FRIDAY October 9, 2026

The Just for the Unjust

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....
1 Peter 3:18

Peter naturally turned from the subject of our suffering to Christ’s suffering. Jesus is the supreme example of suffering and how suffering allows us to identify more closely with Him. Jesus willingly suffered in His flesh, enduring the torturous death on the Cross; but having resurrected, He secured for us our redemption: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7).

As sinners, we were separated from God. Imagine the depth of suffering Jesus endured to unite us with His Father. Romans 8:9 describes the phenomena: But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.... God dwells within us! We have the amazing privilege of drawing close to the heart of God. Contemplate for a moment how Jesus suffered for us by reading with me Isaiah 53:3-5:

He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and 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.

These verses in Isaiah speaks of the crucifixion of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ––the Suffering Servant. The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:21, confirmed that Jesus is our sinless Savior: For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. That is why Peter said that Jesus suffered once for sin, the just for the unjust....

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.
~Isaiah 53:11~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!