The Prophets Who Have Come before Us

Introduction

Can you remember a time in your life that you prepared the way for someone? Has someone ever paved the way for you?

Peter writes this paragraph to say that the spiritual blessings that they now have are greater than anything envisioned by the Old Testament prophets or even angels. What they have is something that the others WISHED that they could see in full.

Have you ever felt the frustration as a parent - of your child who did not appreciate what you had to go without?

My grandfather always says at Christmas, “You know, we were happy to get an orange and an apple and a few walnuts for Christmas when I was a kid.”

Peter is saying, “What you have in Jesus - in this moment - is something that everyone else has wished for and cannot even understand.”

Body

English Standard Version Chapter 1

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,

“This salvation” is everything that Peter has discussed thus far (v1-9).

The prophets “searched and inquired.”

What does it mean that they searched and inquired?

They looked diligently for it.

They looked in the Scriptures.

They looked to God.

Illustration: The lightbulb.

We have only had the lightbulb since 1879. That is not a long time.

Before lightbulbs, people had to make due with sunlight, candles, and lamps.

People labored for another way to light their homes.

People without lightbulbs appreciated this invention more than we do, because they did not have it.

Yet, they did not comprehend the lightbulb the same way that we do.

Do we value it the same now that we have it? How can we value it more?

English Standard Version Chapter 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.

They were inquiring about the “sufferings of Christ” and “the subsequent glories.”

The “Spirit of Christ” in them tells us that they weren’t guessing.

God was telling them who He was and what He would do.

The things that they predicted came true, because God only speaks truth.

One of the greatest proofs of the Scriptures is Christ’s fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament.

Sufferings of Christ

They were aware that sufferings would come.

Remember, Peter is writing to a suffering people.

They are hurting deeply, and Paul is reminding them of Christ’s suffering that results in glory.

The Subsequent Glories

English Standard Version Chapter 1

12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

The Prophets were serving us by saying these things about God.

They were building the blocks for us.

Application

Paul is telling the people to value their salvation.

Leave no stone unturned as it concerns your salvation.

Press into all that God has done.

Prepare the way for others in Christ.

Many of the prophets did not turn out too well.

They shared the message of salvation anyway.