Christ Also Suffered
1 Peter 3:8 - 4:6
When we think about the first followers of Jesus, it’s easy to picture them as distant figures — people from another time and place, far removed from our world. But when we open Peter’s first letter, their struggles suddenly feel very familiar.
Peter wrote to Christians who were insulted, rejected, and even persecuted, not because they had done wrong, but because they had chosen to follow Jesus. His words in 1 Peter 3:8–4:6 remind us that the Christian life isn’t a promise of comfort. It’s a call to courageous hope, the kind that endures even when life gets hard.
Remembering the Cost of Faith
A few years ago, I had the chance to walk through the tunnels beneath the Colosseum in Rome — the same tunnels where early Christians were once held before being sent to their deaths. It was sobering to stand in the place where believers, whose names we’ll never know, died for their faith in Jesus.
These men and women lived out Peter’s words:
“They heap abuse on you because you do not join them in their reckless, wild living.” — 1 Peter 4:4
Peter wasn’t writing from a comfortable home or a quiet office. He was likely imprisoned in Rome, living under the threat of Emperor Nero’s violent reign. Yet from that dark place, his message wasn’t despair — it was hope.
Suffering Well in Our Own Time
We may not face lions or prison cells today, but following Jesus still comes with a cost.
When I was in high school in the 1980s, being a Christian wasn’t exactly popular. I remember being excluded and mocked for not joining in the parties or using the same language as everyone else. It was lonely. But years later, I heard that my quiet example had helped someone return to faith.
That moment changed my perspective. I realised that suffering for doing good is always worth it. Our perseverance becomes a quiet testimony to the hope we have in Christ.
“For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” — 1 Peter 3:17
Strength in Weakness
When hardship comes, it’s easy to think we’ve failed. But Peter — and Paul — remind us that God’s power often shines brightest in our weakness.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9
Suffering doesn’t mean God has abandoned us. It means He’s working in us — building perseverance, shaping character, and stirring hope (Romans 5:1–5).
This kind of hope isn’t naive optimism. It’s the steady confidence that Jesus has already overcome the world. It’s what carried the early church through persecution, and it’s what still strengthens us today.
Standing Firm with Gentleness
Peter also gives us this challenge: always be ready to explain the hope we have — “but do it with gentleness and respect.”
That’s not easy. When we’re insulted, our first instinct might be to fight back or defend ourselves. But Peter calls us to reflect Jesus instead, to respond with humility, compassion, and peace.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:10
When we suffer because we belong to Christ, we are never alone. Jesus is with us — even in the moments that hurt most.
The Gospel That Still Changes Lives
In this series in 1 Peter, we’ve been talking about living well on the way home. That’s exactly what Peter describes — a life marked by faith, love, and endurance as we wait for Jesus’ return.
Every time we serve, share a conversation about faith, or simply live differently from the world around us, we’re pointing people back to the hope we have in Jesus.
That’s why we love using The Colours of Life, a simple way to explain the Gospel message. It’s the same good news Christians have been sharing for 2,000 years: Jesus suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God.
Living Well on the Way Home
Suffering well doesn’t mean seeking pain. It means facing hardship with courage, knowing that Christ has already overcome the world.
Like Peter’s first readers, we’re called to live with courageous hope, to bless others even when insulted, to love even when rejected, and to persevere knowing our reward is not of this world.
May we be people who live with that same hope, gentleness, and strength as we follow Jesus — all the way home.