righteousness, and to live
under God. And I close by saying, completely
changing our direction. For the last verse said, we were
as sheep going astray. Blind, dumb, ignorant, rebellious,
going astray. but now returned unto the shepherd
and the bishop or the overseer of our soul. Our state once was
sheep wandering, but now returned to the shepherd and bishop of
our soul. How wonderful is the sacrifice
of Christ. It pleased God, it appeased God,
And it delivered from the wrath to come those for whom Christ
was a sacrifice in his day. Thank God for that. Thank God
for it every day of our life.