A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
1 Peter 2:4-12
Key Verse: 2:9
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of
him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
Praise God for Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and rose
again. In the past we were not God's people but Satan's slaves. But with the
precious blood of Jesus Christ, we were redeemed from the empty way of life.
Now we have a new identity in Christ and a living hope in the kingdom of
God. Then, with this new identity and glorious living hope, what kind of life
should we live in this world? Verse 9, the key verse for today, gives us a clear
direction for what kind of life we should live in this sinful world.
I.
The Living Stone
Look at verse 4. "As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by
men but chosen by God and precious to him." As we know well, the early
Christians in fellowship with Peter were under fiery persecutions, suffering
grief in all kinds of trials. Because of the persecutions of the Jews and
Romans, they lost their loved ones, homes, and homeland like the North
Korean refugees who escaped from the hunger and fiery persecutions of their
country. They were scattered in all directions to unknown foreign lands, and
they became aliens and strangers. Since they were in a fiery ordeal, they
needed a place of haven. For the best place of shelter, Peter urges the early
Christians to come to the living Stone. Who is the living Stone?
Peter calls Jesus the living Stone in light of the historical background.
In the Bible Jesus has many nicknames related to stone. Jesus is called the
foundation stone in 1 Corinthians 3:11. He is called the capstone or
cornerstone in Matthew 21:42. He is also called in Daniel 2:34 the stone
that smashes all other stones of the world and their power, or the stone which
judges. But, with this background in mind, Peter calls Jesus the living Stone
because he is forever unchanging; he is the same yesterday, today, and
forever, and at the same time, he has abundant vitality and fullness of life in
himself. He is also powerful and solid, like a mountainous rock. Peter calls
Jesus the living Stone on the basis of the gospel fact that he was rejected,
suffered and died on the cross but God raised him from the dead, and made
him Lord, King, and Judge of all men. It is obvious that when Peter called
him the living Stone, he was thinking of Jesus as the Almighty and living
God who rules the world with power and authority and majesty, judging the
good and the evil, smashing the evil and rewarding the good.
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Look at verse 4 again. "As you come to him, the living Stone-rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him." This verse
reminds us of Isaiah 53:3, which says, "He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men
hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." This verse
clearly tells us how people responded to Jesus' earthly Messianic ministry.
Jesus began his gospel ministry. Mostly his ministry consisted of healing
the sick, driving out demons and preaching the good news of the kingdom of
God. When Jesus began his earthly Messianic ministry he saw many people
who were sick spiritually. He saw many who were possessed by evil spirits
and were out of control. Jesus healed them one by one out of his Messianic
compassion. Jesus also healed the physically sick people. The life of Jesus
was indeed beautiful. He was eyes to the blind; comfort to the sorrowful;
hope to fatalistic people.
Jesus not only healed the sick, he also preached the good news of the
kingdom of God. Mark 1:15 says, "The time has come. The kingdom of God
is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Jesus preached to people the
good news of the kingdom of God so that he might bring them back to his
kingdom. What was the people's response? They should have praised him.
But these sinful people despised and rejected him simply because Jesus
healed the sick and preached the good news of the kingdom of God. The
more Jesus healed the sick and preached the good news of the kingdom of
God, the more sinful people despised and rejected him. They despised and
rejected him because they loved the darkness more than the light (Jn 3:19).
Finally, men in their wretchedness and sinfulness rejected and crucified him
and threw him away like a stone rejected by a builder.
But God raised Jesus from the dead and made him the capstone of
world salvation. God made him the source of eternal salvation. God made
him the most important person in history, the Savior of the world. God made
him Prophet, Priest, and King. God made him Christ the Lord over all
peoples of all nations. Therefore, when we are rejected and persecuted
because of Jesus, we must come to the living Stone--rejected by men and
chosen by God and precious to him. No one in my family was a Christian
until I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord when I was a sophomore
at college. I thought that my family would be glad that I became a Christian.
But instead they rebuked and persecuted me. I was discouraged. However,
when I came to Jesus the living Stone--rejected by men and chosen by God
and precious to him, I found comfort and strength.
Look at verse 5. "You also, like living Stones, are being built into a
spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ." In this verse, Peter does not sympathize with
suffering fellow Christians, but encourages them to be like Jesus, the rejected
stone. In brief, he admonishes them not to be afraid of rejection and
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persecution. Rejection and persecution may be the essential qualities of
Christians and of the Christian church. In verse 5, Peter boldly directs his
flock to become rejected stones so that they might also become like living
stones. Peter encourages them to receive rejection and persecution on
account of Jesus. Jesus also said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:10).
II.
A Spiritual House (4-8)
Look at verses 4-5. "As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected
by men but chosen by God and precious to him--you also, like living stones,
are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Peter compares the
spiritual house to a whole man. When we live for Jesus, we face many
rejections and persecutions, including rejections and persecutions even from
our own family members. But those rejections and persecutions cannot crush
us. Rather, through them, we Christians grow spiritually in our inner men, as
a holy priesthood and one who can offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.
The spiritual house is compared to the fellowship of Christians in
Jesus. Christians cannot be isolated; Christians must have their unity in Jesus
through inter-dependance and through encouraging one another. In this way,
they must establish a spiritual house--that is, the church of God. This house is
not an organization; it is a living organism. If one part of the body is sick,
then the whole body suffers. If one part of the body is joyful, then the whole
body is joyful. Christians serve God as his priests, each in his given situation,
building up spiritual houses acceptable and pleasing to God. Almost all the
peoples of the world want to be accepted by other people. They want
recognition and fame. How can Christians volunteer to become rejected
stones? Peter encouraged the early Christians to come to Jesus, quoting
Isaiah 28:16, "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." To one who
believes, this Stone is a Rock of Salvation to him (7a). But for one who does
not believe, this Stone causes him to stumble and it makes him fall. Such
people not only stumble and fall, they will also be smashed, as Daniel
prophesied. They will be judged and put to shame. In fact, they will suffer in
the fiery lake of burning sulfur along with all kinds of evil doers. On the other
hand, those who believe, though for a while they suffer grief, they will be
blessed with honor and glory and power, together with King Jesus, the Stone
laid in Zion. They will never be put to shame.
III.
A Royal Priesthood (9-12)
Look at verse 9a. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people belonging to God,..." In this verse, four words: "a
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chosen people," "a royal priesthood," "a holy nation," and "a people
belonging to God" are titles God used for his people Israel (Is 43:20; Ex
19:5,6). But Peter applied these titles to the spiritual Israelites, all Christians
including you and me, who have been redeemed with the precious blood of
Jesus Christ (Rm 9:6).
First, a Christian is a chosen people. This immediately speaks of
the grace, mercy, and love of God. God did not choose Israel because they
were a great people, but because he loved them. Deuteronomy 7:7-8 says,
"The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were
more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your
forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you
from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt." God
has chosen us purely because of his grace and mercy and love. John 15:16
says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and
bear fruit--fruit that will last." What a special grace and mercy and love to
be chosen by the sovereign God! We are a chosen people.
Second, a Christian is a royal priesthood. At that time, the new
Christians were full of a slave mentality. They could not see tomorrow but
only today. But God called them "a royal priesthood." What does "a royal
priesthood" mean? There are a tremendous number of references to this in
the Old Testament including Exodus 19:6, which says, "You will be for me a
kingdom of priests." But in terms of New Testament theology, we can say
that it means "a shepherd nation." A priest is a mediator between God and
man. Jesus is our good shepherd; he is the only mediator between God and
man (1 Ti 2:5). In the Old Testament, priests were chosen to serve God in
the temple. Their duty was to offer sacrifices for sin (Lev 1:1-17). They also
taught the word of God (Lev 10:11). In short, they were chosen by God to
intercede for their people and teach the word of God as shepherds. When God
made a covenant with Abraham, God intended to make him a blessing by
making him a shepherd for his nephew, as well as for all peoples of the world
(Ge 12:2,3). Here we learn God's hope. God's hope is indeed great. The
Israelites were ugly slave people with a beggar mentality and an easygoing
desire. They were nothing but slaves of easygoing and pleasure-seeking
desires. But God had hope in them to be raised as a royal priesthood so that
the knowledge of God might be proclaimed to the whole world through them.
God had hope to raise them as shepherds and scatter them throughout the
whole world. God's hope is so great that we cannot fathom the width and
depth and height of it. So Paul the apostle confessed, "Oh, the depth of the
riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his
judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" (Ro 11:33) God hoped the
Israelites would be raised as good shepherds for his people as well as for all
people of the world. We praise God for God's hope for his people as well as
for us. Who could have hope for the sinful Samaritan woman mentioned in
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John 4? She was a sinful woman with five husbands and a roommate. But
Jesus changed her into a holy woman of God who could worship God in spirit
and in truth. She also became a fruitful shepherdess. Who could have hope
for the demon-possessed man mentioned in Mark 5? He was possessed by the
legion of demons, but Jesus set him free. He was restored in the image and
mission of God. He became a powerful gospel worker. May God use each of
us as a royal priesthood, a shepherd and a shepherdess, for many lost sheep in
our generation.
Third, a Christian is a holy nation. Our God is the holy God.
Isaiah 6:4 says, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full
of his glory." God is love, and at the same time, God is holy (1 Jn 4:8; Lev
11:44). Many people interpret the word "holy" as "separated" or "different
from others." But the Bible teaches that the holiness of God combines God's
love and God's righteousness. Simply speaking, God does not like dirty
things: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy,
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. When God said, "You are a holy nation,"
God wanted his people to be holy, as God is holy. God wanted his people to
bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Without knowing the
holiness of God, we cannot honor and love God. Without knowing the
holiness of God, we cannot be happy because the peace of God, which comes
from the holy God, cannot dwell in our hearts. Without knowing the holiness
of God, our hearts become like a dirty and smelly junkyard. But when we
know the holiness of God and grow in it, we feel clean and pure with full of
joy and happiness. When we know the holiness of God and grow in it, we can
honor God as God and serve him in holiness and righteousness. May we grow
in the holiness of God and serve him as a holy nation in this sinful generation.
Fourth, a Christian is a people belonging to God. In the past, we
were a people belonging to Satan. Satan made us slaves of a hedonistic life
style and made us serve material things, physical pleasures and the things of
the world that would perish, spoil and fade away. But God saved us from
the power of Satan and made us children of righteousness, a people belonging
to God. Thank God that he saved us from the hand of Satan and made us, his
precious children, a people belonging to God.
What is God's purpose in choosing his people? Look at verse 9b.
"...that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness
into his wonderful light." According to this verse, God chose us to declare the
praises of Jesus who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. We
should not keep silent but proclaim the precious name of Jesus. In the past,
we were in the darkness of sin. In our ignorance we tried to find a kind of
pleasure in the world. As a result, we piled up the wrath of God. In the
darkness of sin we wounded others' lives in order to gratify our sinful desires.
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When we were in the darkness of sin, we were afraid of losing a life of sin
because we thought that if we don't commit sin we would have no fun. We
were spiritually blind. We did not know that there is an inexpressible and
glorious joy in Jesus through the new birth. In short, by the grace of God,
we came out of the darkness of sin into the wonderful light of Jesus. Now we
must declare his marvelous grace that he called us out of darkness into his
wonderful light as our first priority. This seems to be a very small matter. But
when we have a clear experience of the new birth and proclaim the marvelous
grace of Jesus, then the course of many lives will change. When the
Samaritan woman declared the praises of Jesus who called her out of
darkness into his wonderful light, many of the Samaritans believed in Jesus
because of the woman’s testimony (Jn 4:39). When the man, who was healed
from demon-possession, declared how much Jesus had done for him, all the
people were amazed (Mk 5:20). This is the reason the Risen Jesus asked
Simon Peter three times to take care of his sheep after asking him three times,
"Do you love me?" May we declare the praises of God who called us out of
darkness into his wonderful light through diligent Bible teaching ministry.
Why do we do this? Look at verse 10. "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." In the past we were not the children of
God but the children of the devil. But now we are the people of God. In the
past we were not worthy of God's mercy. But through his Son Jesus Christ,
we received God=s mercy.
How can God's people live in a sinful world and at the same time
glorify God? Look at verses 11-12. "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens
and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against
your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse
you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the
day he visits us." Peter urges Christians to abstain from sinful desires and live
good influential lives. We must love what God loves and hate what God hates.
Why we do this? Look at verse 12b. "...they may see your good deeds and
glorify God on the day he visits us." We live the way God wants us to live so
that the pagan people may see our good deeds and glorify God. We are
chosen to declare the praises of Jesus who brought us from darkness to the
wonderful light. We declare the name of Jesus so that they can see the light of
Jesus and come to God in order to be saved. This is a part of participating in
God's world salvation purpose as a royal priesthood.
Today we learned who Jesus is. Jesus is the living Stone. We also
learned our true identity in Jesus. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, and a people belonging to God. God called us so that we may
declare the mighty name of Jesus Christ. May God help us to declare the
praises of Jesus who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light
through diligent Bible teaching ministry this new year.
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