1 Peter Chapter5 Vs1 to 4 – ‘The Cross, The Crook, The Crown’

1. The Cross (v1)

2. The Crook (v2,3)
   

3. The Crown (v4)

In so many ways the OT scriptures would prepare me for the advent of Christ:

1. In Prophecy

2. In Picture (or type)
   

3. In Pattern

I don't know what the Jew made of it at times as they saw so many of these patterns emerging: of salvation, something inexplicably to do with a lamb:

1. A Lamb for an Individual: Genesis 22
2. A Lamb for a household: Exodus 12
3. A Lamb for a Nation, in the evening and morning sacrifice: Numbers 28;
   
4. A Lamb for many nations: Isaiah chp 52 & 53
5. A Lamb for the whole world: John1:29
   
6. A Lamb for all of history: 1 Peter1:20
   
7. A Lamb for a whole Universe, seated on the throne which governs from heaven: Rev5:6
8. A Lamb for all of eternity: Revelation chp 21 & 22.

Consider also the fascinating Old Testament pattern of the oak tree as we trace it through the scriptures:

The Oak Tree:

1. Allonbachuth - the place of weeping - Deborah buried there (Gen35)
   

2. Jacob would leave his false Gods there (Gen35)
   

3. The first King of Israel, Saul would be buried there (1Sam31:13)
   

4. It would be the place where Davids first son to be called King (Absalom) would hang
   

5. Goliath of Gath would be defeated there (1Samuel 17)
   

6. God would appear to Gideon under the oak tree.

Another pattern that could hardly be missed by the observant Jew was the predominance of Shepherds in their midst:

1. God was a Shepherd God (Isa 40)
   

2. When God chose a King He chose a Shepherd King - David
   

3. When God chose a prophet He chose a Shepherd prophet - Moses
   

4. When God set up / established a priesthood, He consecrated a shepherd priesthood

Shepherd Priesthood:

Ministering in the Tabernacle:

1 - Table of Shewbread - He would in symbol feed his people, 12 loaves for 12 tribes.

2 - The people were upon "His Heart" - the breastplate of judgment (Ex28:29) - the 12 tribes of Israel utterly secure, bound above by chains of gold, below with cords of blue; "that the breastplate be not loosed from the Ephod." Just in case anyone decided to tackle the high priest, sell the breastplate with its 12 stones on ebay - try and rip the breastplate off - the high priest would come with it. The breastplate was 4 square:

4 Items In the Scripture that are 4 Square:

1. Breastplate - A Heart for everyone

2. Altar of Incense - Help for everyone

3. Brazen Altar - Hope for everyone

4. New Jerusalem - Home for everyone

3 - The high priest would lead his people - in the breastplate you would find the Urim + Thummim (Ezra 2:63) - if there arose a need for guidance or a need for direction in the nation, guidance could be found from this man.

Psalm 78:72 - The Shepherd character of David: the true Shepherd would feed and lead, he would lead from the heart and would lead that he might feed

The Pattern was Clear:

1. God is a Shepherd God

2. When God chose a King He chose a Shepherd King
   

3. When God chose a prophet He chose a Shepherd prophet
   

4. When God consecrated a priesthood, He consecrated a Shepherd priesthood

Such a pattern we find fulfilled in Christ

"These are they which testify of me"

So we find all fulfilled in Christ: A Prophet, A Priest, A King and He is a Shepherd:

1. Chief Shepherd (1Peter5:4) - think of His Character which is to mark the elders too.

2. Good Shepherd (John10) - think of His Care for the Sheep:
   

Brings Salvation (Jo10:11,28)

Brings Sustenance (Jo10:9)

Brings Security (Jo10:27ff)

There is a sad little doctrine that some hold to: that I can be saved one day and lost the another

There are various ways to answer this:

1. Doctrinally - from election (Eph1)

Simplest way I can answer this, to the satisfaction of my soul is from the character of the Good Shepherd; He is the Good Shepherd who "gave His life for the sheep" He rescued me from the jaws of the lion and the paw of the bear. Do I really think that He who gave Himself for me and who rescued me from the jaw of the lion and the paw of the bear is somehow going to pick me up and feed me back to the lion? (1 Peter5:8) - not for a minute!

3. The Great Shepherd (Heb13:20)

The completeness of His work:

"through His blood" (v20)

"from the dead" (v20)

"in the believer" (v21)

Christ has begun a good work in me and He will also perform it unto the Day of Jesus Christ.

It is to the same Shepherd that Peter directs me in 1 Peter chp5, he will speak of:

1. A Cross (v1)

2. A Crook (v2-3)
   

3. A Crown (v4)

It is of course:

1. A Shepherds Cross (v1)
   

2. A Shepherds Crook (v2-3): -
   

1. He will feed (v2),
   

2. He will care (v2)
   

3. He will lead by example (v3)

3. A Shepherds Crown (v4)

Peter takes us to 3 glimpses, 3 experiences he has had of the Shepherd, an experience of:

The Shepherds Cross (v1)

Peter knows all about that: "sufferings of Christ"

He was with the Lord in the upper room as the Saviour deliberately took bread and brook it: "take eat this is my body" (Matt26:26); "this is my blood" (Matt26:28)

He was with the Shepherd in the garden of Gethsemane: Matt 26:37 "took with Him Peter and the 2 sons of Zebedee and begun to be sorrowfull and very heavy."

"my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death" (Matt26:38)

When all the disciples forsook Him and fled still Peter "followed, afar off" to the Palace of Caiaphas the High Priest.

May be today you are following but "afar off" - saved but at a distance, maybe the Lord would call you close as only a Shepherd can.

I can't shout you closer, but maybe He can call you closer, for you know His voice: "my sheep hear my voice and they follow me..."

Peter certainly witnessed the sufferings of Christ - but are they the sufferings of a Shepherd?

Ringing in his ear, his last words to Christ: "though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended." (Matt26:33)

Why did Peter say that?

In response to the Lords quotation of Zech13:7 "I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered" (Matt26:31)

These are the sufferings of the Shepherd

These were the words Peter could never forget:

The Lord said - Zech 13:7.

Peter said - Matt 26:33

and Luke records Lk22:61; having denied the Lords the 3rd time: "The Lord turned and looked upon Peter," and "Peter went out and wept bitterly" (22:62)

For Peter the sufferings of Christ would always be the sufferings of the smitten Shepherd, sufferings he had said wouldn't happen, that he would stop.

All of 1 Peter will follow the same pattern as that of Zechariah, almost an exposition of Zech 13:7:

1. Scattered People
   

2. Sacred Dwelling
   

3. Sanctified Priesthood: A Royal Priesthood, A Holy Priesthood
   

4. Suffering Shepherd

The Shepherds Crook (vs2-3)

On resurrection ground the smitten Shepherd would return (John21) with a most interesting commission for Peter

To feed my lambs and feed my sheep

The one who had denied the Shepherd is commissioned to care for the flock, such is the Grace of God! He is “the God of all Grace” (1Peter5:10).

Peter is uniquely qualified, he has learned the greatest lesson in the care of the flock; that care for the flock will and must flow from, devotion to the Shepherd.

That was a painful lesson to learn

I would judge that Peter learned it early that morning as the cock crowed and he went out and wept bitterly.

The Shepherds Crown (v4)

Vision of the coming Christ

Mount of transfiguration (Lk9;Matt17) where he had the experience of / the anticipation of the Glory of Christ.

It will be a Shepherd who will lead us into Glory; He will finish the work He has begun: “from the dead”, “through blood” and “in the believer” – the Great Shepherd (Heb13:20-21).

The chief Shepherd will reward all other Shepherds (5:4) and the Chief Shepherd will return for His flock.

These notes are taken from a message preached on 1 Peter by Dr J Stewart Gillespie, at the Gospel Hall, New Cumnock, Ayrshire. The messages can be downloaded in MP3 format from:

www.newcumnock.org