“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you.”
who prophesied of the grace that would come to you
Salvation by grace is no new doctrine. God revealed grace in the Old Testament as well as the New.
Peter characterizes our salvation as “grace.” He says that the Old Testament prophets prophesied that this grace would come. Grace is a person. That grace is the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 1:16-17, “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Jesus is grace personified. He is grace personalized.
Titus 2:11-12, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” Jesus is the grace that brings salvation.
The Old Testament prophets could not understand fully how a Messiah could both suffer and reign at the same time. Some thought there were two different Messiahs. They did not know that the Messiah was going to come twice. The cross comes first, then the crown.
The concept of grace surpassed the thoughts of Old Testament prophets. They made an exhaustive inquiry to find what it was all about.
PRINCIPLE:
Jesus is the personification of grace.
APPLICATION:
Jesus personalizes grace. Christianity is a relationship. When we come to Christ, He conveys God’s grace in person.
Grace is all that God is free to do for us because of the death of Christ. God is free to give us salvation. God is free to empower us for the Christian life. We do not earn or deserve it.
