Searched and investigated
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated. 1 Peter 1:10 CSB
Peter begins to wrap up his introduction by reminding the believers of the gift of salvation that they have in the present. The prophets diligently “searched and carefully investigated.” For what? They were searching for the promise of the Messiah. Jesus confirms with his disciples in Luke 10:23-24, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see but didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.” Isaiah 9:6 prophesizes Jesus’ birth and titles. Isaiah prophesized Jesus’ death on the cross in Isaiah 53. It can even be traced back to Deuteronomy 21:23 speaking about how anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse, with Paul clarifying this in Galatians 3:13 “‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” We can also see Simeon in Luke 2:25-35 being able to live up to seeing Jesus, as well as Anna in Luke 2:36-38. When Adam and Eve sinned, it brought about physical and spiritual death into the world, separated from God. For centuries, generation after generation of people awaited for the promised Messiah. We know, due to their faith to the coming Messiah and trust in God, they were saved. “These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). So, this brings us to the question of why would Peter bring this part up after the previous section discussing the beauty of fully realizing salvation? It is to remind us to not take for granted the present gift of salvation. The prophets meticulously studied the scrolls, wrote according to the leading of God, and patiently awaited the day the Messiah would come, with the majority of them not realizing the fulfillment in their lifetime. Yet, to Peter’s audience, and likewise us, we all have had the opportunity to know of Jesus’ life, ministry on earth, the miracles He performed, and ultimately, His death on the cross and resurrection three days later, because of the written Word of God. God’s revelation through His Word provided us the gift of salvation. Peter knew that believers who are exiled and scattered abroad, facing terrible persecution under Nero, need to be reminded of the wonderful hope that lives in every believer, a gift that was long-awaited for centuries and now was delivered to us. Because we have this salvation within us, we should not take it for granted (see Romans 6:1-14). The salvation we have should motivate us to live right before God. Also, we should be filled with joy knowing that this gift that was awaited for so long by many is now part of our daily experience because of our relationship with Christ. The challenge to us now is to share it to others so that they too can experience hope and salvation.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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