^“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.” 1 Peter 1:10-12.

Peter wrote to a church very much under persecution. This is summed up in verse 6, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” These are a people passing through difficult times, suffering for doing good. That’s the kind of world they lived in, and we live in too. In chapter 4 they suffer for being a Christian. We know a little of that, some suffer greatly. Peter’s purpose is to emphasise the greatness of our salvation. What a privilege, what a joy and what a blessing it is to belong to Christ. Peter says it is of greater value than this world has to offer. Nothing in this world comes even close.

Is your heart rejoicing in the knowledge that you know Christ as your personal Saviour? Salvation overrides everything else. It is our priority to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Our life is the opportunity God gives to us to know Christ as our Saviour. Does your relationship with Jesus out-do all earthly pleasures? If we are without knowledge and understanding of God’s saving grace, of the need for forgiveness, then we are missing the whole purpose of what we are here for and we remain in darkness of sins. Peter wants us to rejoice in what the Lord Jesus has done.

Our salvation is all of God’s grace – no merit of our own, no self-achievement. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ – faith which is in Christ alone, faith which leans fully on Him. We don’t see Him but it’s the faith that saves. It’s the faith that inspires love, so real it outweighs any adversaries. When we go through difficulties and face opposition, we can always rejoice! It’s a joy the world knows nothing about. We have the joy of knowing we have a Saviour we can turn to. We are wealthy beyond measure. Are you building up heavenly credit? Are you seeking righteousness, storing up treasures in heaven?

Salvation. God planned it from the beginning. He gave us His Word, He gave us the Bible, He gave us prophets. All this leads to His Son, our Saviour and what He did for us on the cross at Calvary. Are you amazed at God’s salvation, what He has done for you, a sinner saved by grace?

The prophets were amazed, even though they were proclaiming something they didn’t fully understand, yet it excited them with great anticipation. The prophets were people who believed the words God gave them. They proclaimed the coming of a Messiah with passion. It was often at great cost to themselves, yet they were excited. They foresaw and understood there was a great salvation coming. Do you search the scriptures as intently as the prophets did?

Does His Word excite us and fill us with a great sense of wonder so we long to know more? The prophets believed there was a Messiah to come in the future. They knew God the future. The full implication what God would do intrigued them and filled them with wonder and amazement. They couldn’t contain their anticipation. They knew it was by grace. They knew God would send His Son and for him there would be sufferings (Isaiah 53). He suffered for the sake and sins of others. Isaiah, who didn’t know the full implication, by the Holy Spirit, presented what the Lord Jesus would do for you and me.

Salvation is God’s doing. He implemented it and completed it (Isaiah 53:10). That is how great this salvation is. It was His will to crush the Lord Jesus Christ and cause Him to suffer in our place. The prophets knew salvation would come through faith in Jesus Christ. They anticipated that great day when the Messiah would come, “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.” (1 Peter 1:12).

That day has now come. The prophets foresaw these things. The apostles preached these things. In our day, preachers still proclaim the Word of God. We know how the Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sakes. The gift of salvation is given, it is nothing of ourselves, so we cannot boast. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We have this great privilege of hearing the gospel preached week by week. We have God’s gift of faith to believe in Christ. We have glorious hope in Him. Peter wants us to remember the wonder of salvation.

Just like the prophets, we don’t fully understand. We know more than the prophets; we know of the cross of Jesus Christ and His love for sinners. We anticipate that great day when we will know fully, and stand in God’s presence and see our Saviour face to face, and know more and more each day.

It isn’t just the prophets – even the angels long to look into these things. The angels are unable to fully comprehend how it feels for a sinner to be saved by grace. They long to look into this wonderful prospect of sinners being saved by grace. Angels dwelt in the presence of God and understood His holiness and saw His glory (Isaiah 6). They were messengers that God sent (Hebrews 1). They are privileged personal instruments from Him. They are given an awesome presence of their own.

 Angels are perfect beings, free from corruption that blights us. Angels knew the work of Jesus at His incarnation. Angels were involved in the temptation of Jesus (Mark 1). They were involved in His miracles (Mark 5). They were involved in His Resurrection. This is the privilege and blessing of the angels. Angels were involved in His person and glory (Revelation 22). These holy angels, who behold His glory, who carry out His bidding, still cannot fully understand our salvation by grace and long to look into these things. If they are amazed, how much more should we be filled with a sense of joy, a sense of blessing and wonder of the One who saved us? Do we long to know more, to lean forward and marvel?

What a great God we serve and worship. Are we filled with a sense of privilege? Freely we have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. It is all in Him and by Him. Without Him there would be no salvation, we would still be under the condemnation of a holy God. Are we filled with that same sense of wonder at God’s grace and mercy in saving our eternal souls? Do we express our eternal thanksgivings (Psalm 126).

Peter’s challenges exhort us to never under-value our salvation, to never lose sight of the wonder and glory and grace of the gospel. This gospel doesn’t discriminate – it is free to all who will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins. Peter is writing to Gentiles and people of all nations. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  (John 14:6). Praise God! Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.