The Plan Still Works

The Plan Still Works

Years ago I saw a news story about a man in England who had found the plans for a Roman Catapult. He took those plans and built it! The news footage then showed the catapult in action, launching (as I recall) thins like old cars, appliances over a cliff. I was struck that these ancient plans, more than two thousand years old, still worked. God has a plan, devised in the depths of eternity past.

1 Peter 1:10-21

• 1 Peter 1:10, soterias, rescue or save.
• 1 Peter 1:11, hundreds of years before He came, the Spirit of Jesus was predicting his own death and resurrection.
• 1 Peter 1:11, the prophets wanted to know all about the coming Messiah. Who was he? Where was he to be born? How would he die?
• 1 Peter 1:12, the prophets were not serving their own interest, but all those who would come after and read them. They are serving (active tense in Greek) – There is a sense that Isaiah continues to serve us. Every time Jeremiah is read, he continues to minister to us.
• 1 Peter 1:12, the “things that have now been announced” is referring to the many facets of salvation. Things like, Grace, Mercy, Predestination, Ransom and so on. All the layers of salvation fascinated the prophets. This is hinted at in the next lines, when it says the angels also are interested in our salvation. So both the prophets and the angels find this intense theological hunger regarding the coming salvation of humanity.
• 1 Peter 1:12: Angels long to look into the salvation of humans. The idea is that they have a strong, overpowering desire, not just a curious whimsical interest. They can’t stop looking! Theya re attracted to our salvation. When Angels sing in heaven, it is about our salvation. When they rejoice, it is because a sinner has come home. When we see our Savior come in the sky, he comes with the angels.
• 1 Peter 1:18-21, the Gospel in 4 verses.

1. In the Garden of Eden, God

Four things stand out about the Garden’s prophecy:

• Pain. (In childbearing)
• Thorns. (The earth will produce thorns.)
• Seed. Genesis 3:14-15 The promise that from the seed of woman one come salvation for mankind. This is sometimes called the “First Gospel” meaning it is the first time in Scripture that the Gospel of Salvation is presented.
• Sacrifice. (Adam and Eve were clothed in the skins of an animal. That animal was probably killed by God as atonement for sin.)

2. No Human Could

• It’s interesting that when Eve had a child (Genesis 4:1) she said, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” We traditionally interpret that to mean, with God’s help, this baby was born. Or God gave me a son. Or I thought I was gonna die, and God helped me. But an alternate way to read her statement in Genesis 4:1 is, “I have brought forth Yahweh.” That’s interesting. The redeemer was promised in chapter 3. When he child is born, she might think she has given birth to the promised redeemer. After all, she’snever seen life come into this world. She is swept away by the experience.
• What we discover as we read the text is that no son of Adam could rescue us.
• Noah was unable to rescue us, he couldn’t even clothe himself!
• Abraham could not save us. Even though he is the father of faith, he laughed at God.
• Moses is a terrible savior. Know why? He’s dead!
• The Judges could not save.
• The Kings could not save us. Saul was demon possessed. David was a sinner who needed a savior.
• But as failure dogs mankind, Peter says the prophets began to inquire as to what God was doing. (1 Peter :10) They were aware that God was moving history toward more than an event, he was moving history toward a Person.

3. Jesus is God’s Plan

• We should see the life of Jesus as one of war on Satan.
• Jesus came to destroy the work of Satan.

4. On the Cross God’s Plan

• Adam was cursed with thorns, Jesus crowned with thorns.
• Jesus is the last sacrifice. God performed the first sacrifice in the Garden, Jesus carried out the last on the cross.
• The Seed of Woman did crush Satan.
• 1 Peter 1:18, Ransom is to exchange one thing for another. Jesus did not exchange money to buy our souls, but his blood.
• 1 Peter 1:20, God knew before we sinned how he would deal with our sin. Before time existed, the plan for our salvation was devised in the secret chambers of the Trinity.

5. The Resurrection is Proof that

• 1 Peter 1:21, Histories greatest reality is not just the empty tomb, but the Risen Savior.
• The Resurrection is proof that our faith is not misplaced. That God “glorified” Jesus (1 Peter 1:21) is God’s approval over the work of Jesus. Jesus being Glorified is not just for himself, but for us.
• 1 Peter 1:13, this is how you come to God. Sober minded, with your mind ready for action. Christianity doesn’t need to be sold or peddled, it needs to be thought over soberly and committed to.