Day 11 - Jesus is the Perfect Sacrifice

Read 1 Peter 2:21-25

The context of chapter 2 of Peter’s first epistle is that God has called us to be altogether different from the world in which we live. We were once of the world and lived as the world, but we have been transformed, as has our purpose. Peter’s letter describes some of the duties associated with our new purpose; learning about God, putting off sin, service toward God, honoring all people, loving believers, and honoring authority structures established by God. We have also been called to a life of sacrifice.

Peter describes Christ as our example (v21). He then lists the actions and attributes of Christ as the perfect sacrifice:

• He committed no sin and spoke nothing deceitful (v22)
• He didn’t revile when reviled (v23)
• He didn’t threaten when He suffered (v23)
• He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously (v23)
• He bore our sin in His own body so that we could die to sin (v24)
• He empowers us to live for rightness and heals us by His stripes (v24)
• He causes us, sheep who have gone astray, to return to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (v25)

Even a brief moment of meditation upon these specific actions should cause us to be overwhelmed by the goodness of God. The Lord of Glory came down from His heavenly throne to serve the Father by dying to purchase us! He didn’t sin. He didn’t grumble or complain about having to do this work. He didn’t lash out and destroy those who humiliated Him. He didn’t refuse to take the very worst and most offensive of our sins upon Himself. He didn’t refuse the physical or spiritual punishment that He didn’t deserve.

He, the perfect sacrifice, took our sins upon Himself and died with them in His possession. Every stripe He received was a moment of healing for us. How can we not say, “thank You!” He led us, the imperfect sheep, back to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. Not only did He lead us back, but He causes us to be, by His imputed perfection, spotless and without blemish as we return to the Father.

Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, has now caused us to become living stones in the house of God (v5), living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1), and followers of His perfect example (v21). He has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). We do these things as a testimony to the greatness of our God!

In this season of fasting and prayer, my hope is that we will honor the tremendous sacrifice of Christ by living our lives just as He did, apart from sin and in service to God and man. My prayer is that we will humble ourselves to receive insult and injury from others while committing justice and judgment to the Lord. My prayer is that we will pour out our thanks to the One who poured out His life for us. My prayer is that we will walk together as one flock, following the leading of the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. My prayer is that we will honor Christ as our example and glorify Him as the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the whole world.

by Ira Hill