The Suffering Servant

Nikolle Bauder • June 2, 2021

Summary of sermon on Matthew 16:21-23 from Pastor Nick Gainey.

In our passage last week, Peter got it right when he was the first person to declare that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.


This week, however, Peter gets it really really wrong.


Once His disciples knew who He was, Jesus began to share with them what His mission was -- to go to Jerusalem; to suffer and be killed; and on the third day, rise again.


Jesus’ disciples, like Peter, likely rejected this message. They focused in on Jesus’ suffering and dying, but ignored the hope in Him rising. Their expectation was that Jesus would be king over an earthly kingdom… they did not yet understand what it meant for Jesus to be King of God’s Kingdom.


Peter, being both the spokesman for the group and the bold man we know and love, decided to pull Jesus aside and rebuke Him, telling Jesus, “Far be it from you, Lord! This (suffering) shall never happen to you.”


Jesus, in turn, rebukes Peter’s rebuke saying, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man.”


Peter and the disciples weren’t yet connecting the dots between who Jesus was and what was foretold about Him in scripture. He was indeed to be a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief… pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. (Isaiah 53:3-5)


At this point in Jesus’ ministry, there was a tension amongst the disciples in knowing who Jesus was (the promised Messiah) but not understanding yet what his mission was.


As Pastor Nick made clear on Sunday, we are Peter in this story. We forget that God is sovereign and that His plan is perfect. Like Peter, we have expectations of God that aren’t accurate and our minds are focused on our Kingdom and not God’s.


Jesus’ rebuke of Peter is harsh.


It is not written in scripture how Peter directly responded to Jesus in this moment, but we do  have a record of what happens after…


Peter sticks by Jesus. 


Instead of running away, He presses in.


Because of Jesus, there is hope for Peter.


Because of Jesus, there is hope for us.


If we fast forward in Peter’s ministry, we learn that he eventually gets it…


He says in Acts 2:22-24, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst as you yourselves know -- this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”


(See also Acts 2:37-41; Acts 4:8-12; and Acts 4:18-20)


Peter’s pressing in and focusing his mind on the things of God transforms his mind and steers his ministry.


His stance on suffering changes dramatically because he comes to see that Christ’s suffering was essential for our salvation. He also comes to see that following Jesus will include seasons of suffering for righteousness’ sake.


As foretold in Isaiah 53, upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with His wounds we are healed.


In our Christian walk, sometimes we (like Jesus) will suffer for doing good. Sometimes it is the will of God that we suffer.


More than that, Romans 5:3-5 tells us that we can rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that “suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”


When we encounter suffering, we can be certain that God will use it for His glory. Our reward is not in this life, but in the one to come.


“Only one life twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last.”  

— C.T. Studd


Peter is a great example of grace in obedience. He got it wrong a lot but he pressed in and let his mind be transformed. Peter finished his race well.


Let us take Peter’s example and do the same. 


Press in. Trust in God’s sovereignty. Be faithful. Focus on the things of God more than the things of the world. Be transformed by the power of the Spirit.



Discipleship Questions


What are some ways in which you’ve forgotten that God has a sovereign and perfect plan?


Have you had expectations of Jesus that aren’t accurate with scripture? 


In what ways have you been focused on your own kingdom and not the “things of God” and His Kingdom?


Have you pressed in following a rebuke or walking through a season of suffering? 


Knowing the rest of the story, share some hope you take from the example of Peter’s life.

Arm Yourselves

June 11, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

I Believe That We Will Win

June 3, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?

Who Can Be Against Us?

May 27, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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