1 Peter Chp 1 - Redemption by Christ
Key verse: 1Peter1:18-19, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
This not only has implication for the past, pointing me back to Calvary and not only does it have implications for the future securing my salvation for eternity, it has primarily in chp1 of 1 Peter a very practical significance for the present.
Since I am Redeemed by Him – I belong to Him!
My life is no longer mine to do with as I please, to go where I please, nor to use as I please – this life belongs to Him – for He bought it, He purchased it, it belongs to Him! God purchased it with the “precious blood” of His dear Son, not with any passing commodity from earth
I must be like Israel of old, redeemed out of bondage in Egypt by the blood of the Passover lamb; I must: “gird up”, ‘sober up’ and I must ‘look up’ (1:13).
Like them I am now a ‘holy people’ (1:15-16) – set apart for the service and pleasure of my God!
It may be that if I will but permit my soul to learn this lesson out of our studies in 1 Peter I will make more progress in my Christian life over the next few months than perhaps most believers make in a lifetime!
I say it kindly, I say it with the observation of 30 years, if I will but learn this lesson: I do not belong to myself, I belong to God, I can make great progress in my spiritual life and service for Him.
When God bought me He did not value me with silver, nor with gold, He did not purchase me with a cheque.
He valued me and bought me with the blood of His son. This is awesome!
That means I do not belong to myself anymore, I belong to Him. There are prints in the palms of His hands to prove it.
When I see that, never again will any trifling distraction take me away from His things, never again will any priorities take place over His priorities, never again will my business take place over His business.
Never again will such things distract me from His presence, nor keep me from using my life for His Glory!
By creation I’m His and by Redemption I’m His!
Neither you, nor I, nor anyone else has any right to rob God of that which is rightfully His (Rom12:1) – “reasonable service.”
I say it again if over the coming months I will learn this lesson, I will make more progress in a few months than many believers make in many years!
1 Peter Chp 2:1-10 – Relationship to Christ
As Newborn Babes (2:2) – we come to Him for milk. One thing that marks the newborn babe is ‘veracity of appetite.’ Have you had enough of Christ? Fed up with Christ? I don’t know what it is but some Christians seem dissatisfied with Christ! They want the world, they want its entertainment, its sports, there “soul loatheth this light bread” (Numb21:5). I can only conclude that they have never really got to know Christ, and thus to, “desire the sincere milk of the word.” (1Pet2:2).
As Living Stones (2:5) – we’re founded upon Him – Christ the Corner Stone (v6)
As a Holy Priesthood (v5) – we offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, in all that I do and in all that I serve in His house there is a fragrance of Christ. That fragrance lingers upon me as I move out of His house and into the world as a Royal Priest belonging to the King.
As a Royal Priesthood (v9) – we live out Christ, offering up our lives in His service, living in this world according to the principles of another world, as belonging to His Kingdom.
1 Peter Chp2:11 – 3:12 – Responsibility to Live for Christ
Before sinners (2:12)
Before sovereigns (2:13-17)
Servants before Masters (2:18-25)
Before Husbands (3:1-6)
Before Wifes (3:7) - Note that there are 6 verses of ministry given to the wife and only 1 verse of ministry given to the husband! Maybe it’s a harder job being a wife than it is being a husband.
Before Saints (3:8-12)
1 Peter Chps 4 & 5 – Reality of the Resurrection Life of Christ
In Suffering (Chp4)
In Serving (Chp4)
In Shepherding (Chp5) – in caring for the people of God.
Also notice a parallel between 1 Peter and the prophecy of Zechariah:
1 Peter & Zechariah :
The themes of 1 Peter parallel the themes of Zechariah:
A Scattered People
A Sacred Dwelling
A Sanctified Priesthood
A Suffering Shepherd
Why the parallel – because the Lord desires the same in the NT as He does in the OT!
The Lord desires the same for His heavenly people the Church as He did for His earthly people of old – Israel – that He might dwell in the midst of them! That His Glory might be manifest amongst His people.
The purpose of Zechariah:
“After (the) glory hath he sent me…” (Zech2:8)
“I will dwell in the midst of thee…” (Zech2:10)
“I will dwell in the midst of thee…” (Zech2:11)
They would be a people gathered to Glory (Zech2:5)
They would be a people gathered to God (Zech 2:10-12)
To that end we have:
A Sanctified Priesthood (chp3)
A Sacred Dwelling (chp4) – A temple built by Zerubbabel by the power of the Spirit of God.
Sin purged from the nation in preparation for Gods people returning to Gods house.
The “Branch” (6:12) “bears the Glory” (6:18) and sits upon the Throne in the temple, those who serve Him are therefore not only a Holy Priesthood but they are also a Royal Priesthood.
The Lord returns to Zion (8:3) and dwells in the “midst of Jerusalem” (8:3).
Here is Gods purpose for us – 1 Peter Chp2 that He might have a “peculiar people” – a people for His possession, a Holy Priesthood (2:5) and a Royal Priesthood (2:9) serving Him in His habitation (2:5) offering up spiritual sacrifices.
A People Scattered
Note the myrtle trees of Zech 1:10 speak of the nation of Israel – cf “Hadassah” from the Heb. Myrtle, the Heb name of Esther, amongst the many treasures of the book of Esther you will find encrypted within it a history of the nation of Israel from Eden to the Second Coming of Christ.
In Zech1:10 the nation of Israel is scattered throughout the earth: “And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.”
The nation of Israel are a People Scattered:
scattered amongst the Gentile nations
scattered by human persecution
scattered by Divine providence
God had a purpose in their scattering, the gospel was too precious to remain in a holy huddle and so the message was scattered abroad.
Notice that the worlds strangers, the worlds scattered ones (1 Pet1:1) are the Lords Chosen ones (1 Peter 1:2).
Does our life seem unimportant or insignificant?
The ministry of Zechariah to the nation of Israel is the same as the ministry of Peter to the suffering saints of 1 Peter: “for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” (Zech2:8).
In providence the Lord may well permit suffering and persecution but woe betide those who move against, who accuse, who persecute and who cause the sufferings of the Lords people.
1:1-2 The Pastoral Heart of the Apostle
And so in 1 Peter Chp1 verse 1 we read of a “scattered” people.
A scattered people of strangers as far as this world was concerned but to God they are a ‘sacred people’ – a ‘peculiar people’ (1Peter2:9)
Insignificant to men but precious towards God.
It is interesting that it is to the Lords scattered sheep that the apostle Peter ministers.
Why is it Peter who writes to: “to the strangers scattered…” (v1)
Did he just happen to have a heart for it? A notion for it?
Peter why are you ministering to such a scattered people? Ah says Peter ‘I was called to it!’ You were called to it! What do you mean by that?
Peter how do you know that you were called to it?
Ah says Peter John 21:15 “Simon son of Jona lovest thou me more that these? …Feed my lambs”
Anything else Peter – well yes actually there is John21:16 “ Simon son of Jona lovest thou me? … Feed my sheep”
Anything else Peter – well yes there was: John21:17 “Simon son of Jona lovest thou me? …Feed my sheep”
Notice that he serves with the authority of a call from Christ
A call that you note is personal to him: “Simon son of Jona”
A call that is founded upon his devotion to the person of Christ “lovest thou me…”
A call that is unmistakable, 3 fold, repeated a direct and definite word from the Lord.
Is it too much to suggest that we ought to look for nothing less in our service for Christ. An authoritative call and commission from the Word of Christ, clear and unmistakable.
Don’t go changing direction on a whim, on an emotion, don’t decide upon service for Christ because it happens to be something that you would quite like to do!
v1 – Peter a man with a mission, a mission to scattered believers, taking up the commission given to him by the Lord (Jo21:15-17) – this isn’t a job, it’s a Divine calling.
Do I want good success in my mission? I need Divine Calling not just a good idea, I need to be obedient to that calling.
v1 Here is the Shepherd heart of Peter, a heart he received from the Saviour Himself (Jo21) – Catching Fish, Feeding Sheep and minding your own business.
Do we need a shepherds heart for His people? That will only come from Christ.
1 Peter chp1 begins with the heart of the Shepherd and ends (chp5) with the Chief Shepherd – talk about pastoral epistles!
These believers were scattered by human persecution but scattered by Divine providence.
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