“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” 1 Peter 1.10-12
For centuries the Jewish prophets looked for the Messiah. They waited, prayed, examined the Scriptures to find just when Jesus was coming. Unfortunately, many missed it. They did not believe Jesus was the Messiah and still do not to this day despite an overwhelming amount of evidence from the Old Testament. (https://www.jesusfilm.org/blog-and-stories/old-testament-prophecies.html)
It’s like a treasure hunt. Prophets of God seeking the Messiah. The work of these prophets benefited those who would follow, namely us — and the early Christian disciples to whom Peter is writing so many years ago.
Consider being a first or second generation Christian. God’s Word through Jesus Christ has just been revealed. These communities are in hiding all over the ancient near east. They are receiving words of instruction and encouragement from Peter and the other disciples and apostles who are building up the churches. At this point Christianity was illegal. Christians were being persecuted and killed for their beliefs. It wasn’t a culturally accepted practice as we’ve enjoyed for years in the USA — it was in violation of the Roman Empire.
Peters’ words must have been a breath of fresh air to these young disciples in hiding. They were recipients of God’s revelation to his people. They heard a message “even the angels” long to look into these these and understand.
Let us stand firm today in the strong tradition of the early prophets of the Old Testament and with the encouragement of first century Christians set on carrying out the gospel to the ends of the earth. What we now hear and understand today came through them. It came by word of mouth, as words written on pages and by the Word of the Holy Spirit to us today.
“O Lord God, your Word is true. Thank you Lord for loving us so much that your Word would endure for thousands of years. The letter Peter wrote to Christians in hiding would sink into our hearts and apply to us just as much as to them. Come now, Holy Spirit, fill me with your power and might. Help us to grab hold of the Gospel of Christ so the world might know your grace, forgiveness and salvation. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen