The Fellowship of His Sufferings

In His suffering for us, Jesus provided an example of our sufferings for Him. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). In John 19 we read of Christ’s sufferings for us. The first 16 verses describe the pre-cross suffering. In these, we discover how we can follow Christ’s example when called upon to suffer.
 
•  Jesus was abusedby the Romans, vv. 1-3.
•  Jesus was spurned by the Jews, vv. 4-7.
•  Jesus was refused by Pilate, vv. 8-16.
 
“Pilate had to choose. Tiberius or Jesus? The kingdoms of earth or the kingdom of heaven? Power or truth?” (Chuck Swindoll, John, p. 362)