The Season of Resurrection: Part 4

First Peter 2:21-25
    For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
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The suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is our salvation. It brings us back to our Shepherd and Bishop. Jesus’ work results in “the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.” (Nicene Creed) He wins our freedom on the cross.
Freedom, however, is not what we typically think it is. In the common usage today, freedom means being able to come and go as I please. It means having the right to do what I want when I want. It means being free from obligation and necessity.

This is not the kind of freedom that Jesus wins for us, however. Jesus is, of all people, truly free. He has no sin. He is the Son of God, rightful ruler of the universe. If anyone should be without obligation it would be Him. Yet, Saint Peter teaches us, He left us an example of humble obedience to and perfect faith in God His Father.  Jesus was truly free as He obeyed God. He was perfectly free in His suffering as He trusted God to save Him and judge His enemies. 

This is the kind of freedom that has been lavished upon us. You are not free to do as you please. Rather, the freedom that God gives is the freedom to be what God created you to be. It is the freedom to live as a son of God, to do good and not evil, to speak the truth instead of lies, to trust God to save rather than taking matters into our own hands. Living in any other way would not be freedom, but slavery to sin and death. Ours is the freedom to follow Jesus through death to sin and into real life. We have been brought back from our wandering, slavish ways to follow our Shepherd through suffering and into righteousness, doing good even to those who hate and revile us.  

The implication here is that the Christian will be different from the surrounding world. You will stand out like a straight line in a crooked world. Let the world bury their noses in smartphones, wallow in pornography, and puff away their worries in marijuana smoke. You will look straight at your Savior, bask in the glory of His salvation, and live unburdened of worries because He cares for you. 
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Standing out is not easy. It makes us easy targets. Some people enjoy watching the straight line go awry. Others just hate what is truly good. When those moments of trial come, we can simply follow the example of Jesus who has been there and done that, not deceiving, hating, or attacking, but trusting. We can trust that we have died to sin and have been raised to righteousness. We rest in the unfailing care of our Shepherd and Bishop.