1 Peter 1:10-11 10Concerning this salvation, the prophets searched intently and inquired carefully, prophesying about the grace for you, 11searching for what time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them revealed by witnessing about the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories after these things.
The message of salvation is not new. God did not all of a sudden decide to become incarnate in Jesus. Or because Adam and Eve sinned, God’s Plan B kicked in, and he planned to send Jesus to die for their sin. The omniscience God had the plan of salvation was already in place before creation. The prophets were able to get a glimpse into this plan, though their view of it was limited. They knew God needed to do something to the human situation and that this necessitated an internal change to the human soul, including the mind, will, and emotions. The prophets referred to here are Israel’s prophets found in the Old Testament. Paul the Apostle calls the message the prophets glimpsed at the “mystery of God” (Romans 16:25-26).
The focus of their searching is described here as grace. This grace is what God was going to do new through Jesus. Humanity needs grace because we cannot solve our deepest problems through human effort or thinking. The prophets only got a glimpse of this grace, but we see it now fully revealed. The grace of salvation was intended for Peter’s readers, as it is for all people. Grace comes as the universal invitation to accept in faith the offer of eternal life through Jesus. Israel’s prophets studied carefully the topic of God’s saving grace. They understood it a lot but were missing the crucial point of the One, Jesus, who brought all the prophecies together. Peter’s readers could now understand the full story of grace.
The Old Testament prophets looked forward to the coming of the Messiah and the salvation that he would bring. They tried to find out the time when this salvation would come. In Romans 5:6, Paul wrote, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” The timing and circumstances were perfect in the order of the cosmos and the affairs of humanity. The political, cultural, and political situations were also just right. The prophets had glimpses of this through the Spirit of Christ. Peter does not name any prophet, but Daniel’s prophecy of seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24-27 could be a possible reference to searching for what time and circumstances.
The Spirit of Christ was the one who gave the prophets insight into the coming Messiah. This verse gives us further clues about the nature of the Trinity. The same Spirit whom Christ sent on Pentecost is the same as the one helping the prophets glimpse into the future. The Spirit pointed ahead to the sufferings of the Messiah. Isaiah 53 is one example of this prophetic vision. Peter refers to this passage at the end of chapter 2. Jesus’ death on the cross was not an accident but part of God’s plan. The prophets also had glimpses into the glories that would follow. Those who believe in Jesus can participate in these glories by being transformed through this same Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). This verse shows how the Old and New Testaments are linked in the person of Jesus the Messiah. It also indicates Christ’s pre-existence and God’s eternal plan.