A Mystery: The Prophets Wait

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.
1 Peter 1:10-11

What was it like to be an inspired prophet of God? Moved by the Holy Spirit, you preach good news of what’s coming: the grace God intended for his people—the salvation of their souls. But even you don’t fully grasp all the details of your message! Only God fully grasps what he revealed to you and through you. You won’t fully understand until the Word—your word, God’s Word—is fulfilled.

And so you wait. But you also search—intently and with great care. You attend to every word the Spirit of Christ in you has spoken. You search for any hints or clues that might shed light on what exactly is coming. When will it be? How will it look?

Isn’t this amazing? Even as God’s mouthpieces, the prophets didn’t fully understand every detail of their messages. And so they searched—intently and with great care.

How does this inform our approach to Holy Scripture? Do we engage in the prophets’ inspired words not only with our ears, but also with our minds and our hearts? Do we grasp this good news God gives us in his grace?

True, not all the details are easy to understand, especially those foretelling future events. But the core is there and it’s clear. The Spirit of Christ in his prophets predicted “the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” That core is crucial. It assures me that my gracious God has saved my soul. The sufferings of Christ saved me from my sin. His following glories are therefore also mine. This is crucial for me to grasp whenever I suffer.

Peter writes this for Christians like me who “now for a little while . . . may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:6). He reminds me that whatever I suffer now cannot change my blessed status or my eternal destiny. Thanks be to Jesus!

Dear Father, tune me in to your prophets’ words. In their words let me more fully grasp my salvation in Christ—the mysterious and marvelous gift of your grace. Amen.

Rev. Ross Stelljes serves Martin Luther College
as a professor of theology.