Jesus: Pattern to Follow, Sacrifice to Trust
Daily Scripture
1 Peter 2:21-24
21 You were called to this kind of endurance, because Christ suffered on your behalf. He left you an example so that you might follow in his footsteps. 22 He committed no sin, nor did he ever speak in ways meant to deceive. 23 When he was insulted, he did not reply with insults. When he suffered, he did not threaten revenge. Instead, he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He carried in his own body on the cross the sins we committed. He did this so that we might live in righteousness, having nothing to do with sin. By his wounds you were healed.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
The apostle Peter said Jesus was our example of endurance and trusting God when suffering comes. Yet he didn’t limit Jesus to only a good example but also alluded to Isaiah 53:5 as he declared that Jesus “carried in his own body on the cross the sins we committed”—that is, that Jesus bore our guilt in a way that offered us forgiveness. When we falter or fail, one key to finding the strength to follow Jesus’ example is to trust that we do not have to bear the weight of that—Jesus already bore it for us.
- In what ways does Jesus’ example of self-giving love and courageous determination in the face of evil inspire you and shape your way of life? Are there aspects of Jesus’ example that feel like “too much,” beyond your reach? How have you learned to claim Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit to give you power to live differently and better?
- What burdens of guilt do you carry? What wounds and hurts haunt you and disrupt your peace? Like Peter in today’s passage, early Christians regularly turned to Isaiah’s promise that “by his wounds we are healed” as a major way to express the impact of Jesus’ death on their lives. In what ways have you found the forgiveness and healing Jesus offers? In what ways can you open yourself to let that healing more fully reshape your life?
Prayer
O Jesus, fill my heart with your healing, peace and freedom from guilt. I thank you that your death made that possible. I ask you to energize me for life by helping me follow your example. Amen.
GPS Insights
Janelle Gregory
Janelle Gregory serves on the Resurrection staff as Human Resources Lead Director. Janelle finds that her heart is constantly wrestling with the truth that she needs a Savior, and the times when she's at her very best are when she's just too tired to put up a fight.
Do you remember that playground saying: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”? That seemed to have sounded good when we were nine years old. But as adults, we know better, don’t we? Words most definitely can hurt, sometimes more than physical pain. A cruel comment, a false accusation, or a whispered rumor can rattle around in your head for days, weeks, or even years.
When someone comes at us, whether it’s with words, actions, or just that tone (you know the one), the urge to fire back is strong. In that moment we want to defend ourselves, prove we’re right, to get the last word.
Yet we look to the example of Jesus. Jesus knew that pain. He heard the insults, he felt the betrayal, and he stood in the midst of false accusations. If there was ever someone who had the right to retaliate, certainly it was Jesus! And yet he didn’t lash out–no sarcastic comeback, no cold shoulder, no passive-aggressive “bless your heart.” Just… silence. Restraint. Trust.
Jesus didn’t stay quiet because he was weak; he stayed quiet because he was strong enough to hand it over to God. As humans that’s not easy, especially when you feel misunderstood, mistreated, or just straight-up wronged. But we are reminded that we don’t have to carry the weight of always defending ourselves. We can let it go–not because the situation doesn’t matter, but because we trust that God sees, God knows, and God will handle it in his time.
When we don’t retaliate, we step out of that cycle of bitterness and blame. We stop trying to win arguments and start choosing our battles more carefully. We start to realize that not every insult needs an answer, and not every situation needs our mic drop.
And yes, it takes a ton of self-control (and probably a few deep breaths), but there’s freedom in it. We’re not ignoring the hurt; we’re just refusing to let it control us. So next time the words sting, or someone’s actions hit deep, remember: silence isn’t surrender–it’s strength. It’s choosing peace over pettiness. It’s walking away, not because you couldn’t win, but because you’ve already won something bigger–your peace, your purpose, and your trust in the One who sees it all.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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