The spiritual blessings we received
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 CSB
Filled to overflowing with spiritual blessings, Peter opens this section by praising God for salvation. We have been given a “new birth” (John 1:12-13), dead to sin and alive in Jesus Christ. To call Jesus “our Lord” is to recognize that He is God. Just like Peter, we call Jesus “our Lord” for we have a personal relationship with Him. It is not because of what we have done that we have this relationship, but because of God’s “great mercy.” In His great mercy, He made us alive in Him. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Peter speaks from personal experience when he said “he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” He remembers when he fell into the sin of denying Jesus. Later, when Jesus restored him, he became the recipient of God’s great mercy and received new life by forgiving him of his sin. When we received our salvation from God, just like Peter, we have a “living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” We have this living hope because our Savior is alive. This hope is in us; personal, living, active in us. Without the resurrection of Christ, our rebirth would be impossible and our hope would be meaningless. By rising from the dead, Jesus Christ has given us the assurance that we, too, shall rise with him (see Rom. 6:4). This is what Peter preached on Pentecost, “God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death” (Acts 2:24). Jesus is the first one to break the bonds of death, so that through him we have our rebirth, and in him we have eternal life. “He one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). Peter speaks as an eyewitness, for he had the unique experience of meeting Jesus after he rose from the grave. Peter ate and drank with Jesus and became a witness of Jesus’ resurrection. We have this spiritual blessing that provides us hope and this hope that is in us is active, it grows and becomes greater as time goes on. Time and circumstances destroy most hopes but not the Christian hope for it is anchored in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who forever lives.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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