These final two verses of 1 Peter 2 are very encouraging, and present the message of the gospel in a nutshell: We were sinners, and the sacrifice of Christ restored us into a right relationship with God.
You can see this passage for yourself in 1 Peter 2:24-25.
Peter gives his readers, both those who were his contemporaries as well as later readers, some very encouraging words as he finishes up this section of suffering unjustly. Remember, this is in the context of submission, and more specifically, his instructions to those who were slaves. He gives the ultimate example for them in the suffering of Jesus Christ. And although this was written to slaves, the principles hold true for any of us.
Jesus is the example that we should follow. And what Jesus accomplished through his unjust suffering restored us into a relationship with our Creator. What could be more encouraging than that?
Peter finishes this section with a look at the death of Christ, which he willingly experienced in order to make us righteous. He presents the message of the gospel as simply and succinctly as it can be presented: Christ bore our sins on the cross. He died for those sins, in order to make me righteous. That’s good news!
Much of what he states here parallels Isaiah 53 very closely. It is apparent that he saw this suffering servant passage as a foreshadowing of the Messiah. Again, Peter brings this right home, and makes it very personal: It is only by Christ’s wounds that we can be healed.
He finishes this section of his letter with an illustration of sheep and shepherds. He compares his readers to sheep who have gone astray, and need a Shepherd to come and find them. Again, this parallels the flow of Isaiah 53, and Peter draws the same conclusions. The Shepherd, by his actions at Calvary, has brought us back into that right relationship with God; he has restored and redeemed us.
He has brought us home.
Like Peter’s first century readers, we should be grateful for the suffering that Christ endured, because it is what effected our salvation. Christ’s actions on my behalf have paid the penalty that I could not pay on my own, and brought me back into the good graces of the Father.
What could be better news than that?
Question: Do you know the Shepherd personally? Do you have a relationship with Christ, the one who redeemed you? If not, I encourage you to make that decision today. You can leave a comment by clicking here.