1 Peter 1:11: Inquiring What Person Or Time The Spirit Of Christ In Them Was Indicating When He Predicted The Sufferings Of Christ And The Subsequent Glories.

1 Peter 1:11

Inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. (ESV)

Peter is speaking her of the prophets in the Old Testament. These godly men searched and inquired of the Scriptures any information that they could to discover more about the coming Christ. We have a vantage point that the prophets of old were not privy to. One theologian has said, "In the Old Testament is Christ concealed. In the New Testament is Christ revealed."

How difficult it must have been for the prophets to understand all that was being prophesied about the Christ. Even those prophets who spoke the very prophesies about Christ likely did not fully understand what they were called by God to say. They knew that Jesus would come from God. They knew that he was the Son of God. But the details of how his life would be lived out were a total mystery. 

Peter says that the Spirit of God was predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories of Christ. Consider the sufferings. I am sure that many of them were astonished that the very Son of God would come to this earth and suffer. How could God be willing to suffer? More significantly, how could God be willing to suffer for a mankind that was so sinful and undeserving?

Consider also the subsequent glories of Christ. One of the theological truths about God that people struggle with is the fact that God exists for his own glory. Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God. We are to live to give God glory. A true understanding of the coming of Jesus Christ to Earth includes the fact that he came so that he would be glorified. He is worthy of all glory.

As you look back at the coming of Christ are you in awe? Do you give him glory? Take a moment and think about his sacrifice for your sin. Give him praise.