1 Peter 3:22
22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
Jesus Christ is now in heaven seated at the right hand of God, and all the angels and authorities are bowing down to Him. He triumphed over death and over all evil; He ascended into heaven, to a place of great honor; and we too who believe will have this great privilege and adventure.
1 Peter 2:24
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
This is the mystery of the new life. Believing in Him we enter the miracle of the process of the new life. Since He died to pay for our sins, we in turn also died with Him and are freed from our sins. And because He was raised from the dead, having paid for our sins, we also, in Him, are raised with our sins paid for. Being cleansed of sin we live in righteousness.
Now putting it another way, we could say that through the wounds that He suffered on the cross, we are healed. We are spiritually healed from any ailment do to sin now, and we will be physically healed at our glorification (Rev. 21:4).
1 Peter 2:23
23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Jesus was abused with hateful language (especially at His trial and during His crucifixion). But He did not say anything back. Mathew records (in Matt. 27:12-14): “And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?’ 14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.”
The reason why he remained silent is because He knew it was His time to suffer, and He also knew that only His Father could deliver Him. So, He entrusted Himself (handed Himself over) to God whom He knew would judge Him righteously. His Father would let Him be crucified to pay for our sins, but in the end He would be resurrected and returned to heaven.
1 Peter 2:10
10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Speaking to both believing Jews and Gentiles, Peter reminds them that they were “called out of darkness.” And in that state they were not the people of God but were of the devil and of darkness. In fact, Peter writes that they were “not a people.” I suppose he meant that being always guided by their fleshly desires, they were more like animals than people. Hence, they also did not receive God’s mercy. But when they came to the light and believed they were privileged as Children of God to receive His mercy.
1 Peter 2:7-8
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”
8 and,
“A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”;
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
The “precious value” is in Jesus our cornerstone. But those who disbelieve Him and reject Him, He will become for them the cornerstone that will cause them to stumble (see Ps. 118:22); He will be their judgment. This judgment on them is divinely appointed because of their disobedience and unbelief. Hence, just as believers are appointed for salvation (Rom. 8:29-30), all others who choose not to believe are appointed for doom—eternal judgment (Rom. 9:18).
1 Peter 2:5-6
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
We as believers are living stones. He is the cornerstone (the foundation stone) and we are all the other building stones, which are being built up as a spiritual house (metaphorically). We are built up for a holy priesthood (v. 9)—each of us being priests of God, working in the service of God and having access to God. As priest we offer up our bodies as a living sacrifice for all the work He would have us do for Him (Rom. 12:1).
Verse 6 is a quote from Isaiah 28:16. It is a prophecy of the Messiah to come, and all who believe in Him will not be disappointed; that is, He will be all that He has been prophesied to be and all that we need Him to be.
1 Peter 2:4
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
Peter encourages his readers to come to Him and abide in Him (Jn. 15:5) as our living foundation stone (1 Cor. 3:10-11), upon which we can be built up on. He has been rejected by men, but for you He will be precious as he is in His Fathers eyes.
Acts 4:5-12
On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead — by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 “He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Immediately after Peter (with John) gave his message to the people (Acts 3:11-26), priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came and put Peter and John in jail for preaching about Jesus (mainly for proclaiming His resurrection; for the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection).
On the next day (v. 5), they questioned Peter and John as to what gave them the authority to speak about Jesus the way they did. Well, I imagine that Peter immediately recognized his open door to preach to them. And Peter was indeed filled with the Spirit and held nothing back, He proclaimed Jesus as the healer of the sick man and as the chief cornerstone which they rejected. Then, to put a cap on it, Peter told them that they could be saved by no other name except by Jesus Christ. Peter certainly was filled with the Holy Spirit—which became evident by his great boldness.
Acts 1:12-16
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
15 At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, 16 “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
Sometime after Jesus performed the miracle of fish on the Sea of Galilee in front of the seven disciples, and after Jesus encouraged Peter to continue to follow Him in discipleship (Jn. 21:1-23), He gathered all eleven of His disciples together on the Mount of Olives where He spoke His last words to them and then ascended to heaven (Acts 1:4-9).
The disciples then, according to Jesus command, immediately went to Jerusalem (a Sabbath day’s journey) to the upper room, where they were staying. We don’t know what kind of arrangements they had made with the owner; whether they purchased the room, or were renting it, or he was just letting them stay there. But we know that they ate the last supper there; and it was also where Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection. Now they would stay there as a place of safety, and to wait and pray until the day of Pentecost (vv. 4-5).
It appears from the text that the upper room was rather large; for one hundred and twenty people were gathered there, waiting for the coming Holy Spirit.
As for Peter, he had apparently felt the strong call of God to lead this group of disciples. And here it seems that he was led by God to give his first sermon, mainly having to do with electing another man to replace Judas. And as it happened by lot, Matthias was the one who was divinely chosen (verse 26).
John 18:10-11 (also Matthew 26:47-54; Mk. 14:47-49; Lu. 22:50-51)
Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
Only John’s gospel is clear about who cut off the ear of the slave Malchus. It was Peter. The other gospels just said that he was one of those who was with Jesus. Matthew’s gospel also was more descriptive than the others about why they were not to use the sword.
As for Peter, he proved here that he was one to act without thinking. What was he intending to do? fight the entire Roman army? If he did, Jesus had a response for him; that He had at His disposal more than twelve legions of angels—if it was God’s will to fight them. But Jesus knew that what was happening was according to God’s will. And so, He had no will to fight. He was even compassionate toward His enemies; and He reached out and touched the one who was injured by the sword so that he was healed (Lu. 22:51).
Stephen Nielsen 