I've talked a lot about Peter and his journey with Jesus to become the Rock and the Foundational Father of the early Christian movement. He grew so much from the first moment Jesus called him till the moment the Holy Spirit first came at the Pentecost. And I could say a lot about what is written about Peter in the Acts of the Apostles and how God used this broken and humbled man to shepherd a new Christian family. But what I want to write and focus on tonight is Peter's first letter to the Church.
The book of First Peter is thought to have been written around 60 AD near the very end of Peter's life. This is an important observation for two reasons; one, this means it was written about 30-35 years after Jesus rose from the dead and the letter would have been tempered with the life lessons of a seasoned and very wise old man. Second, around the year 60 AD Emperor Nero launched as horrific campaign against the rising Christian Church that would result in immeasurable persecution and death, including Peter and Paul who both lived in Rome at the time.
It is in this setting that Peter decides to write a letter to all his fellow believers, scattered across the four corners of the empire. I Peter is a book not only of hope and perseverance but a call to refuel Jesus' original Message of love. Below are some excerpts of I Peter taken from The Message translation. As you read them I challenge you to place yourself in Peter's shoes as he is remembering a lifetime of serving his Master and a lifetime of learning what it means to follow Jesus. It's almost as if every word he writes is not only an encouragement to his brethren but I think he is reminding himself why he first fell in love with Jesus. He is almost certainly written to himself.
"I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to the exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!"
"What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to life for"
"Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory."
"So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, 'I am holy; you be holy."
Probably my favorite section of I Peter in The Message is simply called "The Stone" in Chapter 2. It is here where Peter talks about Jesus being the cornerstone and it is only by accepting that fact for your life that you can life a full life. The way Jesus envisioned it. The way it was meant to be.
Since I am getting long winded in this post I will conclude my thoughts on I Peter 2 in my next post.
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