1 Peter 2:24-25

These verses use words from Isaiah 53:5-6, where they are a *prophecy about Jesus Christ. Verse 24 is a simple way to explain *salvation. *Sin is everything that people have done wrong against God or other people. Romans 6:23 says that the punishment for *sin is death. People deserve to die, because they have *sinned. Jesus himself never *sinned. Jesus carried the *sins of every person, when he died on the cross. Jesus accepted the punishment for these *sins. Jesus died instead of us. When anyone confesses that he or she has *sinned, Jesus forgives them. He makes them new. Their spirit was dead, but now it is alive. They will live for ever. Now they can go on to live a holy life. Jesus can heal a person’s body and give life to their spirit.

‘You were like sheep that had lost their way’. Sheep wander over hills and fields. They are looking for grass to eat. Sheep often get lost and the *shepherd has to search for them. Before people become Christians, they are like sheep that are lost. They do not know how to live a good life. When people ‘come back to the *Shepherd’, it means that they are now going to follow Jesus Christ. He cares for them, because he is the good *shepherd (see John 10:14-15).

spiritual ~ to do with a person’s spirit, not their physical body; to do with God’s Spirit or heaven, not this earth.
salvation ~ when God saves a person from the results of their sin [see sin].
Lord ~ a name we call God or Jesus when we do what they say.
spiritual ~ to do with a person’s spirit, not their physical body; to do with God’s Spirit or heaven, not this earth.
sacrifice ~ to ask God to forgive sins by killing a special animal and burning it on an altar [see altar; sin].
cornerstone ~ a special stone that controls the design of a building and holds it together.
mercy ~ when God forgives bad people and does not punish them; God’s love and goodness; to be kind to someone who does wrong to show that we love them.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Jesus’ birth.'Jews/Jewish ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
praise ~ when we say good things about God or about a person.
altar ~ a table (usually stone) where Jewish priests burned animals as a sacrifice to God [see Jews/Jewish; sacrifice].
sin ~ all that people do wrong against God or other people; the evil that is in us.
worship ~ to show honour to God and to tell him that we love him very much.'New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on earth. It is about Jesus’ works and the things he taught and about the church [see church].
prophecy ~ words that God gives a prophet to say [see prophet].
prophesy ~ speak a prophecy.
Messiah ~ God’s special servant; the name God chose for Jesus Christ; God promised the Jews that the Messiah would save them. But they did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah; Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah [see Jews; Greek; Hebrew].'Jews/Jewish ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.'eternal life ~ life of a new quality for those who believe in Jesus. This new life is to be with Jesus for ever.
Satan ~ a name of the chief evil spirit.
prophet ~ person who says what God wants; he can sometimes say what will happen in the future (prophesy).
sin ~ all that people do wrong against God or other people; the evil that is in us.
worship ~ to show honour to God and to tell him that we love him very much.
righteous ~ being right with God.
shepherd ~ a person who looks after sheep.
shepherd ~ a person who looks after sheep.