Objection: Jesus Suffered and That Is the Example for You to Follow (1 Peter 2:21)
This is yet another case of confusing suffering persecution and suffering sickness. The only time Jesus suffered sickness is when God laid our sicknesses on Him to punish Him for our sins. In that case, He suffered for us to redeem us from that kind of suffering. Notice that 1 Peter 2:21 does not simply say, “Jesus suffered.” This objection sets the same trap as Satan’s misquotation of Psalm 91:11-12 in Luke 4:10-11 where he left out the key phrase “in all your ways” to make it sound like angels would catch Jesus if He jumped off a high building. 1 Peter 2:21 says that Christ “suffered for us.” The sicknesses He bore were rightfully ours. He suffered no other sicknesses, but He did suffer persecution, especially when He was handed over to the Romans to be punished for our sins.
However, the manner in which He treated those who were abusing Him physically does set an example for us to follow when others mistreat us, and that is actually the main point of the passage in question. You can read the context of 1 Peter 2:21 to discover what His example really was. Peter is talking about doing good things and yet suffering at the hands of others. Jesus did nothing wrong and yet suffered at the hands of sinners, but He didn’t hurl their abuse back at them. Instead, He trusted God to sort things out. Here’s the general context:
1 Peter 2:20-24:
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Once you read this, you see clearly that His example was the patient suffering of persecution even while being tortured to pay for our sins. He left us an example of how to deal with others when we suffer persecution. You are not redeemed from suffering persecution, so you need to know what to do when you encounter it! The Bible promises that you will suffer persecution if you’re trying to live a godly life (2 Timothy 3:12). However, suffering from persecution is completely different from suffering the devil’s sicknesses, pains and torments! Jesus’ example when encountering THAT kind of suffering was to heal those who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38)!
When it comes to sickness, Jesus NEVER suffered sickness until He took on our sins, so NEVER suffering sickness is the example for you to follow!