BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

There’s no place like home. But what happens when your home starts to feel like exile? Today, we begin the first letter from Peter, which he writes to Gentile followers of Jesus in first-century Asia Minor. They were following a “new” God, which sparked suspicion and hostility from Roman neighbors at every turn. In their familiar home, these Jesus followers were starting to feel like outsiders wandering through.

So Peter offers encouragement from Hebrew Bible stories about people who had similar experiences. Old Jewish family stories for non-Jewish Christians? What does Abraham have to do with new Gentile Jesus followers in Asia Minor? Quite a lot, it turns out.

God first called Abraham to share his blessing with the entire Earth (Gen. 12:1-3). God later entrusted this calling to Abraham’s descendants, Israel, God’s “kingdom of priests” and “holy nation” (Exod. 19:3-6). Now, Peter says to his Gentile readers, you are that “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation … now you are God’s people” (1 Pet. 2:9-10). That old story is yours, so start its next chapter well.

God always intended for his chosen, holy people to reflect his character to the world. So live like the Messiah, even (or perhaps especially) under pressure. Reject “fleshly desires that wage war against the soul” and maintain “good conduct” among all neighbors. Do this to teach others, including suspicious and hostile neighbors, about God so they know him when he returns (1 Pet. 2:11-13).

Whether you’re sojourning with Jesus in ancient Egypt, first-century Rome, or any other kingdom, sincere love for one’s neighbor remains the core characteristic in God’s family—a family of tested, gritty, and hope-filled people who trust God through every generation.

Reflection Questions

• Imagine you are a Gentile Christian who reads this letter while suffering because of your faith. How might this letter encourage you while suffering? Which parts would be the most meaningful?
• Take a moment to review Jeremiah’s instructions to the people of God who were living in exile in ancient Babylon (Jer. 29). What similarities do you notice between Jeremiah’s letter and today’s reading?