1 Peter: Confidence in a Complex WorldSýnishorn

12: The Footsteps We Follow

I passed through the security gate and found a spot in the dusty car park of a cereal factory on the outskirts of Cape Town. Cape Town is a beautiful city, but this part was not. Tourists don’t go there; the rich don’t buy holiday homes there – it’s the place where stuff gets made. As I got out of my pickup and headed to reception, I did a double take. ‘What on earth?’ Strolling around the edge of this drab, industrial parking area was a majestic antlered beast, which I learnt from the receptionist was a gemsbok. ‘Gemsbok, what are you doing here?’

In 2:13-3:7, Peter covers some pretty unglamorous stuff: the difficulty of living under suspicious rulers. The drudgery of slavery and the dread brought about by violent masters. The awkward dynamic in marriage when one worships Christ, while the other still worships idols. This was the stuff of everyday life that Peter’s readers were dealing with: the messy, the futile, the ugly. In this gallery of the daily grind Peter chooses to hang a beautiful portrait of Jesus. ‘Jesus, what are you doing here?’

Jesus is the one who saves us from sin and death. In his body on the cross, he ‘bore our sins’. He was fatally wounded that we might be made completely whole (2:24). Only he can bring lost sheep back to their true shepherd (2:25). For this reason, we worship Jesus now, with the whole of our lives. 

But his death is not just an event in history to look back on in wonder, it lays down the pattern for how we should live in every area of life. These first Christians faced the pain of rejection and insults. Jesus did too. But ‘when they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly’ (2:23). Despite all the pain, misunderstanding and humiliation, not one bad word passed through his lips (2:22). This is the example we emulate; these are the footsteps we follow (2:21). 

Wherever you might be today, remember Jesus has set you free. Whatever you might be doing, even if it’s hard, even if it’s dull, even if there’s conflict, do it with Jesus, do it like Jesus. It’s amazing where you might discover him at work. 

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Reflect:

What strikes you most about Peter’s portrait of Jesus? How is he beautiful?

Do you find it easier to see Jesus in church services than in your day-to-day life? If so, why do you think that is? 

Pray:

Thank Jesus that not only does he provide you with an example, but he’s also set you free from the power of sin so you can ‘live for righteousness’ (2:24). Pray that you might know the power of his Spirit in you to follow in his footsteps today.