1 Peter – Page 13 – Three Minute Bible

July 22, 2020July 22, 2020

1 Peter 2:11 (a) — Jesus’ Shoes

Picture of a man's hand holding the tiny feet of a newborn baby.

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires…

In yesterday’s post, “Party Clothes,” we talked about what it means to be the “people of God.” To illustrate, we turned to Matthew 22:1-14 where Jesus tells the parable of the Wedding Banquet.

We concluded the post with this:

“The people who accept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness are given this wedding garment. In spiritual terms, we are talking about party clothes for the most amazing event in the history of the universe.”

Now Peter continues his thought with what it means to put on and wear the righteousness of Christ. He begins with, “abstain from sinful desires.”

July 21, 2020July 21, 2020

1 Peter 2:10 — Party Clothes

Picture of a banquet room set up for a wedding feast.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I once attended a church whose pastor was a master storyteller. I have never in my life had the pleasure of being entertained by someone so gifted in making a story come to life. Often, the story illustrated a Bible passage. One Sunday, he told a story about the parable of the wedding banquet from Matthew 22: 1-14.

The story was told in his unusual, vivid style. I remember it to this day. The mental images he conjured in my mind are indelible. Sadly, his telling of the story seemed to muddle the point of the Biblical account.

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020

1 Peter 2:9 — Family

Picture of scrabble blocks that spell "family."

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

One of the most amazing aspects of Christianity are the Christians themselves. We are not born of an ancient lineage as are the Jews. We do not have tribal connections or a common heritage. We do not even have a common language. Yet God has made us into one family. More than that, we have become a royal priesthood and a holy nation.

Wherever you find God’s people they declare God’s praises. They are different. You can tell. They no longer walk in darkness. Instead, they walk in the light.

July 19, 2020July 20, 2020

1 Peter 2:8 — Obedience

Picture of a small dog being trained to sit.

…and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

What does it mean for a Christian to “obey” the message? The message is the offer of salvation through belief in Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to obey?

Each of us comes to the Lord from a different place. By that, I mean that you and I are very different. We have grown up in different ways, and have different opinions and experiences. Even in my own family my three brothers all experienced growing up from a different point of view.

July 18, 2020July 18, 2020

1 Peter 2:7 (b) — Choices

Picture of white arrows on a green background with the words "Possibility" placed next to the arrows.

But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…”

Have you ever been one of those people who hate to make choices? I have. I would overthink every little decision. When I finally made a decision I would wonder if I should have chosen differently. Another version of this was the knocking of opportunity. Should I take this opportunity or wait for something better?

All this overthinking and worrying resulted in stress. It also meant I never felt certain about anything. Ironically, finding Jesus put an end to all that anxiety. Suddenly the question, “Is this God’s will?” trumped everything.

July 17, 2020July 18, 2020

1 Peter 2:7 (a) — New Eyes

Picture of reading glasses and clear letters through the lens.

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.

Yesterday we talked about Jesus being the “cornerstone of reality.” In today’s passage, Peter points us to the people who believe.

Something interesting is going on here. The “stone” Peter talks about looks different depending on belief. We will talk more about the unbeliever’s view tomorrow (Lord willing!). The believer’s view alters everything.

July 16, 2020July 17, 2020

1 Peter 2:6 — Read

Picture of a small boy reading an old Bible.

For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Today Peter leads us through the first of three Old Testament passages. He has carefully laid out his teaching about Jesus being a “living Stone.” He points out that this “stone” has been rejected by humans but is precious to God. Then he explains that when we are in Christ, we are like living stones, too. Now he walks us through the Scriptural foundations for his teaching.

How do we know that the Bible is God’s Word? One very important clue is the consistency of God’s Word throughout the Bible.

July 15, 2020July 16, 2020

1 Peter 2:5 (c) — At the Foot of the Cross

Picture of the cross silhouetted against the morning sky.

…offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

This may be one of the most important verses in the Bible. Oh, I know…it looks benign. You can read it and think, “Nice verse…” and go on with your reading. But when I look at this verse I see all the threads in the Bible coming together into one place.

I can guess what you are thinking. You are probably thinking, “Okay, Jeff. Go ahead. Show me how this ties together all the threads in the Bible. But remember, this is ThreeMinuteBible.com, not TwentyYearBible.com, okay?” Okay. Fair enough. Since we are constrained on time, I will use large brush strokes again and see if I can paint a picture of what I see.

July 14, 2020July 15, 2020

1 Peter 2:5 (b) — The Priestly Function

Picture of a priest's hands serving communion.

… to be a holy priesthood…

What is the difference between a “priesthood” and a “holy priesthood?” That is the question that comes to mind today. Peter says that those who are chosen by God, who are being “built into a spiritual house,” are going to be a holy priesthood. What can he mean?

The answer to this question lies in the difference between what God intended the Old Testament priesthood to be and what it actually was.

July 13, 2020July 13, 2020

1 Peter 2:5 (a) — Building Blocks

…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house…

What kind of house do you suppose that Peter is visualizing? What kind of house would Jesus want to be a part of? I realize that Peter is using a metaphor of sorts here and he doesn’t mean a house like anything we have ever seen.