This is Spoken Gospel.

We’re dedicated to seeing 
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s 
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, 
reaches out to a community of  

believers spread throughout Asia 
Minor—what we now call Turkey.

 It’s likely these believers
were Gentiles and citizens 

of the Roman Empire, but Peter
calls them “God’s elect exiles.”

They are God’s chosen foreigners who have been 
scattered and dispersed throughout the Roman Empire.

 With this word choice, Peter is
intentionally placing foreign Gentiles 

into the story of God’s
chosen people, the Jews.

Just as God chose Israel, 
God has elected these Romans.

And as the Jews had been
scattered by the Babylonian Empire,

these believers in Jesus are
dispersed through the Roman Empire.

But Peter isn’t just comparing
similar social and political histories.

He’s saying Gentiles are just 
as chosen by God as Jews.

The story of exile and 
homecoming that is central to  

Israel’s story is now the story 
God is writing for all people.

Every believer in Jesus is an exile. No Christian
has citizenship in this world because God
has chosen to give us a Kingdom in him.

Peter adds we’ve been chosen according 
to the foreknowledge of God the Father,  

through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, 
for both obedience and sprinkling with blood.

Now, each of those phrases is another way to
tie Gentiles into the story of God’s chosen people.

Since Abraham, God knew and 
chose exiles to bless the world.

God’s Spirit chose Israel to be his home 
when he descended into their tabernacle.

And the day Israel became a nation, God’s people
promised to obey and Moses sprinkled them with blood.

Just as Israel became a
nation when sprinkled with blood,  

everyone who trusts the blood of 
Jesus becomes a new nation too.

[music]

God has elected us for exile.

We’ve been chosen to be out
of place, and that is good news.

Peter says our new identity as an exile 
also means we’re joined to a new family.

We’ve died to the nation we’ve
been born into but been born again

to an eternal family founded by
a loving Father and resurrection life.

And as children of God—and siblings to 
Jesus—we’re given an inheritance that  

cannot die, cannot lose to evil, lasts 
forever, and is guarded by God himself.

Foreignness to the world is a reason to rejoice 
when it means being natives in God’s Kingdom.

And like most outsiders, we
will suffer for our foreignness.

Throughout his letter, Peter will unpack the moral and
spiritual   “otherness” that comes with following Jesus.

But for now, Peter reminds us that strangeness
to the world is proof of our citizenship in heaven.

And, persecution isn’t a reason to despair
either; trials are a reason to be joyful.

We’re no more victims of persecution than gold is
a victim of fire. We can rejoice because suffering purifies
us and demonstrates the authenticity of our faith.

Followers of Jesus will suffer.

Certainly Jesus did but it led to glory—
life from the dead and a throne with God.

And even though we haven’t seen Jesus for
ourselves, when we trust and love him, we can rejoice.

Our persecutors never have the last word because 
our salvation is not something they can harm.

Like Peter said before, no nation or person can 
kill, corrupt, or erase what God guards for you.

Redemptive suffering and being an elected 
exile are strange but powerful truths.

The prophets in the Old Testament diligently 
searched the Scriptures trying to figure it out.

And even the angels strained to get a glimpse 
of how God turns suffering to glory and joy.

But what the prophets and angels 
struggled to see, we see clearly in Jesus.

His suffering led to resurrection 
and his death led to glory.

Because of Jesus, we know that
for every believer, suffering and death  

always leads to a glorious inheritance 
that lasts forever and will never fade.

May the Holy Spirit open your eyes to see 
the God who has chosen us to be exiles.

And may you see Jesus as the
one who redeems our suffering

and makes us family by
his blood and resurrection.