1 Peter, Sojourner’s Guide to Hope

We’re getting to the part I’ve been most looking forward to.

Recap: Pure milk of the Word from verses 1-3.

As you come to him, a living stone — rejected by people but chosen and honored by God —  you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and honored cornerstone,
and the one who believes in him
will never be put to shame.

So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected —this one has become the cornerstone,

and

A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.

1 Peter 2:4–8

Mixed metaphors…

That’s kind of what Peter’s doing here, and it makes it a bit confusing.

Peter’s Greek lit teacher, probably give him an F, would have to answer to Jesus.

There’s a lot going on here…

1. Rejection is normal.

Jesus is the living stone, we’re living because we’re in him.

If Jesus was rejected, why wouldn’t we be?

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”

John 15:18–20

Remember who Peter is writing to—exiles. They’ve already been rejected.

The reality is, if you are following Jesus, you will be rejected. It’s normal. In some strange way, it’s actually a good sign!

We’ll talk more about this is the next few weeks, as we get more into being the unique people of God and how that inevitably makes us strangers and exiles.

Normal ≠ Fun. It hurts to be rejected. Jesus experienced it with Peter! (and Judas).

2. Priesthood is the natural state of the believer.

“are being built to be a holy priesthood”. All of us.

Some might be raised in the Catholic background, for sure know people who are Catholic. Here’s one of the major differences. We believe that every single believer is also a priest, and this is one of the most important texts.

We have a sort of hierarchy in our evangelical mind as well:

lost ⟫ church member ⟫ SS teacher ⟫ trustee ⟫ deacon ⟫ pastor ⟫ missionary

What kind of sacrifices are we to give then? It says “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” What are those?

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.

Romans 12:1

So literally our very bodies, and the lives we live with them. Also, sacrifice of praise, Hebrews 13.

3. Jesus is never neutral.

Look at verses 7-8 again:

So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected —
this one has become the cornerstone,

and

A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.

1 Peter 2:7–8

So the cornerstone, super important when you’re building with brick. The whole building is based off that one stone, if that’s off the whole thing will be off.

And that’s what He is for us, isn’t he? He’s our cornerstone. Our firm foundation. The one we base our whole lives on.

But if you reject him… the one who is the cornerstone turns into something else… a stumbling stone, a rock to trip over.

See the thing is, Jesus is not the one who’s on trial here, you and I are. He is the cornerstone. The question is whether we will accept or reject that reality.

There is no third option when it comes to Jesus. He will either be the cornerstone of your life, the thing you base everything else on, or he will be the stumbling block you trip over.

He will either be the rock that you stand on or the one that crushes you.

Application

1. Guard against false priesthood creeping in.

You can go directly to God, don’t get in the habit of hearing about him rather than hearing from him. Priests commune with God. You’re a priest.

People will look to another believer, a friend, a teacher, a pastor, heaven forbid, a televangelist, as their source of truth about God/the Bible.

There is no super class of Christians. There’s just Christians. Different roles for sure. But the same Spirit. Same Bible. Same God and Father of all.

2. Get ready to be rejected.

Prepare yourself in advance, so that when it happens, you recognize it.

Honestly, if it doesn’t happen, something’s wrong. Must not be preaching the same message as Jesus.

If Jesus was rejected, why wouldn’t we be?