The Great Expectation
1 Peter 1:3 - 5
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
Last week, we examined The Great Exchange of Easter. God, the Father, exchanged our sinfulness for the sinless life of His Son, Jesus. And then He exchanged the righteous life of His Son for our unrighteousness. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Easter not only reminds me of The Great Exchange that took place, it also reminds me of The Great Expectation that we now have in Christ Jesus - the certainty of eternal life with God.
The Promise of Eternal Life. It was on the cross that our sinfulness was taken and Jesus’ righteousness was given. But it was through the resurrection that victory was won and eternal life was provided for us. And according to verse 3, we live with great expectation, that is great hope for that day we will see Jesus face to face.
The Value of Eternal Life. Scripture calls this expectation a “priceless inheritance.” What a beautiful picture of God’s giving nature. To those who receive Him, He has given something priceless - our eternal life. What do you own that is priceless? Your house is not priceless. Your automobiles are not priceless. The nice things you have in your home are not priceless. You bought all these things at a price. You do possess something priceless if you are a Believer- eternal life in Jesus. And it is ours as a free gift because of the price only He could pay.
The Security of Eternal Life. This eternal life is also kept in heaven for you. Once we receive Jesus, we have a reservation in heaven that cannot be canceled, cannot be changed, cannot be altered and cannot be released. It is “kept” in heaven for us. Many years ago our family rented a van to go on vacation. When I went to pick up the van, I was told there were no vans available. But wait, I thought, I had made a reservation to pick up the van. What happened to my reservation? Well, it was given away to someone else. Here is the beautiful truth about this reservation we have in heaven. According to God’s promise it is kept for us. It cannot be released.
The Purity of Eternal Life. And if that is not enough, the Bible then tells us that our expectation of inheriting eternal life in heaven with Jesus is pure and undefiled and beyond the reach of decay. Once that reservation is made, nothing can taint it. There is no sin that can diminish it, no disobedience that can cheapen it and no rebellion that can tarnish it. It is pure and undefiled. Our sin still has earthly consequences, but no sin can separate us from God and His reservation made for us in heaven.
The Revelation of Eternal Life. At the end of verse 5 the Bible speaks of “a day” that is coming. The day Jesus rose from the dead was a day in history like no other. Jesus defeated sin, death, hell and the grave and walked out of that tomb alive forevermore. Oh what a glorious day! But according to verse 5, another day is coming. And that day we will know our salvation fully revealed in the glory of Christ.
As you celebrate Easter this year, remember that not only did Jesus provide the Great Exchange, He also provided the Great Expectation, that one day, and perhaps soon, we will be with Him eternally and know Him fully.