The Apostle Peter wrote the letter we call 1 Peter while persecution against Christians was simmering in and around ancient Rome. He wanted his readers to be prepared for hard things to come, and he sought to prepare them by reminding them of their identity as the chosen people of God, living as exiles in a world of suffering.

In 2024, we need the same reminders, because we, too, will experience persecution and pain in a world of suffering. That persecution may not look like it did in Peter's day. But we live as sojourners or exiles in a world that is broken, in a world that is hostile to the things that matter most to Christians. Inevitably, that brings pain. But 1 Peter equips us to persevere through that pain - by rooting us in what Christ has already done for us, and in the glory still to be revealed for Christ's people.