Leaves of Healing

1 Peter 1-5 

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

1 Peter 2:24

Jesus carried the sin of the world on the cross and died in atonement for that sin, our sin. He is now the Tree of Life, offering eternal life to all who put their faith in him. The leaves of that tree in Revelation 22:2 are for the healing of the nations. By Christ’s wounds we have been healed. For leaves to become good medicine, they must be crushed. Jesus was crushed for our iniquities and “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). The suffering for the gospel in the lives of Christ-followers was normal in the first several centuries. Jesus’ life is expressed in and through our suffering. We are to ‘arm ourselves with the same attitude’ as Christ, who knew there was a cost to bring salvation to the world. Our lives, like leaves, must also be pressed if we are to be ‘good medicine’ of healing in the world.

“Lord Jesus, express your life through my death-to-self, for your glory.”