The Centrality of the Cross
The Centrality of the Cross
1 Peter 2:13-25
Introduction: The cross of Christ is the outworking of God’s redemptive purpose. It is a recurring theme in Scripture. It is the converging point between two eternities, and it must be central to human experience. According to Peter:
I. The Cross is God’s Standard for Men (1 Peter 2: 21)
Peter recalls the example of the Lord Jesus and sees in the life and death of the Savior God’s standard for all men. Observe that the standard of the suffering Savior was one of:
1) Absolute Sinlessness (1 Peter 2: 22)
Jesus never failed in deed nor in word; He was neither guilty of error or deceit. He did not deserve to suffer or die. But as a Lamb without blemish and without spot, He suffered and died for men and their salvation. Only a sinless Savior could atone for sinful men.
2) Absolute Submissiveness (1 Peter 2: 23)
The emphasis in this verse is on the surprising silence of Jesus as well as His submission to treatment that He never deserved. When unjustly reproached He did not answer back; when unfairly treated He did not condemn His oppressors, or invoke judgment upon them.
II. The Cross is God’s Salvation for Men (1 Peter 2: 24)
If there were any other way of salvation, God – in His infinite wisdom and power – could have certainly devised it. This is whey the cross is most crucial and central in God’s purpose of redemption. Observe carefully that God’s salvation means:
1) Deliverance from the Penalty of Sin (1 Peter 2: 24)
Here is the clearest statement concerning the purpose of the death of Christ. Peter is giving his testimony as an eyewitness of an event in history, pointing out that the One who died to put away sin was Christ Himself. He took our penalty; no one else could have done this.
2) Deliverance from the Power of Sin (1 Peter 2: 24)
The purpose of Christ’s passion was not only to deliver us from the penalty of sin, but also from the power of sin. As we come to appreciate the death of Christ we cannot do anything else but hate sin and love righteousness.
3) Deliverance from the Poison of Sin (1 Peter 2: 24)
Peter has in mind the unmerciful scourging of the Lord Jesus. The poison of sin affects our whole personalities. It is a sickness with only one antidote: the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. His life laid down in death and taken up again in resurrection cleanses, purifies, and heals.
III. The Cross is God’s Satisfaction for Men (1 Peter 2: 25)
In His inscrutable wisdom, God has made provision not only for our salvation but for our satisfaction. It is one thing to be saved, it is another to realize all that God has designed for our redeemed humanity. So we need both a Savior and a Shepherd. Two thoughts suggest themselves:
1) The Shepherd Restores the Soul (1 Peter 2: 25)
Even after our salvation there is a tendency to wander and stray. This is where our Shepherd comes along to restore our souls. It is more than a restoration from sin; it involves restoration of peace, joy, hope, and love. It is fellowship with God and with fellow saints.
2) The Shepherd Preserves the Soul (1 Peter 2: 25)
Under the care of the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls we can preserve blameless until Jesus Christ comes again and our work on earth is done (1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Tim. 1:12; John 10:28).
Conclusion: Outside of the cross of Christ God has nothing to say to a sinful world; its message to us is one of deliverance and assurance. Come in repentance to that cross, and by an act of faith make it central to every relationship of your life. Only then will you know the healing and harmony that flow from the place called Calvary.