More Blessed Than Peter; Those Who Have Never Seen Jesus

“Although you have not seen^* him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”  Vss. 8-9

It is a fascinating thing to consider.  The Jews Peter is preaching to only have his word for what happened.  None of them were there to witness what happened to Jesus.  And yet they believe.  Of course, that is also our experience.  Maybe the fascinating thing to consider is the flip of this situation.  Consider that Peter walked with (on land and water), talked with (and argued and denied), and was chosen by Jesus to carry the keys to the kingdom.  He is someone who KNEW Jesus!

This next sentence carries forward to those in Peter’s audience who have carried through the trials endured for the faith.  It is not simply looking forward to the end for praise, honor and glory.  This is the paradigm of their current faith.

“Although you have not seen^* him, you love him; We hold that in common with Peter’s audience.  At least I hope we do.  Peter began by explaining why we should love Jesus, then placing a context around the trials they have undertaken.  Here, he speaks to the result of all that.

and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, This is a couplet with the first phrase, repeating the heart of the phrase, but with a slight variation.  They did not see Jesus when he was on earth, they do not see him now, but the implicit promise is that they WILL see him in the future.  And Peter does not consider the results of believing in him to be a disappointment.

for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, We have faith for a reason.  Such is what Peter started explaining his letter with, the plan of God and the outcome that it will bring to the lives of believers.

the salvation of your souls. Salvation history was summed up in less than a hundred words.  Here is the explicit tying in of that history to the lives of the believers to whom Peter writes.

Another shift to note in this sentence, God is no longer explicitly defined.  That context has been set, Peter is now exploring the relationship between his audience and Jesus.