What Has God Done? 1 Peter 1:3-5

Introduction

We all know that Easter is more than Easter bunnies and Easter eggs. It’s even more than family, church, and special meals. Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And the fact of the resurrection means that there was first of all He actually died. But why did He have to die if He was going to be raised back to life three days later? Let’s see what the apostle Peter has to say, and we’ll find the answer.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

who according to His great mercy

We could summarize these three verses in a simple statement it would look like this: God saves people. That is the answer to the question that is asked in the title above. Now let’s look at three other questions that arise from that simple statement.

has caused us to be born again to a living hope

Why Does God Save People?

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Let’s give a one word answer: mercy. Do you understand the idea of mercy? That’s when a person who is in serious need of help because of their situation, and someone comes along to help them escape. God showed His mercy to people on earth because they had a serious condition. They were sinners. Everyone. So He sent His Son to earth to save them. Jesus lived a perfect life on earth so that He could be the perfect sacrifice for God to accept. He lived the kind of life that we should have lived. Then He died the death that we should have died. Not just a physical death, but also a spiritual death where He was separated from God while He hung on the cross.

What happens when God saves people?

4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

Now we’ll have a two word answer: new life. Look at the words in verse 3: It says that God “caused us to be born again to a living hope”. Jesus met a Jewish leader named Nicodemus one night. Peter was probably there and heard Jesus say to him, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (). Later in that same conversation, Jesus said one of His most famous sayings: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (). That’s how to get this new life. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved ().

How does God save people?

5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Finally, a four word answer: Resurrection of Jesus Christ. That’s what Easter is really all about. Jesus died on the Old Rugged Cross, but He did not stay dead. He rose from the dead, just as we sang. That’s why we are born again to a “living hope”. Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead to live forever with His Father in Heaven, so will all of those who believe on Him. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a guarantee of our own resurrection. One of two things will happen to you if you have believed on Jesus Christ. Either your body will physically die and you will be present with Christ, or Christ will return to take you to be with Him forever. That is a hope worth living for!

Conclusion

Going back to the beginning of verse 3, Peter says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  We could say it this way: God is blessed. He is someone to say good things about. The response of people whom God has saved. Is to worship Him and say marvelous things about Him. A little later in his letter, Peter says, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (). Your sins are covered, and through Jesus Christ, you can come to God. Place your faith in the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ today. It’s Easter! There is no better time than right now.