Submitting Part 2 - because Christ did!

1 Peter 2:21-25 Verse 21 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” Why do we submit to all authority??? Because Christ did as an example for us. Matt. 26:50-54

“But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus tretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

Mark 15:29-32

“And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.”

Isn’t it interesting that Christ submitted to the earthly authority even though it was wrongly sending Him to His death when He had all authority to do save Himself??? We submit to authority because Christ submitted to authority! Verse 22 “who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth.” Jesus Christ is our example. He is the perfect example! What does vs. 22 say? He committed no sin! Not once in His entire life did He sin! Not when He was 4 years old, not when He was 30 years old. How many of us could truly say that we had committed no sin??? None. How about just in the last month? Last week? NONE! Matt 12:34

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

So what does that tell us about Jesus’ heart? What does that tell us about our hearts? What we say comes from what we put into our minds and into our hearts! It is going to be tough to speak and act the way Jesus did when all we put into our lives is worthless trash that our flesh, some of our friends and the world tells us we should want! The music we listen to, the movies we watch, the things we look at on the internet, the people we hang out with….all these things are going to affect you and me. What we fill our hearts up with is what our lives are going to be like! Jesus filled His life with following God and knowing Him intimately! He pursued other people, loved and served them even when He didn’t have to. He spent time alone with God daily and that was where He got His strength and encouragement from. Where does your strength and encouragement come from? Does it come from God or from something else? Verse 23 “while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;” So how do we endure life when it gets hard…especially when it isn’t deserved? What did Jesus do? He kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously! If you want to have peace, if you want to be close to God then you have keep intrusting yourself every day to Him who judges righteously! What you pour your life into is what you are hoping will satisfy you and make you happy… What/Who will never disappoint? Jesus…everything else will be disappointing in the end. (1 Peter 2:6; Romans 10:11) Verse 24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” Jesus Christ Himself was dead to sin. That was why He could live His entire life without sinning. That is the reason that we can do the same thing! But we have to keep killing ourselves each and every day to be resurrected in righteousness. Each morning when you wake up (not literally!), you have to kill yourself, your desires, your flesh and be alive to Christ and His work in you! Verse 25 “For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” We say we want to follow God but then we get distracted and start sinning and stop following God! We must return when we sin as quickly as possible! We must remain in Him every single day!