This week we celebrate the most significant event in human history: Jesus’ resurrection. All of the gospel writers recorded the event. Paul wrote extensively about Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. Peter’s letter has the same purpose as the books we call gospels: to record the good news about Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and grace-filled saving ministry for us all. As we continue reading this letter in the weeks to come, we’ll read hints about Jesus’ trials and sufferings between the lines. First, though, Peter wrote of great hope.
- Hope in a risen, living Savior.
- Hope in an inheritance—defined as both heaven and our salvation1—which Jesus holds in heaven for us.
- Hope in the grace He freely gives all who ask.
- Hope in eternal salvation–freedom from God’s wrath and assurance we are saved from the unbearable weight of being separated forever from our loving Creator.
How have you experienced hope in the ways described above?
Let’s take a closer look at Peter’s telling of the resurrection.
We discovered God’s grace is eternal. Lest we think we have received all of grace we need or God provides, Peter reminded his readers to
“set your hope [completely NASB] on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming” (1 Peter 1:13).
- We set our hope fully and entirely on God’s grace.2
- We place complete and steadfast trust in Jesus.2
- We will receive this grace at a future time.
How can we set our hope more fully on God’s grace?
What does it mean to trust completely in Jesus?
We also studied Peter’s encouragement to be holy.
“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ (1 Peter 15-16).
Why are we called to be holy?
- God is holy.
- We are His people, His children, who now walk with Him.
- We were created in God’s image.
“So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).
- In God’s perfect world, we were created to reflect His holy image.
It only makes sense, then, to call on Him to help us “be holy in all [we] do”!
What does it meant to call on God to help us be holy?
“Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear” (1 Peter 1:17).
- God judges what we do impartially.
- It’s interesting that Peter maintained a focus on God. He didn’t discuss how we are to judge others. In fact, Jesus said we are not to judge at all. In our fallen state, we’re incapable of judging impartially, so best to not even go there.
- Peter didn’t say that God looks on this person with favor because they do one thing and on another person with less favor because they do something else. Perhaps this is a subtle reminder of our beloved uniqueness in God’s sight.
“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well… (Psalm 139:13-14 NIV)
“How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:17 NASB)3
Why does God judge each person impartially?
How does God’s impartial judgment affect our lives today?
Our inheritance can never perish, spoil, or fade. (1 Peter 1:4)
- Our faith is of greater worth than gold. (1 Peter 1:7)
- Our citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
Picture this inheritance, then, as a stained-glass window of great beauty, our hope in our eternal life with God. 
“…it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed” (1 Peter 1:18)
- We were not redeemed with silver or gold.
- We were not redeemed with anything else that might perish.
- We were redeemed with
“the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world” (1 Peter 1:19-20a).
- We were not redeemed with anything that would perish.
- We were redeemed by the eternal One, who created it all.
“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place… ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’ (Revelation 1:1a, 8)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:1-3).
- We were not redeemed with an inanimate object.
- We were redeemed with Jesus Christ’s
What does redemption mean to you?
How can we give our lives back to Jesus?
He gave His life to give life. This season is a good reminder of that simple, powerful Truth.
*Our faith and hope are in God because of Jesus Christ.
*Without Him we would have no trust in God.
*Without Him we would have no hope.
1.Spiros Zodhiates Th.D., The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament (Chattanooga, Tennessee: AMG Publishers, 1992), 867
- Ibid., 1374
- I chose this version based on my reading of
Baker, Warren, D.R.E., General Editor. The Complete Word Study Old Testament, King James Version. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1994) p. 1563, 2271, 2281, 2283.