A few comments on 1 Peter 1:20-21 He (the Christ) was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope are set on God. Jesus as the Christ of God means that what Jesus displayed - his life - his passion - his character - he compassion - was the promise of who humanity is and was and will be. Before the name Jesus carried all the stuff we put on him through the generations there was the 'truly human one' about whom people spoke and wrote. It was always a way to point to that which was to be and that which is the fullness of our humanity - the image of God alive in the world. I feel confident saying that the proclamation of the prophets and the law in the Hebrew Scriptures was one that insisted on this life - both as an individual and as a community. From before we had a say and thought we knew the way, God destined this living Christ to the shape of our humanity when we walk within the image of God. The writer seems to be assuring folks that they are hearing about the fullness of the promise of God when they hear about Jesus as the Christ of God. The push point here is that folks really did think that the end of all things was near. When the end is near, we tend to act and live and connect and reach into the very center of our identity as followers of Jesus, the Christ of God, and live within the promise. Glory is life - the life that was from before the foundation of all things and available in and through all time - even now. Connection: It is not always easy to think of the end of things. The end means the end. It is not easy to let our hearts rest with such a thought. And yet, we are given a new life - a new power - a new character -a new worth - when we accept the fact that the end is close. For now, all time supports the notion - the blessed notion - that we are people who live within the grasp of this God who has planned to be with us and for us since before we even thought of such a presence. In the middle of what is so common, O God, your blessed image surrounds us and inspires a life that really does have the potential to shine with your gracious presence. Amen. |
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