1 Peter 1:10-12
The Desire of the Ages

"I don't want to find Christ under every rock"

"But that's the easiest place"

Children: Why was the OT written? Who is it for?

It was written to tell us about Christ. And so it is for you, because you know Christ.

Peter now heads off a natural question: If the inheritance is future (v. 4) and the salvation is future (vv. 5,9) and the rejoicing is future (vv. 6,8) and the revelation of Christ is future (v. 8) and the praise, honor, and glory are future (v. 8)—then how are we any different or better off than the OT saints?

Peter depicts the NT church as surrounded by longing. The prophets longed to look forward to what we've been given. The angels long to look down to see it.

  1. The Prophets longed to know what you know
    Clearly refers to the OT prophets; they did not receive the things they prophesied, but died without receiving the promise (Heb 11:39,40)
    1. They inquired diligently as to the time
      1. They were intensely interested.
      2. Wanting to know what—or at least what sort of time Christ would come in.
        1. They longed that that time should come upon them, and it did not.
        2. They waited, like Simeon, but could never say, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation" (Lk 2.29,30)
        3. And even Simeon only saw the beginning of it
      3. Peter wants you to know the amazing advantage you have over them.
      4. Picture it. Christ has not yet come. The need of the people is desperate. When will it happen? How?
      5. The people desperately need redemption. Ps 44.23-26 "Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever. Why do You hide Your face, And forget our affliction and our oppression. For our soul is bowed down to the dust; Our body clings to the ground. Arise for our help, And redeem us for Your mercies' sake.
      6. We know all that (and sometimes take it for granted)
    2. They spoke of the saving work of Christ
      1. They testified of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow
        1. The sufferings of Christ—Is 53.3-12
        2. And the glories that would follow—Is 55.1-5,12,13
          1. Note plural of glories
          2. resurrection
          3. ascension
          4. session
          5. the ongoing bringing in of the elect
        3. Luke 24:25-27 — 25Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26"Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
        4. Peter will later return to this two part life of Christ as laying down the path we must follow as well.
      2. But what did it all mean?
      3. Was the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 the same Savior as the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9 who would eternally increase his government?
      4. How and when would these things be revealed?
      5. Imagine not knowing.
        1. Wouldn't you long to know?
        2. Wouldn't you search out everything that could be discovered about this Savior?
        3. That's exactly what they did, but...
  2. They served you when they spoke of Christ
    1. They did not live to see the Savior come
      1. They received an answer to their diligent inquiry
        1. The answer was it's a mystery and you are not to be given the key to it
        2. You must rest content knowing that salvation will come.
      2. They had the Spirit of Christ but would not live to see Christ himself
      3. Heb 12:39,40: "And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us."
      4. They were not serving themselves in this...
    2. But for you he has come and you have heard all about him
      1. These things happened for your sakes upon whom the ends of the ages have come
      2. Two mistakes to be made about OT, both arising out of not understanding the reason it was written:
        1. It's irrelevant. Why would I want to read about that now that the New testament has come? A: If you don't read it, who should? It was written for you.
        2. I think we need to understand the OT the way the original audience would have. A: You're the original audience. It was written for you. You understand Isaiah 53 better than Isaiah did!
      3. If you want the key to understanding the whole Bible this is it
        1. It speaks of Christ
        2. You search the scriptures....
        3. The Rock was Christ
        4. If the OT, how much more the new?
      4. They spoke of the grace that would come to you.
        1. grace = "salvation" (v. 10) = "salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (v. 5) = "inheritance...reserved in heaven" (v. 4)
        2. This salvation has come upon you, and is reserved in heaven for you.
        3. They could not look up to heaven by faith to the risen Christ who had already taken away their sins, been vindicated by the Father, and established his reign. You can.
        4. Their gospel was of what Christ would come and do and what he would set up in heaven for them
        5. Yours is what Christ came and did and what he has set up for you.
        6. It's more than a mere difference of time
      5. These things have now (already) been reported.
        1. The time of salvation has been inaugurated and will not stop until it is consummated.
        2. You are living at the most amazing time in the history of the world
        3. The future age has been established and breaks into the present through the preaching of the word.
        4. History proceeds forward from Adam to Christ; and then, rather than going forward, it goes up, up into heaven.
      6. The gospel that is preached to you comes from the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
        1. Your salvation is in heaven; your inheritance there
        2. But the H.S. has been sent down from there to apply it to you
        3. And the gospel tells you that Christ, has accomplished your salvation and gone up into heaven
        4. So the H.S. coming down, directs your eyes up.
        5. Here, in the preaching of the gospel, you are united with Christ by faith; the heaven sent Spirit gives you fellowship with the heaven-seated Christ and you taste and drink deep of the salvation reserved for you there.
        6. Christ has died. He is risen. He is ascended. Let all the minions of hell try to assail your Savior now. He laughs them to scorn. And he is preserving you and calling in all his people
  3. Even now, angels long to look into these things
    1. Peter depicts the NT church as surrounded by longing.
      1. The prophets longed to look forward to what we've been given.
      2. The angels long to look down to see it.
      3. If we fix our eyes on Christ in heaven, the angels are represented as fixing there eyes on things below where Christ is working.
    2. What is happening is so glorious that now that it's been revealed, not merely prophets, but angels want to know more
      1. They are pictured as longing to stoop to look
        1. same word used of Peter stooping to look into empty tomb
        2. There they are, in the presence of the glorified Christ, and yet what he is doing on earth is so glorious that their eyes long follow the H.S. from heaven to earth and marvel at what goes on down here
        3. The one thing that could take their eyes off Christ is you and me—his church—and their desire to see what Christ is doing for us and in us and to hear what he is saying to us.
      2. There is rejoicing among the angels when one sinner repents and this perfect salvation is reserved in heaven for him as well
      3. This happened at your conversion and mine.
      4. This will continue until Christ is revealed with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God and we are glorified and caught up into heaven with him
      5. Be amazed. Be in awe. Stand back and wonder at the greatness of a salvation for which the prophets yearned and the angels even now desire to glimpse.
      6. This is what is being preached to you by the heaven sent Spirit
      7. This is what is reserved in heaven for you
      8. Rest your hope fully on this grace that is about to come to you and long to look yourself into the things that have already been accomplished and are hidden in Christ and this world will hold no charm, but you will be enraptured by your destiny and say Amen, come quickly Lord Jesus.

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