Dan Herold | 1 Peter 1:17-21 | 4/30/2017
We love stories of redemption. We love hearing about the down and out underdog that somehow is restored to glory.
A few years ago there was a popular movie titled, “Catch Me If You Can.” It told the life story of a man named Frank Abagnale. Mr. Abagnale was one of the most successful con-artists ever to live. He perfected the art of forgery. He forged checks and swindled away millions of dollars. He forged credentials to pretend he was a doctor for some time. He forged a degree from Harvard Law School and practiced law as a lawyer for a while. At the age of 16 he faked his way into the pilot seat of commercial airliners. Then, one day it all came crashing down. His luck ran out and and the law caught up to him and he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Eventually, though, he was released and now works with the FBI and other companies working to stop criminals from doing the things Mr. Abagnale did in his younger years.
The world of sports is full of these sort of redemption stories. Last year the Chicago cubs won the World Series after not having won a championship for 108 years. Cubs fans watched as their hearts were broken every summer for over 100 years when their team’s season ended without a championship. But now…now their hope has been restored and the fans are hoping for a repeat—or at least hoping they won’t have to wait another 100 years to see their team win a championship.
In our Gospel reading this morning we heard about some people who were in need of redemption. We heard about two disciples walking toward Emmaus who were heartbroken…they had lost their hope. They had hoped that Jesus would be their Savior, but they didn’t understand everything the Scriptures said about him—so when they heard that he had died their hope was crushed. They probably felt a little ashamed and scared because they felt like they had lost their direction. But their hope wasn’t lost for good…it was restored! It was restored as Jesus explained things to them and then revealed himself to them.
In a similar way you and I are tempted to give up our hope. Satan tempts us to give up on our Savior—to give up on this Jesus we have never seen or met. But we are going to look closely at a few verses from 1 Peter this morning that explain to us that our hope is real! And even though at times we might be tempted to give up Peter tells us that Jesus Christ rose from the dead to restore our hope.
Think of what it was like for those disciples on their way to Emmaus, or maybe you have felt the same way as they did at one point or another. They had put their hope in Jesus to be the Messiah that was promised to them by God, but how could he be if he died? That’s a major issue for any of us to get our minds around. How is it that God’s son died? The immediate temptation is to say that if he truly died then he must not have been God…he must not have been the Savior. But he was! Jesus Christ is your Savior and mine, and yes he did die. God’s own Son, who himself was true God as well, did die. There are no two ways about it—Jesus died…God died. But, he didn’t stay dead because after three days he rose from the dead and now is our living Lord and Savior.
Jesus said to these disciples,
“How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
These disciples trusted in Jesus, but they didn’t yet understand and trust ALL that the prophets had said about Jesus. So, Jesus explained to them that there was no reason for these disciples to be heartbroken—the prophets had told them this was going to happen!
And in the same way it shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus had to suffer all those things. It can be difficult for our human minds to understand and confess that God died on the cross for our sins, but Peter reminds us that it had to be that way. He says,
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“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”
From the very beginning, God was reminding us that it would take blood to wash away our sins. By nature our own blood is required to pay for sin, but God devised a plan to spare us from suffering that terrible fate. He appointed his Son Jesus to be our sacrificial lamb whose blood would be shed to wash away our sins. Every Old Testament sacrifice, every Passover lamb, pointed forward to our Savior who would suffer and die for our sins. So, it doesn’t need to crush our hope when we hear that Jesus died, because we know why he died and we know that he is no longer dead.
When Jesus died on the cross he defeated Satan, but Satan is a relentless enemy whose attacks didn’t stop even though he was defeated. Now, Satan tempts us to question whether or not Jesus really was our Savior because he died. And to our sinful nature that makes sense…that our hope should die if the object of our faith died. But in reality, the object of our faith isn’t dead! He did die for a time, but rose from the dead to restore our hope. Now since Christ lives, our hope lives as well!
That sort of hope sets Christians apart in this world. Paul says that we are in the world, but not of the world and that is very evident in the hope that we have. And in 1 Peter 1:17 Peter tells us how to conduct our lives here on earth. He says to,
“…live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.”
If you live as though this world was your permanent home then when loved ones die, or things fade away, or your favorite team loses your hope is shattered and you have nothing left to rescue you and restore your hope. If we follow Peter’s instructions though and recognize that we aren’t meant to stay here forever and that heaven is our home then we always have our risen Savior to restore our hope.
I have to confess I’ve always been envious of these two disciples with whom Jesus spoke. How awesome would it be to just have Jesus appear and explain everything to you from Moses and the prophets? What better teacher could you ask for? Sadly, I can’t guarantee to you that that will ever happen to any of us. However, I can promise you that Jesus will still speak to you and reveal himself to you. And that’s why I am going to encourage you to do just what Peter encouraged and live your lives in reverent fear as strangers here. And what I mean by that, is don’t let this sin filled world dictate how you, who have been redeemed from the empty way of life handed down from your forefathers, spend your time in this strange place that isn’t you permanent home.
People might mock you for you faith, they might call you names, they might even act downright mean to you at times. There will be an endless list of things you want to do on Sunday mornings other than be in church. There might even be family functions or events your kids are involved in that tempt you to miss out on your precious time with God. But in the long run, if you can’t expect Jesus to show up one day walking alongside you and explain everything to you, then you need to live as a stranger here. You need take every opportunity to hear God’s word at church and in Bible study, and also at home in your devotions and discussions with your family.
And when those attacks come, when the temptations tug at you, and when the name calling begins to hurt—and it will—that’s when you can truly appreciate having a Savior like Jesus Christ who rose from the dead to restore you and your hope. That’s when you begin to understand what it means to have a Savior who fills up all things in every way. And that is when you finally understand what it means to have a permanent home in heaven reserved for you along with all people who trust in their risen Savior to give them peace, to restore their hope, and wash away all their sins.
Life in this world is going to break your heart. It’s going to take you to tremendous highs and terrible lows. But, through it all you have a Savior who redeems and restores you. You have Jesus…true man and true God. He truly lived, he truly died, and he truly lives again. There is only one person who can restore your hope when your heart is broken—it’s Jesus…the one who loves you every day the same and even calls you by your name.
In His name,
Amen.