I Peter 1: 10-12
As to this salvation,
The Salvation we just went over yesterday, in the verses just preceding these.
the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
Those ancient writers who penned the prophesies so long ago. They wanted to know what they were writing about.
seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating
The Spirit of Christ was telling them what He would do when He came. The Son is our Christ, who is the Lord God of the Old Testament, and the High Priest and Sacrifice of the New Covenant.
as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
He told them in advance of His coming, so that they would recognize Him when He came and fulfilled all these laws and prophesies. He laid it all out for them.
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you,
They knew that they would not live to see the fulfillment of what they were writing, so they weren't doing it for themselves or the people of their time, but their future time, when we would be living.
in these things which now have been announced to you
Now all these things that were written so long ago have been presented to us.
through those who preached the gospel to you
Our pastors and missionaries and teachers today are preaching and teaching us how Jesus came the first time and fulfilled what He had told the ancient prophets to write.
That He was our Personal Sacrifice given in the Law who suffered the execution death of a criminal to pay our debt. That's the first part of the prophesies.
The second part is that He rose from the dead, and received the Kingdom from His Father: the glory that follows the suffering.
by the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven--
The same Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Prophesy, is the same Spirit of Truth who taught the Prophets of Old, and who lives in us today to teach us these Truths.
--things into which Angels long to look.
Even God's holy Angels in Heaven are curious about how God's love for us planned out all these things and is carrying out His plans in accomplishing all the things that must be done to redeem this fallen race of Man.
The Angels are watching us, too. Watching how God is redeeming us from the foreclosure our enemy tried to pull over on us, buying us out of the eternal debt we owe for sin, paying off our mortgage in full. This is amazing.
That this sorry race of Mankind would get itself into such a pickle, to rebel against our very Source of Life, and get caught in a trap that snares us so hopelessly that there is nothing we can do no matter what we try.
Then our Hero steps in "at the last minute" and pays off our debt for us, breaks the chains that hold us fast, releases the trap that holds us securely, and washes us from the mud and grime and filth we are mired in.
Then He sends His Spirit to actually live inside our spirits, to keep us, and hold us accountable, and strengthen us, and change us. He is molding us, day by day, moment by moment, into the very image of the Son of God--His character of holiness and honor and glory!
This is incredible! No wonder the Angels are interested in seeing how this is all working out. We who had no hope at all, now have the hope--the certainty--of what we don't even see yet, all done for us! All we need to do is cooperate with Him!
That's the rub. If we don't even want to come to God, He won't force us. If we don't want His will, He lets us have our will.
But when we realize we can't do it, we're weak and need help; when we search for Him and seek Him honestly, then He will be found of us. He is searching for us, we're the ones who are lost! We are the lost lambs, caught in the thicket, and He comes and finds us and untangles our lives.
O my Father, You are Amazing! You are Incredible! You are so far beyond all the superlatives I can think of!
Your wisdom and discernment and cleverness has planned out this whole route. Your imagination is fabulous! All You need to do is to Say it, and it is!
And the Word You Said is Your Son, the Living Word (John 1:1-5). And You gave Him the authority, the Lordship over all You have made.
He was born as a Man, and given the Name Jesus. Now we have a face to put to our God. And He is our example, to show us who You are, and teach us Your order that You put into this Creation. First He suffered, then He receives the glory.
And we also, walking in His steps, accept (not welcome or desire [Gethsemane]) the problems, hardships, disappointments, and sorrows this World throws at us. We lean on You, Father, for the strength and perseverance to wade through all the stuff of life. And we learn the lessons they all teach us ("Well, I know not to do THAT again!" "Oh, THAT'S how I can get it done!").
And when we are finished with our course, and have matured to the degree You intend for each of us, then You will take us Home. And our Graduation will be when Jesus returns to this Earth to receive and set up His Kingdom here.
We will be raised, our mortal bodies taking on immortality, our flesh bodies being changed into spiritual bodies, and we will receive our rewards.
Rewards! For what You have done for us and in us and through us. You, Father, have done it all, yet You will reward us! Wow! You are so generous, Father, so gracious, so stupendous! Marvelous are Your works!
Father, I am eagerly anticipating what You have promised us! Please find all of Your little lost lambs who are still out there, on mountain crags, caught in thickets.
Send Your workers into Your missionary fields to find them, having compassion, ... and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh (Jude 22-23). Give us the courage and boldness to do this, so that all the lost sheep will be found and brought into the safety of the Fold.
That there be One Fold and One Shepherd, that Your House will be full, every place at Your Banquet Table filled.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim in every language, that Jesus of Nazareth is Lord God Almighty, our Sovereign King over all Creation, to the glory of God the Father!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
