1 Peter 1:18-21 (The Message Translation)
18 -21Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.
In these verses the apostle Paul writes to Christians who have been scattered across the lands due to the persecution of the church taking place. Peter urges these Christians to pass their time by staying close to God in thought and prayer. He reminds them of the sacrifice Jesus made for their lives; something God knew would come and pay for the sins of man. It is because of Christ who died, who rose again to life, who was glorified in heaven that we have a hope and future with God.
In May of 2006, the Associated Press reported a top New York heart surgeon was in El Salvador performing charity mercy operations. In the midst of a heart operation on an eight year old boy; Dr. Samuel Weinstein scrubbed out in order to donate his own rare blood type to the boy. Dr. Weinstein said the procedure was going well, but they didn’t have the medications to stop bleeding and the boy was in need of blood. Weinstein said. "After a while they said they couldn't give him blood because they were running out and he had a rare type.'' "We realized he might bleed to death, so I asked what blood type he was and they said he was B-negative and I said, "You know, I'm B-negative.'' Dr. Robert Michler, founder of the group, was standing next to Dr. Weinstein and said, "I support you.'' So he laid down in the midst of what he was doing just long enough to give blood so that the boy would live. Weinstein ate a Pop Tart, drank some water and returned to work. With the approval of the Father, Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. Jesus gave His own blood on the cross at Calvary so we would have the hope of eternal life. The sin released on the world by man demanded a pure, unblemished sacrifice and Jesus made it for you and me. Jesus said, “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
