Our loving Shepherd and Overseer
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:24-25 CSB
Peter closes out the chapter by citing Jesus’ ultimate example of unfair suffering that happened on the cross. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.” Jesus Christ took upon Himself the consequence of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23), paying the penalty for us, that “we might live for righteousness.” Because of His death and resurrection, we experience new life and have the ability to pursue righteousness. So, by God’s grace and through the working of the Holy Spirit within we should do our best to not continue living in sin. As Paul writes in Romans 6:1-2: “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” The Lord Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin so we can be healed from the effects of sin. “By His wounds you have been healed.” This metaphor reinforces the thought that Christ, through the suffering that He endured, being beaten, mocked and whipped, paid the price of sin so that we may experience life. Living a life of righteousness can be a difficult one. Peter describes us as “sheep,” which are animals that are not known for their intelligence and must be protected and guided constantly by a shepherd. When we were still lost without a Savior, we were “sheep going astray.” But, as we acknowledge our lostness and choose to submit to Christ, we have “now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” Christ cares deeply for His people, as a shepherd for his flock. He is also our Overseer, watching over us, protecting us. Through the suffering of this life, Christ can empathize with us and be an example of how to respond, for He Himself had gone through suffering for our sake. Therefore, we respond, submitting to Him and His leading in every aspect of our lives, especially in the day-to-day experience, for He is our loving Shepherd and ever-present Overseer.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
