During the time of the Old Testament, God's people were required to offer animal sacrifices to atone for their sins. These sacrifices were required to be perfect, without any fault or blemish. The problem with this sacrificial system is that they were not good enough to atone for all sin. You see, as soon as God's people committed more sins, more sacrifices were required. Everything changed with Jesus. When He came, He was the perfect, final sacrifice. His blood that He shed on the cross was accepted once and for all as a ransom for the sins of the world. As a result, Jesus deserves every ounce of worship we can bring to Him and more.
The book of Revelation reveals that Jesus is the only One worthy of our worship because of the blood that He shed on the cross. In chapter 5, John records a vision where God revealed to him what the end times would be like. Part of his vision recorded Jesus being worshiped because of His worthiness. As a group of elders and four living beings who said to Him, "You are worthy… For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." (verse 9). Jesus is so worthy because He laid down His life for the sins of the world, and His blood paid the price that our sins demanded
Peter provides a helpful explanation of just what Jesus did for us in 1 Peter 1. He wrote, “You know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose Him as your ransom long before the world began” (verses 19-21a). Before the world began, God made a plan to send Christ to rescue us and pay the price for our sins. What a wonderful savior we have! Praise God for all that He has done for us, especially sending Jesus to pay the price for our sins with His blood.
The fact that Jesus paid the price for our sins to rescue us from sin and death is too good to keep to ourselves. It is meant to be shared with the people around us. Who can you share your two-minute story of what Christ has done in your life with today? Reach out to them today in order to share the hope of Christ!
2This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
May God give you more and more grace and peace.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.
12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.
13 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.
21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.
23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 24 As the Scriptures say,
“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.