16. Understanding our Redemption Pt 4

Defining Purpose of Obedience is Holiness

Understanding our Redemption Pt 4

1Pe 1:13-21  Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  (14)  as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;  (15)  but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  (16)  because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."  (17)  And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;  (18)  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,  (19)  but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  (20)  He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you  (21)  who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

We have seen in keeping with the context of these verses that a means of growing in holiness is understanding what we have been redeemed from and what we have been redeemed with. The word redeemed implies that Someone else has purchased us. We have been redeemed with precious blood. Why is it precious? Because it alone accomplishes our redemption when no amount of gold and silver can. With precious blood also indicates to us that it was substitutionary. We have seen that it is sacrificial in nature. A life for a life. Someone stood in our place to bear our just condemnation. Peter now tells us Who it is that has redeemed us.

A quick reminder of our points:

1. The Value of the Substitution – precious blood

2. The Validity of the Substitution – as of a lamb without blemish or spot

This morning we will look at the the 3rd point.

3. The Virtue of the Substitution– of Christ

Peter uses not His given name to identify our Redeemer, but His title – “Christ”. Since there is nothing in Scripture that is written without purpose we need to delve into what the meaning of this is.

I do not want this too sound clinical or as a lecture. But it is important to lay the pieces together to understand the profound meaning of what Peter is saying. I remember the first propane grill I ever purchased. I didn’t take the time to read the instructions or lay out the parts in an orderly fashion and obviously since I did not read the instructions I did not know the order of putting the parts together. It took me three times longer and I ended up reading the instructions to get it right anyway. So we will lay the text out in what I hope is an orderly fashion and put them together.

Christ literally means the Anointed One the Hebrew equivalent is Messiah. To be anointed in the Scripture is to be set apart for a specific purpose or place. There were three types of anointing in the OT: Prophets, Priests and Kings. Each of these offices plays a prominent role in the OT. Each of these where filled by different people at different times. Prophets were the revealer of knowledge. Through the prophets God revealed Who He is and what He requires of us, blessings for obedience and judgments for disobedience. As we saw earlier in 1Pe 1:10-12  Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,  (11)  searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.  (12)  To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into. The were appointed by God and anointed for service.

1Ki 19:15-16  Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.  (16)  Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

Moses spoke of a Prophet whom God would raise up after Him. Deu 18:18-19  I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.  (19)  And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.

Peter recognizes that Christ is that Prophet. Act 3:19-26  Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,  (20)  and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,  (21)  whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.  (22)  For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN. HIM YOU SHALL HEAR IN ALL THINGS, WHATEVER HE SAYS TO YOU.  (23)  AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERY SOUL WHO WILL NOT HEAR THAT PROPHET SHALL BE UTTERLY DESTROYED FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE.'  (24)  Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.  (25)  You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.'  (26)  To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."

Jesus is that prophet.

The priest offers sacrifices for himself and the people and intercedes on their behalf. They are appointed by God and anointed for service.

Exo 40:13-15  You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.  (14)  And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics.  (15)  You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."

No longer are there priests that year by year enter into the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifices. But Jesus has entered in once and for all time. Heb 2:17  Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Jesus is the High Priest

The Kings in the OT were also appointed and anointed by God. As Samuel established Saul as the first king of Israel and made his farewell speech to Israel, twice he referred to Saul as “His [the Lord’s] anointed” (1 Sam. 12: 3, 5). As David learned of the death of Saul he called him “the Lord’s anointed” (2 Sam. 1:14, 16). David himself had refused to kill Saul for he was “the Lord’s anointed” (1 Sam. 26:11, 23). Samuel anointed David as king (1 Sam. 16:13). Elijah anointed Hazael king over Aram and at the same time anointed Jehu king over Israel (1:15–16)

The primary function as King in the OT was a righteous rule in accordance to God’s Law, to fight against and subdue the people’s enemies and to enlarge the kingdom in accordance to the promise of God given to Abraham.

Col 2:13-15  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,  (14)  having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  (15)  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Jesus is the King

You may say brother you read too much into this text. But I say that Peter through out his letter infers and implies all of this and summarizes it in 1Pe 3:18-22  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,  (19)  by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,  (20)  who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.  (21)  There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,  (22)  who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

We see His priesthood in His atoning death. We see His being Prophet as He preached to the spirits now in prison, and we see His kingship in v22. who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

These offices are not forced upon Christ by others wishing Him to be something He is not. These He spoke of concerning Himself. Jesus speaking in Joh 3:34-36  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  (35)  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  (36)  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Speaks the words of God – Prophet

The Father loves the Son and has given ALL things into His hand – His is king

He who believes the Son has everlasting life – Priest

If there is any doubt Jesus words to Pilate make it perfectly clear. Joh 18:37  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

So why is this important? It all goes back to our redemption. We have been redeemed by the precious blood of the Christ. He was without sin and there was no deceit found in His mouth. He is the Passover Lamb who shed His own blood on the cross to redeem His people from their sins.

It is a complete redemption lacking in nothing. Christ is the redeeming Prophet while we are on the earth we will never lack the ministry of the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us and in heaven Christ is the eternal Word of God. As the redeeming priest He stands forever in the heavenly holy of holies a living sacrifice, a constant reminder of His once for all time atoning work. Ministering forever as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. The king of Salem who is a type of Christ who was to come. And Christ intercedes even now for His people. As our redeeming King He has crushed the Serpents head, has freed us from the dominion of sin and continues through the work of the Spirit to free us from the power of remaining sin. He will bring us to His kingdom where by Him we will be free from even the presence of sin. All things will be brought in subjection to Him and His kingdom will be the Kingdom of Peace. There will be no more sorrow, no more tears.