MIRRORING/Emulating JESUS-I—1Peter 3:18--4:6
Attention:
Every day, just before I leave for work, I put certain things in my pockets as I get ready to leave the house—2 to 3 sets of keys, a comb, a pocketknife, a phone, etc.
Hershey(our largest dog) often follows me into the bedroom, lies on the bed, & watches me fill my pockets & put on my sunglasses or my hat. He anticipates my next move might involve him because he loves to ride in the car. If I put my key fob & wallet in my pocket, he is on ‘high alert.’
We have a large mirror over our dresser, which I face as I fill my pockets, etc.. Though my back is to Hershey, He can see my facial expressions because of the mirror. If I direct my attention to Hershey’s reflection in the mirror,(my back to him) & just mouth the words, “You wanna go for a ride?” He will immediately jump off the bed & jump up & down, KNOWING he’s going for a ride in the car.
*For Hershey, my mirror image is so clear/perfect, as to be virtually indistinguishable from the real me who is standing there!
Likewise, Christians are to clearly/perfectly mirror Jesus for the sake of others, who do not know Him—that they might be saved—& for those who do know Him & might be built up in their faith.
Need:
When your heart is set apart(‘sanctified’) to discovering & living out God’s will, then others, who have never heard or have merely ‘heard of’ God’s truth, will hear it from & thru you & the ministries to which you are called & in which you are involved.
Peter calls his audience to mirror/reflect/emulate Christ Jesus.
God’s people will strive to intentionally mirror/reflect Christ Jesus.
What of Christ Jesus are God’s people to reflect/mirror?
Some reflections of a faithfully mirrored Jesus.
1—Mirroring Jesus reflects...?CHRIST’s SACRIFICE(:18)
Explanation:(:18)Sufferings & Death
:18—“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,”
“For...”
This section(:18-22) answers the rationale(‘the why’/the “for”) for the saint’s ‘righteous sufferings’ under the will of God(cf.-minimally--:17; maximally--2:11--3:17...
‘CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE &’--A)Government--2:11-17; B)Work(employment)--2:18-25; C)Marriage(wives--3:1-6 -&- husbands--3:7); D)Church--3:8-12; E)‘The SUPERIOR VALUE Of A SANCTIFIED HEART’--3:13-17).
FYI—Three different prepositions are translated as “for”(NKJV) in :18.
“For/Because”(See also--peri & uper below)—oti—Conjunction—1) That, because, since. Strong—neuter of ostiv[Which some, i.e. Any that; also (definitively)--Which same]as conjunction; demonstrative--That(sometimes redundant); causative--Because.
“Christ also suffered...”
The major reason behind the willful “suffering” of the people of God, is due to the fact that Christ Himself has set the bar regarding willful “suffering.”
‘Majority Texts’ instead of having the word “suffered”(pascw/payw/penyw), have instead the word “died(apoynhskw).” This emphasizes the fulfillment of His having “suffered” as being completed on the Cross.
Christ Jesus “suffered” in His service to God’s design, thus His people will/should emulate/mirror His suffering. Jesus’ submission is generally seen in His:
1)Coming to earth...
2)Taking on human flesh...
3)Being a bondservant(Php. 2:6-8)...
4)Cross-work(death, resurrection, ascension)....
*All of the above are implied in any consideration of Jesus’ “suffering” &/or death.
2Cor. 5:20-6:1—“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He[God the Father] made Him[God the Son] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”
Gal. 1:3-5—“Grace to you & peace from God the Father & our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God & Father, to whom be glory forever & ever. Amen.”
Gal. 3:13-14—“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Eph. 2:11-13—“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel & strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope & without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
“Also”(See :19; :13—“And”)—kai—Conjunction—1) And, also, even, indeed, but. Strong—And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection(or composition) with other particles or small words.
“Suffered”(See :14, 17)[Byz/TR]—pascw/payw/penyw—Verb—1) To be affected or have been affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo—1a) in a good sense--To be well off, in good case, 1b) in a bad sense--To suffer sadly, be in a bad plight—1b1) Of a sick person. Strong—used only in certain tenses for it; apparently a primary verb; To experience a sensation or impression(usually painful).
—OR—
“Died/Dying”[AlexT]—apoynhskw—Verb—1) To die—1a) Of the natural death of man, 1b) Of the violent death of man or animals, 1c) To perish by means of something, 1d) Of trees which dry up, of seeds which rot when planted, 1e) Of eternal death, to be subject to eternal misery in hell. Strong—To die off(literally or figuratively).?From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative).—&—ynhskw—a strengthened form of a simpler primary yanw(which is used for it only in certain tenses); To die(literally or figuratively). “Once for sins, the just for the unjust,...”
“Once for sins, the just for the unjust,...”
Yet all of Christ(God’s anointed) Jesus’(Savior) “sufferings” are brought to a culmination, in His only having “suffered once” “for sins.”
Heb. 9:24-28—“For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another-- He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
Rom. 4:22-25—“And therefore “it[faith] was accounted to him[Abraham] for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him[God] who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, & was raised because of our justification.”
Christ’s only “suffering” “once” is unique, unrepeated, & unrepeatable. This is because He is the unique Son of God & Son of Man.
Christ Jesus “suffered once” because He is “the Just.” The epitome of what it means to be “”just.” That is, He took upon Himself the entirety of the penalty for the “sins” of all humanity(2Cor. 5:21). Uniquely, Jesus & Jesus only, willingly stands in the place of “the unjust.” “The unjust” comprises all those represented by humanity of every time—past, present, & future.
•2Cor. 5:21—“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Eph. 2:14-22—“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, & has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, & that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came & preached peace to you who were afar off & to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers & foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints & members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles & prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
“Once”[See :20]—apax—Adverb—1) Once, one time; 2) Once for all. Strong—One(or a single) time(numerically or conclusively). Used 15X.?Probably from—apav—Absolutely all or singular--Every one.?From—A(as a particle of union).—&—pav—All, any, every, the whole.
“For”(See also--oti above, & uper below)—peri—Preposition—1) About, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near. Strong—from the base of peran[(pierce)through]; properly, Through(all over), i.e. Around; figuratively--With respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case--denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case--the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period).
“Sins”—amartia—Noun Fem.—1) equivalent to amartanw—1a) To be without a share in, 1b) To miss the mark, 1c) To err, be mistaken, 1d) To miss or wander from the path of uprightness & honor, to do or go wrong, 1e) To wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin; 2) That which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act; 3) collectively,--The complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many. Amartia meant originally the missing of a mark. When applied to moral things the idea is similar, it is missing the true end of life, & so it is used as a general term for sin. It means both the act of sinning & the result, the sin itself. Strong—A sin(properly abstract).
“Just”—dikaiov—Adj.—1) Righteous, observing divine laws—1a) in a wide sense--Upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God—1a1) Of those who seem to themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves in their virtues, whether real or imagined, 1a2) Innocent, faultless, guiltless, 1a3) Used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, & acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, & who therefore needs no rectification in the heart or life—1a3a) Only Christ truly, 1a4) Approved of or acceptable of God, 1b) in a narrower sense--Rendering to each his due & that in a judicial sense, passing just judgment on others, whether expressed in words or shown by the manner of dealing with them. Strong—Equitable(in character or act); by implication--Innocent, holy(absolutely or relatively).
“For”(See also--oti & peri above)—uper—Prep.—1) In behalf of, for the sake of; 2) Over, beyond, more than; 3) More, beyond, over. Strong—a primary preposition; "over", i.e. (with the genitive case)of place--Above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative case--Superior to, more than.
“Unjust”—adikov—Adj.—1) descriptive of one who violates or has violated justice—1a) Unjust, 1b) Unrighteous, sinful, 1c) of one who deals fraudulently with others, deceitful. Strong—Unjust; by extension--Wicked; by implication--Treacherous; specially--Heathen. Used 12X.?From—A(as a negative particle)—&—dikh—Right(as self-evident), i.e. Justice(the principle, a decision, or its execution).
“That He might bring us to God,...”
Thru Christ alone, there is ‘potential’ for bringing all men(those saved by faith—“us”) to God.
“Might Bring” translates the Subjunctive Mood, which is the mood of possibility. Thus Jesus secured with absolute certainty, that men could be reconciled to God. It is the responsibility of each individual of every era, to respond appropriately—to receive by faith—what Jesus has done!
“Bring”—prosagw—Verb—1) To lead, to bring—1a) To open a way of access, for one to God—1a1) To render one acceptable to God, 1b) in a forensic sense--To summon(to trial or punishment); 2) To draw near to, approach—2a) The land which a sailor is approaching seeming to approach him. Strong—To lead towards, i.e. transitively--To conduct near(summon, present), or intransitively--To approach. Used 4X.?From—prov—1) To the advantage of; 2) At, near, by; 3) To, towards, with, with regard to. Strong—a preposition of direction; Forward to, i.e. Toward(the side of, i.e. pertaining to); By the side of, i.e. Near to; The place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. Whither or for which it is predicated.—&—agw—1) To lead, take with one. Strong—a primary verb; properly--To lead; by implication--To bring, drive, reflexively--Go, specially--Pass(time), or figuratively--Induce.
“Us”—hmav—Pronoun, 1st Person Accusative Plural—1) Us, we, our etc. Strong—accusative case plural of egw[I, me]; Us.
“Being put to death in the flesh...”
Christ was decidedly “put to death in the flesh.”
There is the matter of a little Greek particle(men) that is untranslated in English. It is a particle that ensures us that Jesus certainly died—He did not swoon, faint, or ‘go dormant’ in some way. That is, there is no question as to his being dead versus something ‘less than death’ which might outwardly mimic it.
Jesus’ being “put to death in the flesh” is thus in direct contrast to His being “made alive by the Spirit.”
“Put to death”—yanatow—Verb—1) To put to death; 2) metaph.--2a) To make to die i.e. Destroy, render extinct, 2b) by death--To be liberated from the bond of anything, literally to be made dead in relation to(something). Strong—To kill(literally or figuratively). Used 11X.
“Certainly/Surely/Indeed/Truly”[untranslated]—men—Particle—1) Truly, certainly, surely, indeed. Strong—a primary particle; properly--Indicative of affirmation or concession(in fact); usually followed by a contrasted clause with de(this one, the former, etc).
“Flesh”(See 3:21; 4:1, 2, 6)—sarx—Noun Fem.—1) Flesh(the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones & is permeated with blood) of both man & beasts; 2) The body; 3) A living creature(because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast; 4) The flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, & therefore prone to sin & opposed to God. Strong—Flesh(as stripped of the skin), i.e. strictly--The meat of an animal(as food), or by extension--The body(as opposed to the soul [or spirit], or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or by implication--Human nature(with its frailties [physically or morally] & passions), or specifically--A human being(as such).
“But made alive by the Spirit,”
Though His “flesh” was dead, yet, He was “alive” because of “the Spirit” of God...
OR--very probably, “made alive in the spirit”[NASB] is a testimony to the reality of His “spirit” remaining “alive” though His “flesh” was dead.
•“The spirit of Christ did not die when his flesh did, but “was endued with new & greater powers of life”(Thayer in RWP).
“But”—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, and, etc.. Strong—a primary particle(adversative or continuative); But, and, etc..
“Made alive/Quickened”—zwopoiew—Lit.=‘alive make’—Verb—1) To produce alive, begat or bear living young; 2) To cause to live, make alive, give life—2a) by spiritual power--To arouse & invigorate, 2b) To restore to life, 2c) To give increase of life: thus of physical life, 2d) of the spirit--Quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new & greater powers of life; 3) metaph.--Of seeds quickened into life, i.e. Germinating, springing up, growing. Strong—To (re-)vitalize(literally or figuratively). Used 12X.?From—zwon—A live thing, i.e. An animal.—&—poiew—Strong—apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; To make or do(in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“By/In”[TR]—o,—OR—feminine--h, —OR—neuter--to—Definite Article Dative Sing. Neuter—1) This, that, these, etc. Strong—The definite article; The(sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom).
“Spirit/spirit”(See :19)—pneuma—Noun Neuter—1) The third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father & the Son; 2) The spirit, i.e. The vital principal by which the body is animated—2a) The rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides, 2b) The soul; 3) A spirit, i.e. A simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, & possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, & acting—3a) A life giving spirit, 3b) A human soul that has left the body, 3c) A spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. An angel—3c1) used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men, 3c2) The spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels & equal to God, the divine nature of Christ; 4) The disposition or influence which fills & governs the soul of any one—4a) the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.; 5) A movement of air(a gentle blast). Strong—A current of air, i.e. Breath(blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively--A spirit, i.e. (human)--The rational soul, by implication--Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman)--An angel, demon, or (divine)--God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit. RWP—‘“The Spirit” is the use of pneuma as metaphor.”?Pneuma corresponds to Hebrew—xwr. A)quch—Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely--The animal sentient principle only, which is distinguished from, B) pneuma—The rational & immortal soul, & C)zwh—Mere vitality, even of plants. These terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew...A)vpn, B)xwr & C)yx.
Argumentation:
1Pet. 2:21-25—“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd & Overseer of your souls.”
1Pet. 4:1-2—“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
Isa. 53:3-8—In speaking of the coming Christ:—“He is despised & rejected by men, A Man of sorrows & acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, & we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, & afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed & He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison & from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.”
Rom. 5:1-11—“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; & perseverance, character; & character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
Rom. 6:3-14—“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
All of the above argument is based on Christ Jesus’ willful, sacrificial, atoning death for the sake of lost mankind! It hinges on His coming to earth to take on human flesh, divesting Himself of a great degree of Divine privilege.
Illustration:
One of our adult children(Samuel) is going to be a first-time father this year/Before Samantha(his wife) gives birth, Sam called me & his Momma fairly regularly with financial concerns—Should live where we are now?—Their rental house is very small & is old & worn, but the rent is unusually inexpensive in comparison to most other places!/They do not know if Samantha will work once the baby’s born—she currently has a good job with great benefits!/Having a child shift’s a couple’s responsibilities from themselves, to the responsibilities of a couple who are now suddenly parents/Being a young family can be a challenging time/But it is an absolute joy to sacrifice for the sake of one’s children!/CHRIST’s SACRIFICE
?What responsibilities have you invited upon yourself because of your commitment to Christ?
?What does Christ’s Sacrifice mean/entail for you personally?
?What does Christ’s Sacrifice mean/entail for the church with which you are associated?
Application:
?Do YOU Mirror CHRIST’s SACRIFICE?...
?What is Reflected by your life?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
If I mouth the words, “You wanna go for a ride?”, facing the mirror, Hershey will immediately know he’s going for a ride in the car!
Christians are to clearly mirror Jesus for the sake of others.
Action:
Mirroring Jesus reflects...
1. CHRIST’s SACRIFICE(:18)
Pt#1 only! presented 01/12/2020pm to:
1stBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
