1 Peter 2:22

Our apostle proceeds to represent and recommend our Lord Jesus Christ as the mirror and perfect pattern of patience under the sharpest sufferings; he acquaints us,

1. With his pure and spotless innocency; he did no sin, therefore could not suffer for doing evil; no guile was found in his mouth neither in his expressions, nor in his actions; he never did ill either in word or deed, but was. perfect pattern of unblamable holiness.

Next, our apostle recommends to us his invincible patience under all his sufferings, telling us, that although Christ was most shamefully reviled, having the dirt of. thousand scandals, slanders, reproaches, and blasphemies, cast upon him, yet he reviled not again not giving them one ill word for all.

And when he suffered all manner of injuries and indignities at once, being buffeted, spit upon, crowned with thorns, and crucified, though he had power sufficient to look them into nothing, to frown them into hell, yet he threatened them not with the least revenge, but prayed for his murderers, and committed his cause to. just and righteous God: He threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

Blessed Jesus! help us to imitate thy patience under sufferings, and reproaches, and never let us be found rendering to any, evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing for cursing, courtesies for injuries, affability for affronts; let us at no time be overcome of evil, but labour at all times to overcome evil with good.

Note, lastly, How our apostle takes notice, that the sufferings of Christ were not only exemplary, but satisfactory; he did not only suffer patiently, but meritoriously; He his own self bare our sins in his own body upon the tree.

Note here, 1. What was borne, our sin, that is, the guilt and punishment of our sin.

2. Who bare it, Christ his own self.

This imports, 1. The singularity of his sufferings, he had no partner or sharer with him in what he bare, he trod the wine-press alone.

2. The sufficiency of his sufferings, he himself bare our sins; he who was God-man, the Lamb of God, and as such took away the sin of the world.

3. How he bare it, in his own body upon the tree; that is, in his human nature upon the cross. Christ suffered in his soul as well as in his body, and both were satisfactory to divine justice, but his bodily sufferings are only mentioned, because these were most visible.

4. The great ends of his sufferings, namely, expiation of sin, and mortification of sin; our sins were expiated on the tree by Christ's suffering for us in his own body; and by his death he also purchased virtue for mortifying sin in us, and for quickening us unto holiness of life, that, as he died for sin, we should die unto sin; and as he rose again and revived, never to die more, so should we, being dead unto sin, live no longer therein: He himself bare our sins in his own body upon the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes, that is, by whose expiatory sufferings, we are healed; the wounds made in our souls by the guilt and power of sin, are mercifully and meritoriously healed; the guilt of sin is pardoned, the power of sin subdued, and all the invaluable fruits and benefits of the Redeemer's death obtained. Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ.