1 Peter 1:10-12 - The Prophetic Witness of the Gospel Fulfilled
Notes
Transcript
The Word Read
The Word Read
Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from 1 Peter 1:10-12:
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 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.
Behold, brothers and sisters, this is Word of the Lord. Please be seated. Let us pray.
Summation and Diagnosis
Summation and Diagnosis
As we begin this morning, I'd like to read Luke 10:23-24 to you:
Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
Kings and prophets of the past longed, yearned, and desired to see what the disciples saw. The fathers from old wished they could have seen the fulfillment of the covenant promises that the disciples saw and heard in the person and work of Christ Jesus. These men would have longed to be Simeon, a righteous and devout man we encounter in Luke 2. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah.
27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
The prophets of old would have so yearned to be Simeon looking upon the Christ child. Furthermore, the kings and prophets of old would also love to sit where you sit this morning. We have the New Testament which testifies to the promises they longed to see and hear - both the sufferings of Christ and subsequent glories were prophesied by prophets in the Old Testament through the power of the Holy Spirit. We do not stand on a new religion founded in the person of Jesus Christ. Instead the Good News of God was prophesied in the Old Testament. This glorious Gospel was preached to Abraham by God Himself. As Galatians 3:7-9 states:
7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
What glorious good news! The Gospel we have come to richly cherish is the same Gospel preached to Abraham thousands of years ago. The Gospel you experience today is the same one the prophets prophesied about in the Old Testament.
Our sermon title this morning is “The Prophetic Witness of the Gospel Fulfilled” and I have the text broken down into three sections. 1) The prophets’ desire to see salvation, 2) The preachers’ desire to proclaim salvation, and 3) The angels’ desire to look into salvation.
1 Peter 1:10-12a - The Prophets’ Desire to see Salvation
1 Peter 1:10-12a - The Prophets’ Desire to see Salvation
Now, let us come to our text in 1 Peter 1:10-12a where we will see the prophets’ desire to see salvation. I want to take a minute here to draw out a reality that has become distorted. There are some that would say the Jews in the Old Testament were saved by obedience to the Law given at Sinai. If they were saved by their obedience to the Law then their salvation would be as a result of their own works, not grace by faith in the Messiah. The story of redemption is one plan. Salvation is only found in Christ Jesus. Acts 4:12:
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
The unfolding story of God rescuing His people does not differ in the Old and New Testament. The Law given at Sinai was never the means by which the Israelites would be saved. Paul writes about this in Galatians 3:19:
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.
The Law did not bring salvation, but the Law revealed the sinfulness of the human heart causing mankind to realize their need for a Savior outside of themselves. Our works cannot save us because even committing one sin condemns us before the Lord.
Plan A, which is clearly seen in all of Scripture, was the redemptive work of the incarnate Son of God.
In our text, our first point is the prophets prophesied about the grace that was to be yours. Is it not amazing to think about salvation as “grace”? Peter gives a praise of thanksgiving because both he and the readers have been born again due to the great mercy of God the Father. The same is true of us this morning. We should rejoice in all our circumstances because we have been born again as a result of the Father’s choosing.
However, maybe you sit here and you cannot rejoice because you have not been born again. Hear the Good News of the glorious Gospel. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He created mankind and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden free of sin and corruption. There they enjoyed the presence of God and were called to fill the earth with offspring. They were God’s representatives on earth who would rule over all the animals on earth. There was one rule they had to obey - You shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. All seemed well.
Yet, there was an insidious creature prowling in the Garden. This evil Serpent, Satan, deceived Eve and she ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam, who was near Eve when this interaction occurred, also took and ate the fruit in rebellion against God. The relationship between humanity and God was shattered in that moment. Sin now passed down to every human. Adam and Eve were caste out of Garden, but the first proclamation of the Gospel was given - there is a snake crusher coming! He will conquer the snake and save people from their sins. A glimmer of hope given by God in the midst of rebellion.
In the right time, God sent His Son to earth. God the Son incarnate, truly God, truly man. Jesus lived a perfect life. He never sinned against the Lord. He lived in perfect submission to His Father and He never broke the Law. This sinless life culminated in a horrific death. Jesus hung on a cross for the sins of His people as the wrath of God was poured out on Him. He was laid in a tomb for three days. Three days of darkness and silence. Yet, on the third day He rose again by the power of the Spirit. He proved He has power over death and sin.
If you are not a Christian, look upon the face of Christ. As Christ said, Repent for the Kingdom of God is near! Lay yourself upon Him seeking forgiveness of sins. The glories of God in Christ Jesus far outweigh the riches of this world. The riches of this world lead to a terrifying end. You will stand before God with no mediator. You will be given the verdict as guilty as God casts you into hell. There you will experience unending torment and unspeakable pain. Yet, Christ offers salvation to you. He can be your Mediator who declares you innocent. Come to Him today! Lay your burdens down at His feet. Repent and give your life to Him.
If you think you’ve committed too much sin to be forgiven, you haven’t! Consider King Manasseh of Judah found in the Old Testament. He built altars to Baal. He consulted false prophets seeking demonic divinations. He even sacrificed his own children to false gods and Scripture states he is to blame for the fall of Judah due to incredible corruption. Yet, that is not the final note of his story. 2 Chronicles 33:19-20 says:
19 And his prayer, and how God was moved by his entreaty, and all his sin and his faithlessness, and the sites on which he built high places and set up the Asherim and the images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the Chronicles of the Seers. 20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his house, and Amon his son reigned in his place.
A corrupt king who led Judah into exile. A king who killed his own children as a sacrifice to false gods. We would probably write Manasseh off as a horrible person worthy only of the extreme wrath of God destined for the flames of hell. Yet, what does the Lord say? He says, Manasseh you have been saved/delivered! God’s grace and forgiveness is the final word in his life. If there is room in the kingdom for him, there is room for you. Humble yourself before the Lord like Manasseh. Repent and find the overwhelming grace and forgiveness that only God can give to you. Grace and forgiveness can be the final word for you too. Come to Him, find new birth in Christ, experience the grace of God, and walk with Him all your days!
If you are found in Christ, this same grace that Peter writes of has changed your heart! The grace that was prophesied by Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah is yours by the work of God. He has set you free from the power and dominion of sin! Grace, grace, God’s grace.
Second, regarding the prophets desire to see salvation, they were moved/carried along by the Holy Spirit. In their working they searched and inquired carefully. This means that they diligently studied the Scriptures and probably their own prophecies looking for the person and time of the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. Why were they able to do this? The Spirit of Christ was in them.
These sufferings were what the prophets prophesied about in the Spirit. Isaiah 53 details the excruciating pain the Messiah would endure. However, they also prophesied about the subsequent glories. These glories refer to glories given to both Christ and His followers. When I got to this part of the text, I just began to think through the glories that Christ and we receive. The subsequent glories of Christ are 1) His resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10), 2) His ascension (Acts 1:6-11), 3) Him ruling in His session (Colossians 3:1), 4) all authority given to Him (Matthew 28:16-20), 5) an eternal dominion and an eternal kingdom given to Him (Daniel 7:14), 6) moving all things to the last day (Hebrews 1:1-4), 7) inheriting the name “Son” (Hebrews 1:4-5), 8) returning to repay each person for what they’ve done (Revelation 22:12). The subsequent glories of His people are 1) forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38), 2) receiving the promised Holy Spirit forever (John 14:16), 3) becoming children of Abraham and heirs of God(Galatians 3:29), 4) ability to approach the throne of God (Hebrews 4:14-16), 5) receiving eternal life (John 3:16), 6) having God for us not against us (Romans 8:31), 7) never being separated from the love of God (Romans 8:39), 8) spending eternity with God in New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9-27), 9) the ability to say “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). These are but a FEW of the subsequent glories that belong to Christ and to YOU! You receive the subsequent glories because of being in Christ! As we talked about last week, you get to experience a foretaste of the glories that are to come. You, right now, experience the glories that the prophets diligently sought to understand by the work of the Holy Spirit. Like Peter offer up a praise of Thanksgiving!
Finally, our third principle we see regarding the prophets’ desire is they were not self-serving, but serving others. God revealed to the prophets they were serving future generations who would see the Messiah sufferings and the generations that followed. We should keep this in mind when we read the Prophets. They were serving us, by the Holy Spirit, pointing us to the Messiah and His redemptive work!
1 Peter 1:12b - The Preachers’ Desire to Proclaim Salvation
1 Peter 1:12b - The Preachers’ Desire to Proclaim Salvation
Now we come to our second section in the passage - the preachers’ desire to proclaim salvation. It is simple to read the second part of 1 Peter 1:12 without really thinking much of the words - 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. We can read that and simply think - why yes, preachers and evangelist preach the Gospel and people are saved by the message. This is of course true, but what is written here is richer than that thought.
Preachers and evangelists came to these people and proclaimed the sufferings of Christ and the message of the Gospel. The message of the Gospel came from God Himself and these preachers were the mere instruments used by God to proclaim the Gospel. Now, this all may seem fundamental as we look at the text.
However, there is a deeper layer to this text. Preachers in the New Testament are in the lineage and heritage of prophets in the Old Testament. The prophets in the Old Testament, by the power of the Spirit, prophesied of the person, work, and time of Christ. They called their audience to repentance finding salvation in the Messiah who was to come. Preachers/pastors in the New Testament proclaim, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the person, work, and time of Christ. They call their audience to repentance finding salvation in the Messiah who has come. They detail how the Old Testament prophets message came to fulfillment in the person of Jesus.
This is one of the calls of the pastor/preacher - continually pointing everyone to the person of Christ and the message of redemption. Every sermon should show people they are in sin. Every sermon should reveal that only Christ can save them from their sin. Every sermon should reveal the saving work of Christ on the cross. Every sermon should detail the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It doesn’t matter the passage of Scripture, every sermon should speak of the redemptive work of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus said that the Scriptures point to Him!
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
So Easter is not the only time of year when a resurrection message is given. Each and every Sunday is Easter! Each and every Sunday the message of the resurrection should ring from every pulpit of every church for we do not know who is truly saved in the congregations. Only the Lord knows the hearts of every person. Furthermore, we as Christians need to be reminded of the Gospel!
The message of the Good News is for all to hear by the power of Spirit who has been sent from heaven. Acts 2 details the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the people of God. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes from heaven and rests on those who are truly God’s. The Holy Spirit dwells in each Christian. He is actively at work in the lives of those who love the Lord. The Spirit sent on Pentecost is also sent to new believers when they repent and know Christ. To know Christ is to know the Holy Spirit who is sent by the Father and the Son from heaven.
Do you remember the day the Spirit came and dwelled within you? Do you recall the moment when your soul was radically changed? According to John 16:8-11. The Holy Spirit convicted you of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He caused your heart of stone to be opened whereby your heart became a heart of flesh. It is all His working where He continually points people to Christ.
When was the last time you were moved by this truth? The Holy Spirit brought someone into your life to proclaim/announce the good news of Christ. At that moment, the Spirit opened up your eyes, heart, and mind to receive the Good News of salvation. The depravity of you heart was seen and it broke you. You realized there was no salvation in your works. Nothing you have done or could do would ever merit the favor of God and in desperation you cried out to Jesus. When was the last time you were moved by this moment in your life? I think, sometimes, we take the Gospel for granted. We take the love of God for granted. We take the sufferings of Christ preached to us by faithful pastors for granted. As we end this second section of the preachers’ desire to proclaim the Gospel, I want to read to you the sufferings that preachers are called to preach:
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Behold, brothers and sisters, here is the great sufferings of our Lord and Savior. There is no salvation without His suffering. Let us continually give praise and thanks to our great Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:12c - The Angels’ Desire to Look into Salvation
1 Peter 1:12c - The Angels’ Desire to Look into Salvation
Thus far, we've seen the prophets’ and preachers’ involvement in the unfolding of the Gospel message. However, Scripture also says that the drama of redemption unfolding on earth also includes celestial beings - the longed to look to look upon the Gospel with eager expectation.
These angelic beings, like the prophets, did not fully understand when, who, or how the glorious plan of redemption would unfold. So, they looked upon the world with eager expectation. The sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories are even the center of angels’ attention! Jesus tells us in Luke 15:10 that the angels rejoice over the salvation of even one sinner!
Are the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories the center of your attention as it is for the angels? These powerful, celestial beings eagerly awaited the mystery of Christ. Do you have the same passion for Christ?
Conclusion
Conclusion
As believers in Christ, we have much greater privileges than the Old Testament and the angels. The Old Testament prophets diligently sought Scripture, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to know the time and person of the sufferings of Christ. Their work was to serve you for they never saw the Christ in their lives. They called their audience to live as heavenly citizens as if the Messiah had already come and had already forgiven their sins. This is the same call pastors/preachers give today - live as heavenly citizens because Christ has forgiven you!
Likewise, we have a greater privilege than the angels for they will never experience the gospel the same way we do as they are not recipients of the Good News. The merely delight in watching God’s redemptive work.
As you sit here this morning, you get to experience salvation in the person and work of Christ. The prophets beheld it from afar and the angels look upon this wonderful work, BUT YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE THIS!
When we lived in Mooresville, we had a loft that connected all four of our bedrooms. I would wake up before the kids and have my devotional time in the loft using a candle for light. Kristin reminded me that I used to do this earlier this week. I had stopped because the kids would see the flickering flame and assume it was time to wake up! This week I started doing this again. The first candle I used had three wicks. I lit them all, but 20 minutes later 2 of the 3 lights had been extinguished. The soft wax had melted into liquid and covered the wick leaving just one burning bright.
Don’t become like these 2 wicks. Don’t let the Gospel become a mere fact/truth that has no impact on your heart. Don’t ignore the truth that the prophets desired to see and hear what you see and hear from the Word. Don’t stop your zeal for Christ like the angels’ zeal waiting for the sufferings of Christ! Don’t become like the wicks that have become extinguished! Pursue Him with everything in your soul! Love Him for all your days! And never give up your zeal for the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories!