A Salvation Magnified Three Ways

Introduction: The Foundation of Christian Living

0:04 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, May 10, 1998, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. May I encourage you to turn with me in your Bibles to Peter's first letter, the first epistle of Peter, and follow as I read in your hearing verses 3 through 12, this unit of thought given to us by the inspiration of the Spirit of God through the pen of the Apostle Peter, 1 Peter 1, beginning in verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His great mercy, begot us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Incorruptible and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, who, by the power of God, are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in manifold trials, that the trial or the proof of your faith,

1:31 being more precious than gold that perishes, though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen, you love, on whom, though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even, the salvation of your souls. Concerning which salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them, to whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves but unto you did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preach the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven, which things angels desire to look into. Now let us again ask God by the Holy Spirit to help us

2:56 as we come particularly to verses 10 to 12 this morning, verses 10 to 12, that are dense with rich truth and concerning which we again need the present ministry of the Spirit of God if we are rightly to understand these words. Let us pray.

3:16 Our Father, we thank you that the Holy Spirit has been sent forth from heaven. We thank you this morning not only for Bethlehem, for Golgotha, but for the upper room and that glorious event of Pentecost. We thank you that the Spirit has been sent forth upon all flesh. We thank you that this morning we live this side of that epical event and we may therefore plead that in this place this morning as in all the churches of Christ we may know the present and powerful ministry of the Spirit illuminating our minds and engaging our hearts and causing us to know what it is to have your word come not in word only but in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. May that be our portion we plead through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Peter's Pastoral Strategy: Indicatives Before Imperatives

4:27 I want to begin this morning by asking each of you a very simple but rather strange question. If you, you personally, were asked, to write a letter of encouragement to a group of relatively young Christians who were facing increasing opposition and seduction from the pagan world around them, what would you choose to write as the foundation of your letter of instruction and of encouragement?

5:02 Well, for the Apostle Peter this was not a theoretical issue. In the Providence, the Apostles wrote in a letter to the Apostles of the Bible about how Peter, under the influence of God and under the peculiar influence of the Holy Spirit reserved for those human authors of Scripture, Peter is called upon to write just such a letter. He is writing to first century Christians, many of them relatively new believers, described in Chapter 2 as newborn babes, a hostile and an aggressive pagan society. And while Peter has many things to say to these Christians by way of intensely pastoral exhortations and directions, he does not begin his letter with exhortation and with commands. Rather, he begins with what can only be called a breathtaking eulogy, an amazing demonstration of this great and glorious salvation, which is the portion of every true believer. From the rest of the epistles, starting in verse 13 of the first chapter, it is evident that Peter does have much practical instruction to give to these believers.

6:27 He has many detailed apostolic commandments and mandates to lay before them. Why does he begin with a eulogy that has no command, no directives, but simply takes off in blessing God for his great and glorious salvation? Well, I answer that question by saying that Peter understood, as do the other biblical writers, that the indicatives, that is, the statements of what God has done for us, precede and undergird the imperatives, that is, what God requires of us. In thus structuring his letter to these elect sojourners of the dispersion, Peter is reminding them and reminding us that we must with a well-instructed faith continually reflect upon that which we are and have in Christ if we are to continue to worship God in the time of the resurrection. To which we are reminded, then, of the to make any progress in being and doing what is pleasing to Christ now that's not just a cleverly constructed turn phrase dear people that's the very nerve

7:47 center of the theology of the Christian life according to the New Testament and even according to the old I am that's an indicative I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage that's an indicative reminding the nation of what God had done then in only does God say you shall have no other gods before me the indicatives that which God has done for us in Christ lie at the foundation of any ability to perform the imperatives to state it another way Peter is very conscious that the basis of living is doctrine and that the end of doctrine is living so he begins with rich doctrine but he doesn't stop there he moves to the wherefore of verse 13 wherefore girding up the loins of your mind and then the imperatives begin be sober set your hope perfectly you shall be holy all of these imperatives flow out of the indicatives doctrine leads to life but life is rooted in doctrine and what God has joined together in that order let

9:12 no man put asunder and so in keeping with this foundational principle after his words of greeting in verses 1 & 2 Peter launches into this astounding paragraph in which the great salvation of all the people of God is so beautifully and wonderfully set before us. It's a salvation rooted in God's great mercy. It results in a begetting again to a living hope with its tap roots in the dynamics of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It will lead to the enjoyment of this inheritance described as incorruptible, undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for us, and we who are marked for the inheritance are ourselves preserved until we come to that inheritance. And so wonderful is this salvation that even in the midst of present trials, we have solid grounds for rejoicing, knowing that those trials have an immediate and a long-term purpose. They are purifying our faith, and they are so perfecting our faith that it will not be lost. It will not be lost. It will not be lost. It will not be

10:28 lost. It will not be lost. It will not be lost. It will not be lost. It will not be lost. It will not be will be praiseworthy in the day of Jesus Christ. And these things being so, loving and believing in an unseen Christ, we can continue to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, all the while receiving here and now an earnest and a down payment and dimensions of our full salvation that will be given to us at the appearing of the Lord Jesus. Now having mentioned that, wonderful word, salvation, at the end of verse 9, Peter is now concerned to turn the spotlight again upon this glorious salvation that is the possession of all of God's people. And in verses 10 through 12, we have what I am calling, following the suggestion of Edmund Hebert, an excellent commentator on 1 Peter, or a man who has written an excellent book, and who has written an excellent book commentary on 1 Peter, that in these verses what Peter is doing is simply carrying on this general theme of displaying the glory of salvation in Christ as the foundation of all of the practical exhortation and instruction that will follow in the rest of the epistle. And what he

Three Ways Salvation is Magnified

11:51 is doing in these verses is magnifying this salvation before the eyes of these Christians there in the first century in these provinces of Asia Minor, and he is doing it in three ways. He first of all finds salvation magnified in the light of prophetic searching. That is verses 10 through 12a, and that will take the bulk of our time this morning. But then secondly, we find salvation magnified in the light of gospel preaching, verse 12b. And then thirdly, salvation magnified in the light of gospel preaching, verse 12b. And then thirdly, salvation Salvation magnified in the light of angelic inquiring, verse 12c. So salvation is magnified through these three magnifying glasses in the light of prophetic searching, of gospel preaching, and angelic inquiring. And what I propose to do in the time allotted this morning is to expound the verses, and God willing, two weeks from today, we have an extension of Our Lady's Retreat next week, and Pastor Bolo will be preaching.

13:02 We will then go back and seek to identify the many principles, both of biblical truth and of practical insights on the Christian life contained in these verses, but I could not responsibly approach them without expounding them as a unit, and so I make no apology. Today will be heavy on the didactic. And God willing, our next exposition will be top-heavy in the application and in the extracting of the tremendous statements of God's truth that are found in these verses. Consider with me then salvation magnified by prophetic searching.

Salvation Magnified by Prophetic Searching: Who Were They?

13:42 Look at the words of the text. Concerning which salvation? He has mentioned that one of the fruits of loving and believing in an unseen Christ is that we not only rejoice, but we are presently receiving the end or the goal of faith, even the salvation of souls. And when he says salvation, he then goes on to amplify concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what time or when, what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them did point unto, when testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them, to whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto you did they minister these things. Now as I wrestled with how best to unpack the language of this part of our text, I decided that I could best help you, according to my presence, light, by asking with you and answering from the passage several questions. We're going to make an inquiry of the text. And the first question we need to ask is, who were these prophets?

15:09 Concerning which salvation the prophets and all the verbs that follow have to do with what the prophets did. It's the prophets who searched. It's the prophets who sought. It's the prophets who prophesied.

15:26 It's the prophets who ministered these things. It is the prophets who are central in these verses. And we need to ask the question, who were these prophets? Well, Peter does not use an article we read in our English translations concerning which salvation the prophets.

15:48 We could more accurately render it concerning which salvation prophets. And when the article is not used in the Greek, often it is to isolate not any particular individual or group of individuals, but that particular generic group of people. So the emphasis is upon the prophetic ministry. Not this or that or these particular prophets, but prophets in general.

16:15 And that raises the other question under this first question, who were these prophets? What is the biblical concept of a prophet? Well, basically, it is this. It's very simple.

16:27 It's not complicated. A prophet is one who received direct revelation from God and became the mouthpiece of God to speak that revelation to others. That's a prophet. The prophet is not someone who had an unusually religious, sensitive spirit and just sort of threw his spirit up to the winds of inspiration and got a twinge in his mind.

16:53 He got a twinge in his mind. He got a twinge in his mind. He got a twinge in his mind. He got a twinge in his mind or in his soul and then interpreted that.

16:57 No, the prophet was a recipient of direct revelation from God. You'll find this terminology again and again in the prophetic writings. The word of the Lord came unto me, saying. The word of the Lord, an objective reality, came to the prophets.

17:16 So they were the recipients of direct revelation from God and they became God's mouthpiece. That's why you'll remember in the incident where Moses is called upon to go and be the deliverer of God's people and he complains that he's not fluent in speech and God says that Aaron shall be his prophet, his navi, his mouthpiece. And God says, I'll put my words into your mind and heart and mouth, Moses, and you will then put them into the mouth of Aaron. And so when we turn to a passage such as Luke, chapter 1, this is one of those epitomizing texts, you find the very essence of what a prophet was and did stated in this portion of the word of God. Zacharias, filled with the Spirit, is prophesying and we read in verse 68 of Luke 1. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and wrought redemption for his people, has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. Now, notice, as he, who is the he?

18:28 The he is the Lord, the God of Israel. This he who visited and wrought redemption for his people, who has raised up a horn of salvation, it is this God who spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets. That's what a prophet is. He becomes the mouthpiece of God to speak, not his own incest, but to speak the very word of God.

18:57 So then, in answer to our first question, concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who were these prophets? The prophets referred to in this text are all those from Moses onward who were the recipients of direct revelation from God and who embodied that revelation in the Old Testament. In other words, they were the prophets of the Old Testament scriptures. Hence, the great division of the Old Testament scriptures that was there in existence in our Lord's day, the whole Old Testament was divided either into the Law and the Prophets, or the Law of the books of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets. So when Peter is desirous of establishing these first century Christians in an expanded appreciation of their salvation, in an expanded appreciation of their salvation, in an expanded appreciation of their salvation, salvation in Christ, he says, this salvation is magnified by prophetic searching. That is, a searching undertaken by these men who were the recipients of direct revelation and spoke forth and wrote that revelation on behalf of God. Question number two.

Salvation Magnified by Prophetic Searching: By What Influence?

20:16 By what influence did they speak and write? We've identified who the prophets were. But by what influence did they speak and write? You will notice in verse 11 the answer is given.

20:32 Searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them did point unto, when testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them. The key words are, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Christ who was in them did point, testifying. The Spirit of Christ who was in them did point, testifying. By what influence did the prophets speak and write?

21:13 Well, according to Peter, they spoke and they wrote under the influence of the Spirit of Christ. But you say, Pastor, Christ was not incarnate. But you say, Christ was not incarnate until Bethlehem. Christ was not born until long after the Old Testament prophets spoke and wrote.

21:36 Peter's very much aware of that. And yet he says it was the Spirit of Christ. Now, according to a passage such as Romans 8, 8 and 9, we do not make any distinction between the Spirit of God, the third person in the Trinity and the Spirit of Christ. We do not make any distinction between the Spirit of God, the third person in the Trinity and the Spirit of Christ.

21:56 Notice how the terms are used interchangeably in the Scriptures. We read in Romans 8, verse 8, They that are in the flesh cannot please God, but you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. These are not two different spirits.

22:21 The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ. And for reasons that I trust will become plain as we continue to unpack the text, Peter here designates the Spirit of God as the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Messiah, the Spirit of the long-promised final prophet, priest and king sent by God to sinful man. And it is Christ in his prophetic office who is speaking in and through the Old Testament. So, Peter wants these first-century believers, not a bunch of armchair theorists, a think tank of first-century theologians. No, he is writing to people, some of whom are slaves, some of whom are wives with unconverted husbands. They are the rank and file of God's people, generally found in the description of 1 Corinthians 1. Not many mighty.

23:23 Not many noble. Not many wise. Otherwise, Fox said God's five-ranked army of descending human weakness.

23:33 That's what they are, and yet in writing to them, Peter wants them to know, if they're to appreciate their salvation, that that salvation is the very salvation concerning which these Old Testament recipients of direct revelation, who spoke forth the words of God, spoke forth those words and wrote them by the influence of the Spirit of Christ Himself, who dwelt in them. Now, if you ever hear this nonsense that Old Testament believers only have the Holy Spirit upon them, New Testament believers have the Holy Spirit in them, just take them to this text and show how utterly ludicrous that position is. It is simply not rooted in the teaching of the Word of God. The Spirit of Christ who was in them pointed, testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ, so that the author... Of both Testaments is God the Holy Spirit.

24:30 Both Testaments not only bear witness to Christ, but they are the witness of Christ.

24:40 May I repeat that? Both Testaments not only bear witness to Christ, but they are the witness of Christ. So that Peter wants these people to understand that they are not New Testament Christians. They are Bible Christians.

24:57 They are Bible Christians. They belong to the Christ who speaks through the prophets of the Old Testament, as well as through His Apostle Peter, as well as through His Incarnate Son. So, question one, who were these prophets? They were the recipients of direct revelation who spoke and wrote the Word of God.

Salvation Magnified by Prophetic Searching: What Was Their Theme?

25:21 By what influence did they speak and write? The Spirit of Christ dwelling in them. Question number three. What particular theme...

25:29 What particular theme of the prophets did Peter have in mind? Now remember what he's trying to do. He's attempting to give these believers as the foundation for every dimension of practical Christian living in a pagan world, a deeper appreciation of their salvation. He hasn't moved from his purpose.

25:50 And so he describes a particular theme of the prophets in keeping with that goal. And what is that particular theme? Look again at the text. It says, "...concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace..." And you'll notice if you have an ASV or probably the New King James, the words should come are in italics.

26:14 They are not in the original. There's no verb there. "...it is the grace that pertains, or the grace that is unto you, or the grace regarding you." That's one way he describes the theme of the prophets. And the other way he describes the theme of the prophets. And the other way he describes the theme of the prophets.

26:30 They prophesied of grace that regards you. They, the Old Testament prophets, spoke of grace that had peculiar reference to you, you believers in Asia Minor, in the first century, this side of the incarnation, this side of the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, this side of the coming of the Holy Spirit. But then he describes their theme in a more amplified way. He says, "...searching what time, or manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who is in them did point unto, when he testified beforehand the sufferings of, or literally the sufferings unto, or towards Christ, and the glories that should follow them." What particular theme of the prophets did Peter have in mind? He said, He describes it two ways. It is the grace towards you theme of the prophets.

27:35 It is the theme of the sufferings unto Christ and the glories that should follow those sufferings. Now let me take just a moment to try to open up the significance of that description of the theme. According to the Scriptures, the whole of the message of God's salvation in Christ can be summarized in these words. It is the gospel of the grace of God.

28:04 That's how Paul describes it in Acts 20 and verse 24. He said, I count not my life as dear unto myself, that I may finish my course with joy and testify the gospel of the grace of God. That's the most distilled essence of the message of full and free salvation in Jesus Christ. And so he says, This salvation is the salvation concerning which the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace regarding you.

28:41 That is grace that would come to you when Messiah would come. When Messiah as the suffering servant would die. When Messiah would shed forth of his spirit upon all flesh so that even pagan Gentiles in Asia Minor would have this blessed and glorious salvation in Jesus Christ. But then he amplifies the theme later on in verse 11 saying that the spirit of Christ who is in them pointed when testifying beforehand the sufferings unto Christ and the glories that should follow them.

29:19 Sufferings and glories. You think of such passages as Isaiah 52 where the suffering servant is described in details that one would think Isaiah had been an eyewitness. But he doesn't stop with the sufferings of Messiah. Chapter 54 and 55 go on to speak of the glories of the suffering servant and the expansion of the tent of God's dwelling as a result of Messiah.

29:47 Messiah's sufferings, the glories of his resurrection, his ascension, his sending of the Holy Spirit, the glories that will attend him at his second coming and the climactic day of the Lord. As someone has said, the ministry of the prophets was not so much a ministry to peer into the future. It was to indict the present. The prophets did not have as their exclusivity.

30:16 Their exclusive theme, testifying of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow. They stood in their own generation and called the covenant community to repent of its sins. Called down the judgment of God if they did not repent. But again and again this theme will break through.

30:37 God will restore his people. And in that work of restoration he's going to do something that far exceeds any other work he has ever done. And he describes that restoration in words that cannot be understood as fully contained when that little group made its way back to Palestine after the 70 years captivity. So that in conjunction with that restoration God speaks of the ministry of his suffering servant, of the branch, of the king-priest upon his throne spoken of by Zechariah.

31:13 And this is one of the major themes of the work of restoration. The major themes, not the only theme of the prophets. But it is a major theme of the prophets to speak of the sufferings that are unto Christ and the glories that should follow them. So much is this true that an inspired apostle can say, and here I want you to turn to Acts chapter 3.

31:38 When preaching subsequent to Pentecost, quoting the Old Testament, proving that Christ is God's final prophet, Peter says in verse 22 of Acts 3, Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren like unto me. To him shall you hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak to you. And it shall be that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. Yes.

32:12 And all the prophets from Samuel and them that followed after as many as have spoken, they also told of these days. You see what Peter is saying? That one of the great themes of the prophetic utterances is the theme of gospel days. Chapter 10 verses 42 and 43, a similar statement from Peter.

32:41 And he charged us to preach unto the people and to testify that this is he who is ordained of God to be the judge of the living and the dead. To him bear all the prophets witness that through his name everyone that believes on him shall receive remission of sins. To him all the prophets bear witness. And in bearing their witness, Peter has particularly in mind their witness with respect to the regarding those believers grace.

33:15 That is, grace that will be mediated through the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them. So we've asked the question, who were the prophets? I hope all of you could give a biblical answer. We asked the question, under what influence did they speak and write?

33:33 The spirit of Christ that was in them. What particular theme did Peter have in mind? It was the theme of the grace regarding these new covenant believers. That is, the great themes of the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

Salvation Magnified by Prophetic Searching: Nature and Focus of Their Searching

33:49 Question 4. What was the nature and focus of their searching? Look at the text. What was the nature and the focus of their searching?

34:01 Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently? Who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you? Searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ who was in them did point unto when testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them? Look for a moment at the nature of their searching.

34:30 Our English translation says, concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently? Diligently. Peter uses two words. And the way he constructs them, and those of you in the adult class, this is a case where etymology and word construction is helpful.

34:48 He uses two standard words for searching and seeking something out diligently. But he has a little prefix at the front that intensifies it. That's why our translations use the word diligently. They should have been more consistent and written.

35:02 The prophets sought diligently and searched diligently. The prefix is with both verbs. They diligently sought. They diligently searched.

35:13 Now when you diligently seek and search out the meaning of the words, you will come to the conclusion that there is no fine, clear line of demarcation of meaning. Both of these terms are used in the Old Testament, the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. The Septuagint uses both words for searching the scriptures. The words are basically synonyms.

35:38 There may be a fine shade of meaning, but what Peter is doing is using a rhetorical device. Let me illustrate. A woman loses her engagement ring. And she's all in a tizzy.

35:49 What am I going to say to my husband? I've lost my engagement ring. And when he comes home and she tells him, he says, well, do you look for it? She says, yes, dear.

35:56 I turned the bedroom upside down and I searched it with a fine-toothed comb. But does she mean she took the bedroom and had engineers come in and put it on its head and then get an actual comb? No. She's used two figures of speech to let her hubby know, I really did my best to find that crazy thing.

36:14 Now, this is what Peter is doing here. Under the guidance of the Spirit, as we do in human communication, he is setting before us the nature of their searching. They were in dead earnest. He says, concerning which salvation the prophets sought diligently and searched diligently.

36:34 And what was the focus of their searching? And here you have a problem of translation. If you had the New English Bible, you would read what was the time and what were the circumstances that the Spirit of Christ pointed unto when testifying the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow. If you had the Revised Standard Version, you would read what person or time.

37:02 And I will only say, for some of you may want to search this out in Hebert's excellent commentary, pages 65 and 66. He has, in the 18 commentaries that I study and generally read before preaching any section of 1 Peter, he had the most compelling case for the first translation. What was the time and what were the circumstances? But Wayne Gruden, in his excellent commentary, pages 74 and 75, has what I regard an even more compelling case for the translation.

37:36 What was the person? In other words, what person or what time? Now, at the end of the day, it really makes no difference, but to be honest, in seeking to expound the word, I had to at least apprise you, it's a difficulty of understanding precisely what Peter had in mind. But whether we render it, what was the time and what the circumstances, or what person or time, do you get the picture?

38:02 The prophets spoke and wrote things that were revealed to the world. That were revealed to them by God and that they faithfully conveyed on behalf of God that they didn't have a clue what they were saying and writing. Now, they weren't in some kind of a semi-conscious trance, in some kind of a sanctified seance. No.

38:21 No, they were fully conscious. They knew what it was to have the word of the Lord come to them and to know that they were under an influence of the Spirit that took them beyond their mere natural God-given faculties of insight and understanding. And they wrote and spoke of things that afterward they scratched their heads and said, what in the world was I talking about? I have spoken of one concerning whom Jehovah says, behold my servant, he shall be highly exalted.

38:56 And yet Jehovah said to me that he shall be as a root out of a dry ground. He has no form. He has no form nor comeliness. And when we see him, there's no beauty that we should desire him.

39:10 He is despised and rejected of men. Oh, Jehovah God, you revealed to me your servant will be highly exalted. He shall startle the nations. And yet now you say he'll be like a root out of a dry ground.

39:26 An unattractive, inconsequential nothing. No beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected. His visage marred more than man and the sons of man.

39:39 And Isaiah scratches his head and strokes his beard and says, who is this person? Who is this servant of Jehovah? What are the circumstances in which this will come to pass? For out of that suffering will come redemptive grace.

39:55 He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. By the knowledge of himself. Shall my servant justify many and he shall bear their iniquities. And Isaiah faithfully delivers the word of God.

40:08 But he is constantly searching and looking through and turning over. Seeking and searching diligently to discern either the precise person or the time and the epoch within which God would bring to pass these amazing promises given to him. In his word. What was the nature and focus of their searching?

40:35 It was intense searching. And it was searching to understand either the person and the time or the time and the circumstances within which this towards them grace would find fulfillment in history. The time in which the spirit of Christ who was in them testifying of the sufferings towards Christ. And the glories that should follow them.

41:02 When will it come to pass? That was the nature. And the focus of their searching. You have a little hint of this.

41:10 From the lips of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 13 17. For someone might ask the question. Where does it describe the Old Testament prophets doing this? Well there are some places such as Daniel chapter 9.

41:23 Where you find Daniel searching Jeremiah's prophecy. And coming to some insights that moved him to action. But notice what our Lord says in Matthew 13 17. For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men desire to see the things which you see and saw them not.

41:45 And to hear the things which you hear and heard them not. Here is at least a parallel passage of a yearning and a longing to see things that they never saw. That are now seen. In the person and presence of the Son of God.

Salvation Magnified by Prophetic Searching: How Much Did They Understand?

42:02 One final question we want to ask. As we consider this salvation magnified through prophetic searching. How much did they eventually understand? How much did these prophets eventually understand?

42:16 Verse 12a answers the question. To whom that is to these prophets it was revealed. That not unto themselves but unto you. Did they minister.

42:28 These things. Something was revealed to them. And this word revealed. 26 times the verb is used in the New Testament.

42:38 18 times the noun form is used. And always without exception it refers to a divine disclosure. A divine disclosure in which God makes known something to men. It is the word used with respect to the coming of the Lord Jesus.

42:57 It is the disclosure. The revelation of God climatically revealed at the coming of Christ. He has revealed them unto us by his spirit Paul says. So that this again is not pointing to some personal deducted insight of the prophets.

43:15 There was a revelation made to the prophets. And this is as much as God revealed to them with respect to these issues. That not to themselves but unto you. They were ministering these things.

43:28 What things? The things concerning God's grace. Mediated through the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. As they sought and as they searched.

43:39 Trying to put together the various pieces. Who is this one who is coming? What is the time? What are the circumstances of this coming?

43:47 This much was made plain to them. It would not come to pass in their days. And so one of the major themes of the prophets is this. It shall come to pass in the latter.

43:57 The latter days. It shall come to pass afterward. I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh. And as our Lord said of Abraham in John 8 58.

44:08 Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He sought from afar. But acknowledged he would not find its fulfillment in his own day. So with these prophets God revealed to them.

44:22 That these glorious gospel privileges. Were not to be theirs in their own life history. As to the outworking of them in the coming of Messiah. With his sufferings and with the glories to follow.

Pastoral Application: The Glory of Your Salvation

44:36 Now by those five questions. I've tried to unpack what could otherwise be difficult verses. I hope you haven't found this tedious. I don't know how else to teach the word of God to you people.

44:47 I hope you have found it helpful. But now before we move on to consider very quickly. The other two strands of the gospel. The other two strands of thought.

44:56 And I can do that in just a few minutes each. I want you to remember what Peter's doing. And I want us to learn a vital lesson from this. What's Peter doing?

45:03 Is he trying to give some good teaching to identify the prophets? Who moved the prophets to write what their theme was? No. Remember.

45:11 He is burdened with a pastoral passion. For believers in Asia Minor. Believers who already are experiencing tremendous opposition. Some of them suffering for the sake of Christ.

45:24 Others feeling the pressure of their former godless companions. To draw them back into their godless lifestyle. Women with unconverted husbands. Slaves with cruel and unreasonable masters.

45:36 And he's going to tell the slaves how to react. He's going to tell the wives how to relate to their unconverted husbands. In chapter four he's going to tell believers how to treat those. That try to suck them back into the vortex of a pagan lifestyle.

45:48 But where does he start? He starts with grounding them in their great salvation. And in grounding them in their great salvation. He says to humble ordinary first century believers.

46:00 You need to understand. That this salvation you possess. This salvation that will culminate in the eternal inheritance. For which you are preserved and kept by the power of God.

46:13 This salvation you are now receiving as you love and believe in an unseen Christ. You believers need to know. That this is the very salvation rooted in the Old Testament scriptures. You have you humble believers in Asia Minor.

46:31 You have insights to realities. That the most sanctified, illuminated, exalted prophet never had. You see and know things Isaiah didn't see and know. And Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel.

46:47 You people that are going to feel the pressure of the world to conform. You're going to feel. You're going to feel the buffeting and battering influence of the ungodly around you. What do you need?

47:01 Not to chuck under the chin and say peace, all is well, peace, peace. You need to have deep in your soul a conviction about salvation. You need to know that your salvation is a salvation with its cap roots. In the foreknowledge and purpose of God.

47:20 Who moved his prophets to speak. Of the very things that are yours in realization. But which those prophets never had in realization. Those prophets who were convinced.

47:34 That the things of which they spoke. Belong to you. In fulfillment and not to them. How are young believers to resist the pressure of opposition.

47:45 The pressure of a pagan society. They're to understand the glory of a salvation. That is magnified. In the light.

47:52 Of prophetic. Searching. But then they are also to understand. It's a salvation magnified by gospel preaching.

Salvation Magnified by Gospel Preaching

47:57 Look at verse 12b. He says the things that the prophets minister. Are now. Announced.

48:01 Onto you. Through them. That preached the gospel unto you. By the Holy Spirit.

48:06 Send down from heaven. Here. He magnifies. Salvation.

48:10 In terms. Of salvation. That is magnified. In the light.

48:14 Of prophetic. Searching. But then they are also to understand. It's a salvation magnified.

48:18 By gospel. Preaching. Look at verse 12b. He magnifies.

48:23 Salvation. In terms. Of gospel. Preaching.

48:27 And the key words. Are these. Which. Things.

48:31 Now. Have been announced. Which. Things.

48:35 Now. Have been announced. What. Things.

48:39 The things. That were ministered. By the prophets. That is.

48:43 The things. Pertaining. To the sufferings. Of Christ.

48:47 And the glories. That should follow. The things. Summed up.

48:51 In the word. These. Are the very. Things.

48:55 Of prophetic. Utterance. That are now. Announced.

48:59 To the readers. And he says. Two things. About that.

49:03 Announcement. First of all. It was announced. By unnamed.

49:07 Gospel. Preachers. By whom. Were these things.

49:11 Announced. They are not. Named. Peter uses.

49:15 Very general. Language. They have been. Announced.

49:19 Unto you. Through. Them. He doesn't.

49:24 Name. Anyone. To this. Day.

49:28 Only. God. And those. Who were.

49:32 Involved. In it. Know. Who brought.

49:36 The gospel. To these. People. For the.

49:40 Important. Thing. Is not. The human.

49:44 Instrument. That brought. These. Things.

49:48 It's. That. These. Things.

49:52 Were. Sent. For. From.

49:56 Heaven. They. Proclaim. The.

50:00 Gospel. In. The. Realm.

50:05 Of. In. The. Sphere.

50:09 Of. The. Presence. And.

50:13 Power. Of. The. Holy.

50:17 Spirit. The. Very. Spirit.

50:21 Of. The. Sound. As.

50:25 Of. A. Mighty. Rushing.

50:29 Wind. And. It. Filled.

50:33 All. The. Room. Where.

50:37 They. Were. Sitting. And.

50:41 They. Were. All. Filled.

50:45 With. The. Holy. Spirit.

50:49 I'm. Quoting. We. Say.

50:53 It. Does. You. Show.

50:57 Me. From. The. Bible.

51:01 They. Have. Been. Having.

51:05 Some. Lengthy. Prayer. Meetings.

51:09 Chapter. One. Says. These.

51:13 All. Continued. Steadfastly. In.

51:17 Prayer. But. Acts. Peter.

51:21 Never. Forgot. And. Now.

51:25 He. Says. They. Preach.

51:29 The. Gospel. To. You.

51:33 These. Unnamed. Gospel. Preachers.

51:37 But. They. Preach. To.

51:41 You. In. This. Age.

51:45 Of. The. Spirit. The.

51:49 Children. And. To. All.

51:53 That. Are. What. A.

51:57 Far. Off. Even. As.

52:01 Many. As. The. Lord.

52:05 Our. God. Shall. Call.

52:09 On. To. Him. Those.

52:13 Believers. In. Asia. Minor.

52:17 Were. As. They. Face.

52:21 A. Hostile. Pagan. Society.

52:25 Why. Is. Peter. Telling.

52:29 Them. Your. Salvation. Is.

52:33 To. Be. Magnified. In.

52:37 Your. Eyes. Not. Only.

52:41 In. The. Light. Of.

52:45 Prophetic. Searching. To. Understand.

52:49 You. Were. Brought. To.

52:54 Understand. On. The. Very.

52:58 Threshold. Of. Your. Christian.

53:02 Experience. Things. That. If.

53:06 Isaiah. Had. Lived. To.

53:10 Be. A. Hundred. And.

53:14 Fifty. He. Never. Lost.

53:18 In. The. Perfect. Suitability.

53:22 Of. Christ. To. Their.

53:26 Needs. Who. Gave. Them.

53:30 New. Hearts. Engendering. In.

53:34 Them. Repentance. And. Faith.

53:38 Attesting. To. Their. Sonship.

53:42 As. Believers. And. So.

Salvation Magnified by Angelic Inquiring

53:46 He. Ends. This. Paragraph.

53:50 Which. Things. You. See.

53:54 Can't. Get. Away. Which.

53:59 Things. Which. Things. He's.

54:03 Taken. Up. With. Substantial.

54:07 Realities. Which. Things. Angels.

54:11 Desire. To. Look. Into.

54:15 The. Spirit. Beings. He's.

54:19 Obviously. Referring. Here. To.

54:23 Elect. Angels. Who. Were.

54:27 Not. Involved. In. That.

54:31 Original. Pre-Temporal. Revolt. In.

54:35 Heaven. But. Those. Elect.

54:39 Angels. Those. Sinless. Pure.

54:43 Spirit. Beings. In. The.

54:47 Glories. That. Should. Follow.

54:51 Angels. Angels. Are. Concerned.

54:55 About. These. Things. That's.

54:59 The. Object. Of. Their.

55:03 Inquiring. And. What's. The.

55:07 Nature. Of. Their. Inquiring.

55:11 Look. At. The. Things.

55:15 In. Our. Worship. That's.

55:21 Right. We. Have. Some.

55:28 Envious. Companions. In. Our.

55:32 Worship. Angels. And. The.

55:36 Very. Things. That. Are.

55:40 Being. Preached. Their. Desires.

55:47 Of. Looking. Into. In.

55:51 What. Sinner. Who. Knows.

55:55 His. Lostness. And. Sees.

55:59 The. Suitable. Miss. Of.

56:03 Christ. Angels. With. Their.

56:07 Superior. Intelligence. In. All.

56:11 That. Makes. Them. An.

56:15 Order. Of. Being. Above.

56:19 And. Religious. Information. He's.

56:23 Got. First. Century. Believers.

56:27 In. Asia. Minor. Living.

56:31 In. A. Pagan. Yes.

56:35 I. Know. I. Keep.

56:39 Emphasizing. Yeah. I. Do.

56:43 Because. If. I. Don't.

56:48 You're. Going. To. A.

56:52 Salvation. That. Angels. Are.

56:56 Continually. It's. The. Standard.

57:00 Word. For. Lust. Or.

57:05 Longing. Epithumeo. They. Are.

57:09 Yearning. Longing. Passionately. Yearning.

57:13 To. Look. Into. And.

57:17 Hear. You. By. The.

57:21 Soul. On. Which. You.

57:26 Are. Privileged. To. Feed.

57:30 Your. Soul. Well. As.

Conclusion: Perspective and Ballast for the Soul

57:34 I. Said. This. Was.

57:38 Primarily. Didactic. This. Morning.

57:42 I. Just. Want. To.

57:46 Close. With. This. One.

57:50 Simple. Many. Colors. Of.

57:54 Trials. The. Full. Spectrum.

58:00 Of. Trials. Are. There.

58:04 But. He. Says. Consider.

58:08 The. Salvation. That. Is.

58:12 Yours. Great. Mercy. Has.

58:16 Begotten. You. Again. To.

58:20 A. Living. Situation. Concerning.

58:24 Which. The. Prophets. Were.

58:28 Searching. Seeking. As. They.

58:32 Prophesied. Concerning. Christ. Now.

58:36 Those. Glorious. Truths. Are.

58:40 The. Stuff. Of. Gospel.

58:45 Proclamation. And. The. Object.

58:49 Of. The. Envious. Promise.

58:53 In. The. Word. And.

58:58 Promise. Of. The. Gospel.

59:02 Will. Be. Yours. In.

59:08 Full. Possession. Here. People.

59:12 At. The. End. Of.

59:16 The. Day. It's. All.

59:20 A. Matter. Of. Perspective.

59:24 In. Directions. Of. His.

59:28 Epistle. Rest. Down. Upon.

59:32 The. Point. Of. Verses.

59:36 Three. Through. Twelve. And.

59:40 If. We. Don't. Memorize.

59:44 And. Meditate. Upon. And.

59:48 Feed. Upon. These. Realities.

59:52 Will. Over. In. My.

59:56 Mind. This. Is. What.

60:00 I. Am. This. Is.

60:05 What. I. Have. Should.

60:09 I. Be. Surprised. I've.

60:13 Known. A. Little. Measure.

60:17 Of. Joy. Unspeakable. And.

60:21 Full. Of. Joy. Of.

60:26 To. All. Your. Heart.

60:35 Let's. Pray. Our. Father.

60:39 How. We. Thank. You.

60:43 For. Your. Word. We.

60:47 Thank. You. That. It.

60:51 Is. A. Lamp. Unto.

60:55 Our. Feet. And. that we'd be better off if we had lived in the days of the prophets, if we had lived in the days of our Lord's sojourn on earth.

61:06 We think of Peter, who knew the Lord Jesus after the flesh, and yet points to these believers who never saw him and tells them that their privileges are greater. O Lord, help us, we pray, that we may think biblically, that we may think Christianly, that you would deliver us from being bullied by our circumstances and whipped by our own fickle emotional states. Give us the ballast of an open-eyed, believing grasp upon the great realities of our salvation, that salvation which you have said was the subject of prophetic searching and of this gospel preaching and of the angels' inquiry. Write these things upon our hearts, we plead in Jesus' name. Amen.