“For you know that it is not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Peter 1:18-19

The title “Christ” in Greek means “the anointed”. Luther’s small catechism explains that Jesus has been anointed or set apart with the Holy Spirit to be our prophet, priest and king. Peter addresses his readers as people given a new status and experience by being redeemed with the incorruptible precious blood of Christ. What Christ has done for us is of the utmost value. He paid the ransom not with worldly perishables like gold and silver. He, the perfect one, has saved us with His blood by dying in our stead.

Peter writes that we have been saved by Christ’s sacrifice, from an empty way of life. (Consequently it must now be full – full of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness.) “Redeemed” in the Bible means to be freed from someone or something bad by a penalty being paid. Slaves could pay for their freedom with hard-won earnings. We can never earn enough gold and silver to pay the price of our sinfulness. Nothing less than Christ’s death could do it. Jesus paid a high price for our redemption.

Galatians 3:13 says that Jesus redeems believers from the “curse of the law”. 1 Corinthians states Christ is the Passover lamb who takes away the sin of the world. “Precious” as applied to the blood of our Lord keeps us from thinking of God’s grace as being cheap just because it is free to us. Jesus is a source of endless blessings to those who believe.

Thanks be to God for this wonderful redemption. Amen.