and your heart will rejoice,
and no one takes
your joy away from you.”
—Jesus, recorded in John 16:22
Yes, but some days, life is just
really hard. And we can find ourselves
wondering whether it’s really true that no one can take our joy away. Are you sometimes tempted to be suspicious
that the reassurance Jesus gave might have been just for Jesus’ apostles? That’s when I go again to read what
Peter had to say about it.
To those who have received a faith
like "ours"
Peter, by the way, is the one who
explicitly explained, as recorded in Acts 15:7-12, that God made no distinction
between the Jews and the Gentiles, cleansing both their hearts by faith, that
God gave His Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, just as He did to the Jews, and that
Jew and Gentile alike are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus. That means me, too. And that means you. Peter is also the one who was one of
Jesus’ closest friends while Jesus walked on earth, and the same one who
addresses his second letter to the ones “who have received a faith of the same
kind as ours…” (II Peter 1:1) That
means me, too. And, yes, it means
you.
So this is what Peter—one of, as he
says, the “eyewitnesses of His majesty”—writes to scattered Christians about
hope and joy…
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us
to be born again to a living hope through the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from
the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and
will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power
of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time.
In this you greatly REJOICE, even
though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by
various trials, that the proof of
your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though
tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the
revelation of Jesus Christ;
And though you have not seen Him,
you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you
greatly rejoice with JOY inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the
salvation of your souls.”
I Peter 1:3-9
There is no doubt that, for
Peter, the living hope secured in Jesus’ resurrection meant great joy—glorious,
inexpressible joy. Great,
glorious, and inexpressible joy, even in the face of various trials for a
little while now. But beyond his
own powerful testimony, what grips me most is that there is also no doubt that
he meant that this joy was indeed for us, too!
He specifically addresses these powerful words to those who have not seen Him, but love Him, to those
who do not see Him now, but believe in Him. That most certainly means me. And it means this joy is meant for you, too!
Yes, it is true for us, too, that
there is nothing we will ever face that the resurrection of Jesus does not put
into perspective! Nothing that can
overshadow the joy of our inheritance, the inheritance that will not fade, the
inheritance reserved for us, who are protected by the power of God.
Peter, who saw Him alive, was
convinced that this salvation puts everything into perspective…
“…Fix your hope COMPLETELY
on the grace to be brought to you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
… And after you have suffered for a little while,
the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ,
will
Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
… Grow in the grace
and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
I Peter 1:13; 5:10; II Peter 5:18
With great Joy,
Carol
