Third Sunday of Easter (2023)

Pericopal Series: Living in the Hope of Our Inheritance

1. Living Our Unchangeable Inheritance (1 Peter 1:3–9)

2. Living in Reverent Fear (1 Peter 1:17–21)

3. Living through Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19–25)

4. Living as Holy Priests (1 Peter 2:4–10)

5. Living to Witness to the Hope (1 Peter 3:15–22)

6. Living through Trials and Temptations (1 Peter 4:12–17; 5:6–11)

Peter's first epistle is a letter of hope in the midst of suffering. He wrote to believers chosen by God but persecuted for their faith. Trials and grief try to choke out our hope, but how empty life would be if we followed the way of the world! We would have nothing but a short life in this world of pain with no hope for a better future. Our hope is restored when we remember that we were redeemed by the blood of Christ and that one day we will join our glorious Savior in our heavenly home. Until that day, we live in this world as strangers who are focused on going home — Because Jesus Lives, We Live in the Hope of our Inheritance.

Today’s reading urges us to “Live In Reverent Fear,” while reminding us that “silver or gold” cannot buy the most important commodity in life and that the price is more than any person can pay.

Truth is, in this world there are

Fears Galore

In St. Peter’s letter he is urging his readers, and us, to keep our heavenly inheritance as the highest priority in life. He would have us live our lives in reverent fear. There are many kinds of fear.

Fear of punishment is perhaps the most frequent. The child who misbehaves and the thief who steals are descendants of a man who said to his Maker, “I was afraid because I was naked.”

Fear of injury or of death in an accident is also high on the list. Jesus rebuked his disciples for their lack of faith when they cried out, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” as a storm engulfed their boat (Mt 8:25).

Fear of the unknown frequently surfaced at the appearance of angels: to Zechariah (Lk 1:11–13); to shepherds (Lk 2:10); to the women at the empty tomb (Mt 28:5); and certainly to the soldiers on Easter morning—“The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became as dead men” (Mt 28:4).

In spite of this, there is a “good” fear that Peter calls “reverent fear.” It is not the fear of a slave but a fear or deep respect born out of love toward our heavenly Father. Because he has blessed us with undeserved gifts, we want to please him by keeping his commandments (Jn 14:15; 1 Thess 4:3).

We live in “Reverent Fear” because Christ ransomed us from sin and set us free. We were not ransomed with perishable things like “silver or gold”, but with the only thing that is imperishable — that one thing that will never wear out, the once for all gift — the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The Blood of the very Lamb of God. By His wounds we are not only healed, but have been set free from the penalty of sin, which is death and the grave. The blood of Jesus will never lose it power.

It reaches to the highest mountain,

It flows to the lowest valley.

This blood will never lose it’s power

because it is imperishable.

As Strangers

Loving God and living in reverent fear means that we conduct ourselves as “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11), for we are a “people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9–10). St. Paul admonishes us to

Colossians 3:2 NKJV

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Living in reverent fear is an ongoing rejection of “the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does” (1 Jn 2:16).

The Lord Jesus Christ has called his church to holiness. The Christian is called to live by high standards. Surveys have indicated that the conduct of the church isn’t too different from that of the world. (Tim Lahaye, A Nation Without a Conscience [Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House, 1994] 231).

One survey revealed, “An overwhelming majority of the Christians in the United States have the same habits as the non-Christian population.” Christians live in this world of darkness, YES — continuing the mission Jesus began — but we are not to be “Of the World.” All the fun summer activities are coming up — camping, fishing, hiking, motorcycling, etc. Enjoy those things, absolutely! BUT, be the light of Christ—living in reverent fear—in the midst of those activities.

How will you share Christ with the campers over at the next site? As your fishing with others, remember that Christ Jesus has called you to be “fishers of men.”

We live in this world, but we are not of it because this is not our home. We live as strangers here, pointing others to the means by which Jesus has rescued us — His precious blood. Because by this blood,

You Were Redeemed

Not with silver or gold, which were commonly used to buy slaves. Joseph was sold to Midianite merchants for 20 shekels of silver (Gen 37:28). Judas sells vital information leading to the capture of Jesus for 30 silver coins (Mt 26:15). The guards at the tomb on Easter are paid a large sum of silver money if they say that the disciples came during the night and stole Jesus’ body (Mt 28:12–13):

You were redeemed — but not with the empty way of life. Peter is writing to converts who have come out of heathenism. That way of life they inherited from their forefathers. It is “empty” because it is unfulfilling—an existence that offers no true satisfaction or joy. A similar lifestyle is practiced by those who have a “form of godliness” (2 Tim 3:5), an outward expression of religion and religious activity that is not Christ-centered nor biblically oriented. While such persons know that God exists, they do not give him glory (Rom. 1:21).

The precious imperishable blood of Christ makes us free. In March 1960, the little town of Agidir, Morocco, Africa, was reduced to rubble by an earthquake. At the time, Lt. Gerald Martin was stationed there accompanied by his wife, Sue. While he was not harmed, his wife simply could not be found. Several days of fruitless searching ended when the military people were told to leave the area as a second earthquake was likely to occur. Lt. Martin stayed on. After another day he found Sue, still alive, buried under six feet of debris.

What do you think he did? Scold her for coming there in the first place? Offer advice to her so that she might free herself? Pass down a survival kit? Cheer her up and console her with comforting words? Of course not. He got busy, and with his two hands dug away the rubble until she was free.

So God has dealt with us. Advice or a “do-it-yourself” salvation kit would do no good. Cheerful words of encouragement could not help us. Rather, through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ, God set aside the rubble of sin to rescue us. Slaves to sin, we were ransomed from its guilt, burden, and fearful consequence: Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. . . . If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn 8:34, 36)

Nor did God decide for us on a spur of the moment. Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, “was chosen before the creation of the world” to accomplish what we could not do (1 Peter 1:20). As a result, we live in Reverent Fear, knowing that we are Strangers and aliens, because this place is not our home. In our Fathers house are many mansions, where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, making heaven our home for which Jesus has Redeemed us with His precious blood.

Live or die, and in His wonderful ransom paid for us, we can live in reverent fear in holiness as strangers in this land, because of the wonderful ransom Jesus paid with His very own blood shed for you, to set you free from the power of sin and death.

Thanks be to God, for He does all things well.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.