"Things Angels Long to See"
[I Peter 1:10-12]
May 6, 2007 Second Reformed Church
What is the greatest news you have ever heard?
In the section of I Peter just before the one I read this morning, we saw that we, Christians, have a living hope. We have a living hope -- that is, the surety of our Salvation through Jesus Christ Alone -- a salvation that is being kept for us, in Heaven, by Jesus. We know that no matter what happens to us -- no matter what we are called to endure -- our salvation is so much greater than everything else, we can endure, and not just endure, but we can and should, always be glorifying God.
The author of Hebrews wrote, "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he also created the world" (Hebrews 1:1-2). There has been a progression of revelation: God first spoke His Salvation through the prophets and He ended by sending His Son, the Word of God Incarnate. For all of history, God has been announcing the Way of Salvation, but the Way was revealed most clearly, most fully, when He actually lived and died and rose among humans.
Peter tells us in this morning's Scripture that the prophets who prophesied about this grace -- about this salvation -- about this living hope -- given to us by God through Jesus -- the prophets, themselves, searched their own words. The prophets did not fully understand what the Spirit of Christ had given them to speak, so they searched their prophecies, trying to understand Who it was that was coming for salvation and when it might be that He would come. Peter says that they "searched and inquired carefully." This wasn't just a cursory glance over the texts -- they studied and studied the words of the prophets and tried to more fully understand the promises of God.
They searched the Scriptures -- their prophecies -- because what they said was not merely human words, it is the Word of God. Peter wrote, "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (II Peter 1:21). The Scripture was written by human beings, in human languages, in the styles of the writers, but this book is not mere human writing, every word of it is inspired by God. What does that mean? It does not mean that God dictated the Scriptures, or forced the pens to write certain words, but that God revealed things to the prophets, which they wrote down, in their languages, in their own style, yet God prevented them from making any mistakes in the Scripture, from recording an error.
So, they understood something of what they wrote, but they wanted to understand it more fully, so they studied it and searched it, and inquired of it, looking for the answers to the Promise of Salvation that was coming. Why? Because they knew it was the greatest news anyone could ever hear: there is a Way back to God; there is Salvation from the Wrath of God. They didn't know as much as they New Testament writers, and they didn’t understand as much as we do today. Peter tells us that they and those who heard their words understood that a Savior was coming, a human being -- but more, and He would have to suffer, and, after, He would be glorified. And so they searched the Scriptures to understand more.
Paul, who knew the Savior and the time of His Suffering and Ascent into Glory, put it like this: "Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5b-11).
And, Peter tells us that it was revealed to the prophets that they were not prophesying for themselves and their generation; they were prophesying for others -- as it turned out, for the first century, and for all those who would live after them. By the Power of the Holy Spirit, the prophets preached the Salvation that was to come, the Grace that was to come, the One Who would suffer and die and rise to secure our salvation, our peace with God, and they were made to understand that none of this would happen in their lifetime; they would all die before the Savior would come, except for Elijah, Enoch, and John the Baptist. They were sent to preach in hope, in trust, this living hope of Salvation that would become manifest.
So the prophets longed for Him. They had faith that salvation was coming, and they longed for Him. They spent their lives studying and preaching the Scriptures. And they knew and accepted that they would not see Him in their lifetimes. Still, they longed for His coming.
Why was this good news preached? Why is it still preached? They preached and we preach that you and you and I would hear and receive this Gospel of Jesus Christ Alone, by the Holy Spirit, who is sent forth from heaven. They preached and we preach so you and you and I would believe -- that we would receive that hope -- and be filled with a longing for the fulfillment fo all of the words of the prophets -- a fulfillment that will come when Jesus returns.
And notice, it was not just the prophets who longed to see these things, but Peter tells us that the angels also longed to see Who this Savior is and when His Salvation would come, not because the salvation is for them -- it's not -- salvation is for humans alone. The angels longed to see Jesus come and they long to see Him return, and not them only, but all of the creation -- not for the sake of the Salvation of the creation, but that they might enter into the glory that is waiting all who are brothers and sisters of Jesus. Paul wrote, "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who having the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience" (Romans 8:19-30).
We long for the full Salvation of Jesus Christ to come. But the seraphim and the cherubim also long for it -- the angels long to see how and when God will bring this age to a close -- they long to see God fully glorified by all. And so all of the creation is longing for the day when it will no longer suffer corruption but will be freed and enter into our glory to the Glory of God. The animals all long for Jesus' Return. The plants all long for Jesus' Return. The rocks and the planets and everything that is, everything in all of Creation, whether visible or invisible -- they are all excitedly longing for the completion of our salvation -- for the fulness of Jesus' Salvation and the coming Kingdom.
Do you long for that day? Or do you just want the coffee and cake in Freeman Hall? Are you passionate about the Salvation that Jesus Alone gives? Or are you only passionate about lunch? Do you love the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit so much and want to know God so well that you read the Bible and scour the Scripture and search it again and again and again so you would understand and know your greatest love even more? Or do you save that effort for the newspaper?
Brothers and sisters, you and I have been given the greatest news, the greatest gift possible, in Salvation in Jesus Alone. The prophets, the angels, the whole creation, longed to see Him come and longs for Him to come again. What about you? What does your life show?
In 1599, the commentator John Rogers wrote of this text: "This condemns the most monstrous Unthankfulness of our days, that make no reckoning of this so blessed Gospel, of those glad tidings that should be the glory of the world, without which the world is dead and sin, and comes to confusion. O how few regard to hear the Word? Many run to Sports and Pastimes, others to Markets and Fairs, but in many places, what thin Churches? Their Oxen and Farms draw them away: Others hear, yet it is without any regard, any life; Israel never loathed the Manna more, then most do the preaching of the Gospel; O they have had Sermons in many Congregations, until they have even loathed them O how few can be brought to see their own misery How few prize Christ, and to whom he is indeed welcom, how few that will stoop to his yoke Sundry in shew would have him their Savior, and talk that they hope to be saved by Christ, but that's but a Bawd for their sins, whereby they may go on the more freely in them; yea, are not the truest and most painfullest Preachers and Professors of the Gospel hated? What that will come to, it is easy to see; assuredly (being like Chorazin and Bethsaida) we may justly fear some judgement at hand. Time was, when Christ was welcom among us, and the kingdom of heaven suffered violence (as happily it doth still in some parts of the land) but O dead hearers, and unthankful in many places. Those under the Law, saw but a little, yet took it thankfully; we have much revealed, yet little regard it: To prize the Gospel, to seek after Christ, will be our wisdom and welfare; then to enquire for Salvation by Christ, there can be no greater thing, it becomes us well: if for this we be counted fools, well, we be such fools as the Prophets were, who enquired and searched after Christ; God be thanked for our so doing, let us continue in God’s name; this shall bring us comfort living and dying, when carnal Worldling shall perish for want of comfort and go to hell" (John Rogers, I Peter, 60).
Nothing has changed.
Let us pray:
God of Grace, we thank You for the gift of Salvation in Jesus Christ Alone, make us more thankful. We thank You for the words of the prophets and the witness of the creation, increasing our longing for You. The prophets, and the angels, and all of creation sought You and Your Kingdom first, raise up Your people, direct our eyes and hearts and minds to You first, for Your Glory first. And as You have given us Your Grace through Your Word, we pray that You would also give us Your Grace through the Holy Supper. For it is in Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.
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