Peter had seen Jesus Christ. His readers had not. And although some of them were probably alive during the life of Christ, their location was distant, and they never had a chance to see him for themselves. Peter stresses that fact in this week’s passage.

You can see it for yourself in 1 Peter 1:8-9.

Peter had walked with Jesus, watching him perform miracles, hearing him teach, experiencing life with his Master. Since he had visually seen the Savior, it may have been easier for him to place his faith in him. But his readers, scattered around the world, had no such opportunities to see Christ. Peter makes a significant point out of this to reassure them in their struggles and suffering.

Peter had experienced the love of Christ first hand. Remember just before the crucifixion, Peter boldly stated that Jesus was the Messiah, and then rejected and denied him three times. At the end of John’s gospel, Jesus restores Peter by asking him three times if Peter loved him. Of course he did.

This experience probably set the stage for a certain level of amazement at the faith of his readers. He had see Jesus. He had had this conversation with Jesus about love. But the people to whom he is writing had not, and yet they still loved Jesus. I wonder if Peter was stunned at their level of faith, amazed that they could love without seeing.

Verse seven, of Peter’s first chapter, is one of my favorite verses, and is easily one of the most recognizable verses about the endurance of our faith as believers.

Take a moment and read it for yourself. You can find it in 1 Peter 1:7.

Peter has just been speaking of the certainty of trials and tribulations that we will face. This is one of the major themes of his letter, and he will come back to it again. But here, he gives a brief reason for why such things happen to Christians: They help to refine our faith.

When we suffer for the sake of Christ, those who are persecuting us, and ultimately, the main enemy, Satan, intend it for harm. But God can and will turn it for good.

This brings to mind Joseph’s statement to his brothers in Genesis 50:20:

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

The analogy that Peter uses is one of gold, a most precious of metals. As gold is heated in the smelting process, the impurities can be strained out, leaving only the precious metal.

Peter introduced the concept of an inheritance in the opening sentences of his letter. In this week’s passage, he expands upon that and reveals the purpose of his writing.

You can see this passage for yourself in 1 Peter 1:5-6.

Peter spent the previous couple of verses describing the inheritance that believers have, an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. It’s protected. It’s safe.

But that is not the only thing that God is protecting. God is also protecting us. Peter states that we are shielded by God’s power. This has a military connotation, and speaks of an active protection. He is guarding us from the dangers that we will face, which he will address in the next verses.

But just what is this inheritance that Peter is referring to? What have we to look forward to, that Peter is so excited about? It’s nothing less than “the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Peter states that it is kept in heaven, being safe-guarded for us, but it will be revealed at the end time. This is our hope. This is our focus. This is what we long for, knowing that we are not meant for this world. In Christ, we have a living hope, a salvation that is held by God himself.

Once the greeting is complete, Peter jumps right into the most exciting and incredible news his readers could ever experience: the hope we have in the risen Christ!

Take a look at this amazing passage in 1 Peter 1:3-4.

The way Peter begins his letter is probably the most exciting of all the letters in the New Testament. The hope that we have in Christ is definitely exciting, but Peter’s enthusiasm here is contagious. And he wants his readers to understand just how amazing it really is.

First of all, we need to remember Peter’s past. This is the man who affirmed that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, and then turned around and denied him three times. If anyone should be aware of the hope that Christ offers, Peter should. Because after Christ reaffirmed Peter’s role as a leader in the church, this man, this Rock, was never the same.

And that is very clear in this passage. Peter’s first statement is one of praise and worship of the Father and his Son. This is a common method of praise found in the Old Testament, and it shows Peter’s grasp of the Scriptures, but he pairs it here with the phrase “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” a title never revealed in the Old Testament.

Because of this relationship between the Father and the Son, we are the recipients of God’s great mercy. Peter compares this to a birth. Our first birth was to human parents; our second is into a living hope.

Peter begins in the same way as every other letter found in the New Testament, with a greeting to his readers. And, also just like every other letter, there is an incredible amount of information hidden in these simple seeming verses.

You can see this passage in 1 Peter 1:1-2.

The first thing Peter does is identify himself, and then his readers. He is an apostle. He claims that authority in both of his letters, but does not issue a strong defense of that authority, as Paul must do in some of his letters. Peter’s apostolic authority is not in question here.

Next, Peter identifies who he is writing to. They are God’s elect. The term Peter uses here is rich in its heritage. The Jewish people were God’s chosen people. As the Old Testament transitioned into the New, Christians are identified as God’s chosen people. In fact, Peter will make this statement very clearly later in this letter (2:9). As God’s elect, Peter will encourage believers to live up to the holy standard that God requires, and his statement here hints at that.

The next phrase that Peter uses to describe his readers is the term “strangers.” The idea behind this word is descriptive of someone who is an exile, someone who is living away from their homeland. Peter’s use here indicates not that his readers are exiles from their native lands in Asia Minor, but that their homeland is not of this world. Our citizenship is in heaven.

The third descriptive term Peter uses is the term “scattered.” This is more literally translated as “dispersion.” The Jewish people were scattered from their homeland into countries all over the world. Peter’s use here is metaphorical, applying to Christians, who have also been scattered away from their homeland in heaven, to which we will soon return.

One of the most practical of letters in the New Testament is Peter’s first epistle. In this short letter, he gives a vast amount of wisdom and input on how to live as strangers in this world, regarding ourselves as citizens of a heavenly kingdom. Although it may be short, 1 Peter is extremely challenging to our spiritual lives.

You can read the letter of 1 Peter here.

Several years ago, I decided to make a stronger effort in my life to memorize Scripture. I began with the Sermon on the Mount, moved to a series of several key and favorite passages, and over the past few years, have worked on memorizing the letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and most recently, Philippians.

Sometimes this is easy, sometimes it becomes a bit more challenging. Some passages are easier to grasp than others it seems. But the effort has been well worth it, because I have a much more solid grasp on these portions of the Bible than I ever have before.

My next challenge to myself is to memorize Peter’s first letter. This letter is one of the most practical portions of the New Testament, giving some significant insights into daily matters, such as living with holiness, how to view authority, marriage and family relationships, and much, much more. 1 Peter only contains five brief chapters, but is packed full of some great input for our daily spiritual lives.

I plan to begin memorizing chapter one next week. This week, I want to give a brief overview of the letter and an introduction to 1 Peter.