The options are God (the Father) or Jesus Christ. Though Peter is not specific, he had been speaking about “God” in the paragraph leading up to this present passage (1 Peter 2:18–25), even encouraging his readers to live “as servants/slaves of God” (1 Peter 2:16). Jesus Christ received a mention as an example to be followed in what living as “servants of God” looked like. It would seem, then, that Peter would want his readers to know that through Jesus’ work they were restored to God, the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls. Yet we cannot be absolute about it because in 1 Peter 5:4 Peter clearly refers to Jesus as “the Chief Shepherd.” We cannot divide Father and Son. It is enough to know that through Jesus’ work, wandering sheep were restored. That is comforting for all God’s people as they struggle to “honor everyone”—even masters guilty of some form of overreach.
25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.