Reading: In this letter to the believers scattered all over the world, the first thing Peter does is praise God for what he did through Jesus. What did Jesus do? 

The great story of this world in humanity is that we have been rescued from our wrongs and the punishment for those wrongs from God. We deserve to die because of our rebellion against a perfect, righteous, and holy God. We don’t deserve to enter the gates of heaven because of our own sins. No one does. 

Sin means “missing the mark”. It’s like missing where the catcher sets up his spot. Humanity is a picture of a pitcher who can’t hit the strike zone. The wild pitches are out of control with us. Why is there so much tension, chaos, and imperfection in the world? It’s because of that sin. 

But God did something many didn’t expect. 

First, it’s important to point out that God is holy. “Holy” means perfect, spotless, and blameless. God can’t be tainted by our sin and he won’t allow it. But the world has been tainted by sin. 

Have you ever seen a baseball field that is just so pristine? The field crew may put signs up that say “keep off the grass” at times - maybe if it’s a little too wet. Boy, they would get mad if you went out there and stomped around, right? Well, God isn’t happy with sin and what we have done to the world he created. You see, all that sin and disobedience needs to be accounted for. Our holy God wants justice just like we do. We want umpires to call the game right, and similarly, our sin needs to be judged. So without help, we have to take divine punishment on our own - which is called “hell” in the Bible. It sounds like a terrible place.

But like Peter says, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope.” Jesus bore our sins on the cross, and he actually paid for our sins with his body and blood! This is a huge deal! The wrath of God will not fall on us, but it fell on Jesus. That is amazing. He stood in our place! 

He is a “living hope” because he rose from the tomb that his body was laid in, three days later. He defeated the last enemy - death. Now he directs our steps as we walk with him - if we believe in him. When we accept this inheritance (when we believe in Jesus as our Lord), it will never fade away and our spot in heaven is secure. And now, we live a new life because of this story of redemption. Praise God!

Reflection: The gospel, the story of our redemption and God’s forgiveness, can be a tough thing to grasp. What is all this about “divine punishment”? Resurrection from the dead? Forgiveness from sin? Salvation? These are difficult concepts, and sometimes seem like “far off” ideas.

What are the most difficult concepts of this study so far?

What do you think we need to be redeemed from?

Prayer Prompt: Creator God, produce in me a heart of thankfulness for what you have done through your son, Jesus. Sometimes I doubt the power in what Jesus has done for me. I believe that my sins are too great to be forgiven. Help me understand the power of the cross. Help me to believe more that Jesus has nailed our sins to the cross. Save me from my unbelief. You are holy, and I am a sinful man outside of your forgiveness. Give me a new heart today. Help me to have a deeper understanding of how holy you are and how far I am from you without Jesus. Thank you!