Peter has just called the attention of his readers to the salvation which they had received and the hope that they had. Not only is this salvation spectacular, it is unique to mankind.
Take a look at this passage in 1 Peter 1:10-11.
Not only is mankind overwhelmed by this great salvation that Christ has obtained for us, but the prophets of old and even angels long to know about this salvation that Peter is describing.
According to this passage, Peter explains how this salvation was of the greatest of interest to the prophets of the Old Testament. Perhaps one of the greatest themes of the Old Testament prophets is the grace that would be revealed when the Messiah came. Peter, along with Paul and several other New Testament writers point to this interest of the prophets multiple times.
Peter describes them as looking intently into the future, longing to know more about this grace and salvation.
The topic of grace is one of the main topics of 1 Peter, and is probably due to the fact that Peter knew just how important this topics was to the Old Testament writers. And if something carries that much weight before it even occurs, it must be worth paying attention to. And that is just what Peter does, along with most of the rest of the New Testament.
Grace is paramount.
In verse 11, though it has some technical difficulties when it comes to translation, the point is driven home even more. The prophets of the Old Testament searched the Scriptures, trying to identify the time and place of this salvation. They were seeking something yet to come, and did not know what to look for, but they tried their best to see.
One thing they apparently noticed, and which Peter points out, is that the Messiah would be connected with many sufferings, which we know to be true. The trial, the beatings, and the crucifixion are the sufferings that Jesus bore on our behalf, in order that we would not have to bear them ourselves.
This is the first mention of the sufferings of Christ in 1 Peter, and there will be many more, reminding us that we may experience suffering, but we have the perfect model before us, who bore his sufferings for us.
Grace and suffering. The two hardly seem to fit together. They appear to be total opposites. And yet, nothing could dovetail together more perfectly in bringing about the salvation of our souls.
Question: What is your reaction when suffering comes? How do you keep your focus on Christ? You can leave a comment by clicking here.