The Distinctive Mark of Godly Fear - I Peter 1:17-21 - Part C

He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  (I Peter 1:20)


God made provision for the cross before creation was ordered.  He was not surprised when man fell, but already had a remedy prepared for what He foreknew would happen.  Actually, all of history is based on the cross and Christ's sacrifice at Calvary.  God uniquely gave us history in reverse as the Old Testament retrogresses from the cross.  The New Testament progresses from the cross.  But in both the Old and New Testaments the theme is redemption by blood.


Proof that Christ preexisted comes from the fact that He was revealed.  He will be revealed again soon.  "These last days" refers to the period beginning with the first revelation of Christ, the incarnation, and extends to His second coming, or revelation.  In Peter's time people thought the second coming of Christ was near at hand.  When Peter said Christ was revealed "for your sake", he was giving his readers confidence that they were personally cared for by God.


Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.  (I Peter 1:21)


Peter gives two grounds for coming to God.  First of all we can count on God, have confidence in Him.  What God had done for Jesus by raising Him from the dead, He will also do for His obedient children.  And secondly, we can expect to share in Christ's glory, which gives us hope.  Glory is all that God has done to exalt Christ and give Him great honor.  The same will be ours.

The Distinctive Mark of Godly Fear - I Peter 1:17-21 - Part B

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  (I Peter 1:18-19)


The ransom price that Christ paid was not material, such as silver or gold, but it was His own precious blood, His very life.  He became our sacrificial lamb.  He did not die for His own sin, because He had no sin, but He became the atonement for the sins of others.  A slave could be redeemed through the payment of money, but the only escape we have from sin is through the payment of Christ's blood.  His blood was not called precious until after it was shed at Calvary.  Precious indicates it was of pure quality, of total perfection.


Christ was the perfect fulfillment of all Old Testament sacrifices.  The key phrase here is "a lamb without blemish or defect".  The lamb typifies the innocence, purity, meekness and suffering of Jesus.  Without spot or blemish corresponds to the Passover ritual requirement where the sacrificial lamb had to be perfect without any flaw.  In applying this to Jesus, it meant He was morally perfect.  This sacrificial outpouring of the blood of Jesus should humble us in gratefulness to God for what He has done for us.


to be continued...