Lesson: I Peter 1:3-12;
Golden Text: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3).
I.
INTRODUCTION. This week we
begin some important lessons from Peter’s letters. In this week’s
lesson, we learn from Peter about relying on our living hope in Jesus during
difficult times. The Christians during this time lived in constant
fear that their day of suffering at the hands of Rome was coming soon.
It was under such circumstances that Peter encouraged the Christians to
look to Jesus and the eternal hope He has already provided.
II. FAITH’S BLESSING (I Peter
1:3-6).
In his first letter Peter addressed
the Jewish tribes scattered throughout the Mediterranean Basin. He
called them “strangers” or aliens (see I Peter1:1) because they were part of the
Diaspora or Dispersion. Peter also referred to these Jewish
believers as elect, sanctified, and obedient (see I Peter 1:2) which aptly
describes all of God’s people.
A. Regeneration (I
Peter 1:3). Peter begins our printed
text with “Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead.” The Greek word translated
“blessed” is where we get our English word “eulogy.”
It literally means “good word” and can also be translated as “praise”
just as a eulogy shares praiseworthy comments about the deceased.
However, in this verse, the praise is directed toward
“the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” The phrase
“hath begotten us again” refers to the second birth often
referred to as being born again. This new birth is not optional
but essential (see John 3:1-8). If a notable religious leader like
Nicodemus needed to be born again, then so must we and everyone else (see I
Corinthians 5:17). This new birth or regeneration is only made
possible “according to his (God’s) abundant mercy.”
Regeneration or the new birth is only possible because of
the grace and mercy of God. It’s true that grace
is God giving us what we don’t deserve namely salvation; and mercy is God not
giving us what we do deserve namely condemnation. Since we have
been born again we have a “lively (or living) hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead.” The resurrection of Jesus
Christ is at the center of the gospel message. His resurrection
proved that He was and is the Son of God and gives us a hope (a sure
expectation) of a future resurrection. Jesus confirmed this hope
when He said, “Because I live, ye shall live also” (see John
14:19).B. Revelation (I Peter 1:4-5).
1. (vs. 4). Not only has God begotten us to a living hope in Jesus Christ, He also has provided “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” Unlike an earthly inheritance that can be taken away or stolen, the believer’s “inheritance” is “incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.” In other words it will never decay or fade away, and it won’t be stained by sin. Peter stated that this “inheritance” is “reserved in heaven for you.” The place of our inheritance is “heaven” and it is “reserved” for us. At the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, a reservation for our inheritance is made in heaven.
2. (vs. 5). Peter confirms that our inheritance is secure when he said that we are also “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” The word “kept” was a military term and means “guarded” or “shielded.” No matter what trials we may face, we are “guarded” or “shielded” by the “power of God through faith” so that we may safely reach the goal of complete “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” The fact that Peter says our salvation will be revealed in the last time means that it will be completed. The phrase “the last time” refers to the rapture when we will be removed from this sinful world and our salvation will then be complete. As the Apostle Paul said in Romans 13:11, “For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”
III. FAITH’S TRIALS (I Peter 1:6-7)
A. Joy in tribulations (I Peter 1:6). In this verse, Peter said “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.” Peter’s readers were experiencing “heaviness through manifold temptations” or many trials because of their faith in Christ. The word “heaviness” can also mean “grief.” However, the phrase “though now for a season” indicates that their trials and grief caused by their trials would only last for a little while. Peter’s point was that even though these believers were experiencing many trials they could “greatly rejoice” in the things he mentioned in verses 3-5, God’s mercy, the new birth, the resurrection hope, their eternal inheritance, and God’s power that guaranteed them a safe arrival in heaven.
B. Faith tested (I Peter 1:7). Peter continues to say “ That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Peter exhorted his readers that the “trial (or testing) of your faith” even though it might be tested as gold is purified by fire, “might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” In other words, as our faith is tested, the trials we face refine our faith in Christ and should result in “praise and honour and glory” to God. However, the fullness of “praise and honour and glory” may not be realized until the “appearing (or return) of Jesus Christ.” Note: When Peter speaks of trials, he is not talking about natural disasters or the daily troubles that come our way. Instead he is referring to the opposition believers receive from an unbelieving world. All believers face such trials when they let their light shine into darkness. Trials teach us patience (see Romans 5:3-4; James 1:2-3) and help us grow to be the kind of people God wants. However, in today’s world many believers face other trials that can test our faith. Let us not forget that an untested faith may be an unknown faith. We may think we have faith but let it be tested to the limits and we will find whether our faith is real or not. While many Christians may not deal with the kinds of trials Peter was referring to, suffering for our faith in Christ, many have found that when their health or finances fail, their faith fails also. No doubt Peter understood this as well (see Luke 22:31-34).
IV. Faith’s Goal (I Peter 1:8-9)
A. Believing without seeing (I Peter 1:8). Referring back to Christ in the previous verse, Peter continued to say “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Unlike Peter, the vast majority of his readers hadn’t heard Jesus teach, nor had they seen His miracles since the church was founded about thirty-five years earlier. Even though they hadn’t seen Jesus they still loved Him and believed in Him. Note: After Jesus arose from the dead, Thomas wanted physical evidence of the resurrection. It was only after he saw and handled the risen Lord that he convinced declaring Jesus to be Lord and God (see John 20:28). Jesus responded to Thomas by saying “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen and yet believe.” Both Peter’s readers and we fall into the category of those blessed because we believe and have not seen Christ. Peter’s readers and we all came to believe in Christ because we heard (see John 20:30-31; Romans 10:17). These Christians loved Christ, and also believed in Him causing them to “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Because of blessings they received in Christ as well as the faith-building benefits of various trials, these Christians could live in the present with indescribable joy.
B. Faith’s results (I Peter 1:9). In this verse Peter went on to say “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” Of course one of the goals of faith is unspeakable joy, but the ultimate goal or “the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” In other words, our faith in Christ will finally end with the completion of our salvation---living with Him forever.
V. FAITH’S FULFILLMENT (I Peter 1:10-12)
A. Prophecy (I Peter 1:10-11).
1. (vs. 10). Peter continued to speak of our salvation as he wrote “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you.” God had planned salvation from eternity past (see I Peter 1:20) and it had been revealed to Hebrew prophets centuries before the church was founded. Regarding salvation, Peter said the Old Testament “prophets have enquired and searched diligently” meaning that the prophets persevered trying to understand the message that God gave them which was later recorded in the Scriptures. Peter referred to this message of salvation that was prophesied as “the grace that should come unto you.” Of course, this “grace” was God’s plan of salvation that comes to everyone (see Ephesians 2:8-10).
2. (vs. 11). Still referring to the prophets, Peter said that they were “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” In other words, those prophets tried to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ (or the Holy Spirit) which was in them, was pointing to when He predicted through them the “sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” The Spirit of Christ was speaking to and through the prophets pointing them ahead to the “sufferings of Christ” (the crucifixion) and the “glory that should follow” (the resurrection). Note: The Old Testament prophets writing under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration (see II Peter 1:20-21) described the coming of the Messiah. The New Testament apostles, through the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, preached the crucified and risen Christ. Zechriah speaks of the Messiah’s entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey (see Zechariah 9:9) and also tells us that the purchase price for betraying the Messiah would be thirty pieces of silver (see Zechariah 11:12). Isaiah tells of Messiah’s torture (see Isaiah 50:6) and His death for us (see Isaiah 53:9). Psalms 22:12-18 gives the exact details of Messiah’s horrible death on the cross, and Psalms 16:8-11declared that death could not hold Him. Christ’s resurrection is prophesied in Psalms 16:9-11.
B. Preaching (I Peter 1:12). Our final verse says “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.” The phrase, “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things” means that the Old Testament prophets prophesied what was revealed through them but not to them. The things that they prophesied were for future generations, which is the meaning of “us.” The prophets realized that their prophecies didn’t pertain to them at that time, but it would pertain to others who would follow. The phrase “which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven” means that the things that the prophets prophesied about the Messiah were now being preached to these believers through the gospel by the same Holy Spirit from heaven who inspired the prophets. These things about salvation are so intriguing that Peter said that “the angels desire to look into.” Since the angels understand the value of a lost soul that is found, they rejoice when a sinner repents and turns to Christ (see Luke 15:10). Since angels never experience redemption, they are fascinated by a love that seeks to rescue a sinful world.
VI. Conclusion. Because we have a living Saviour, we have a living hope that will enable us to endure our trials. The Christian’s hope is a living hope because of the Trinity: the Father is perfecting or completing our salvation, the Son enables us to face difficulties of the present, and the Spirit carries our salvation from the past to the present to the future.
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