Peter again uses Jesus’ suffering to eliminate our excuses for why we do not want to suffer. Because Jesus suffered in the flesh, we too should arm ourselves by having the same way of thinking. What was Jesus’ thinking? He as a lamb being led to slaughter, suffered criticism, ridicule, reviling, abandonment, humiliation, betrayal, when he needed his friends to pray, they slept instead, he was lied about, he was put through unjust trials, to be chosen by a mob for crucifixion, he would be whipped to the point of death, made to carry his cross as far as he could, nailed to a cross where he would continue to be humiliated. He suffered unjustly to put away sin, not his but ours, he suffered for the joy set before him, he suffered for the vindication that would come, he suffered in order that he would glorify his father.

Peter is calling us to arm ourselves, set our mind to, because what we set our mind to, will determine our actions. We are setting our mind to trace the trail that Jesus has blazed, and it is a trail of suffering.

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