We’re delighted that our good friend and brother, Simon Chase, has agreed to prepare a few “lockdown ponderings” for us! These are adapted from a series Simon is teaching at Gillingham Baptist Church, and which began when the UK went into Lockdown due to the coronavirus.
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1 Peter 1:10-12 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
The Christians
Peter wrote to were scattered. Only at Christ’s return will the church
truly be together. Meanwhile we are a suffering people and this
‘grieves’ us. Sufferings are ‘trials’ which refine our faith and will be to
Christ’s glory on that wonderful Day. Though in the world now, we can rejoice
because we have a secured, personalised inheritance. And for all this, we bless
God who has done, does , and will do so much for us.
In these verses
Peter writes of five things, explaining that we are a saved people;
1. A
SALVATION PROPHESIED v 10
‘This salvation’
is the salvation of our souls, v 9. It includes all that verses 2-5 describe,
and is also ‘the grace that was to be
yours’, in verse 10. This salvation has been ‘prophesied’. Those who prophesied
were ‘the prophets’ of the Old Testament. Having done so they ‘searched and inquired
carefully’ because they didn’t fully grasp it all!
This is because,
v 11, it was ‘the Spirit… in them’ who was at work; even in the wicked prophet Balaam.
The Spirit ‘predicted’ so that God’s people would know this was His doing. In
the Old Testament we read of God telling us that He makes known in advance what
He will do, so we know it is Him – for example Isaiah 46:10. Peter tells us
here that the prophets had the plan explained (‘indicating’) but, like Jesus’
disciples, they didn’t really comprehend it. Prophecy doesn’t originate with
humans, 2 Pet 1:20-21, but is the Spirit’s own testimony.
Notice that the
Holy Spirit is the Spirit ‘of Christ’ since the crucial content of prophecy is
Christ and His kingdom.
2. A
SALVATION PLANNED v 11a
Salvation was
planned based on God’s ‘foreknowledge’, v 2. Only this makes prophecy possible.
That this salvation was prepared in advance is emphasised by the Spirit ‘predicting’.
The prophets
knew this so they tried to understand the what and when by ‘inquiring’.
We may have our
thoughts directed to the ending of Covid-19 restrictions, but all these earthly
horizons must bow to the perspective of God’s plan of redemption.
3. A
SALVATION PERFORMED v 11b
There was a
specific focus in all of prophecy – ‘Christ’; which is why the Spirit is ‘of
Christ’. There are two parts to this testimony: firstly ‘the sufferings’ of
Jesus in life and chiefly in death. Secondly ‘the subsequent glories’; resurrection,
ascension, Pentecost, new covenant, apostles, New Testament Scriptures,
churches. Churches in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the end of the earth,
Acts 1:8.
This has several
implications:
·
all our salvation is bound up
with the person and purpose of Jesus Christ: these are historical facts
·
the sufferings are done;
now we are in what follows – ‘glory days’!
·
the full glory will be
‘revealed in the last time’, v 5, at ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ’, v 7
·
but suffering precedes glory –
though glory certainly follows!
·
we have been saved; we are
being saved; we will be saved
·
all this for the glory of Jesus Christ – for all Scripture, and
redemption’s plan concerns Him
4. A
SALVATION PROVIDED v 12a
The coming of
Christ confirms the fulfilling of the prophesied plan. That changed everything.
What did the
prophets find out? ‘It was revealed’ – God did explain to them. They understood
that their prophecy was not chiefly for their time but ours – ‘now been announced
to you’. So the prophets spoke to their own time provisionally, but to our time
principally.
That means Christians
don’t receive the Old Testament ‘second hand’ from the Jews; it chiefly exists
for us. Paul says the same thing in Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:11. The
Jews had the ‘prototype’ and so the ‘glories’ described in the Old Testament
have their fulfilment in the light of the New Testament and Christ’s coming. All
Scripture is directed to – channelled through – Jesus Christ. Just as he
explained on the road to Emmaus to astonished disciples.
5. A
SALVATION PROCLAIMED v 12b
So Scripture has
one message – ‘the things… now announced to you’. There is a continuity between
the prophets’ ministry and the gospel preached. It was always about Jesus.
This salvation
comes through faith in ‘the good news’ which was ‘preached… to you’. This came
‘through those’ who had been the means of their conversion. But who is the
‘real’ preacher? ‘The Holy Spirit sent from heaven’. He applies the message. So
preaching the good news has the same accompaniment as the Old Testament
prophets – the Spirit of Christ. He doesn’t inspire as he did then, but
he does empower so that hearers believe. Preaching and speaking the
gospel are special, unique. It is the power of God to salvation.
And angels, like
Mary at the tomb, Jn 20:11, ‘stoop down’ (it is the same word) to understand all
of this salvation. If they are preoccupied with grasping this, this good news
should continually fill us with joy.
