Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 NABRE
Peter is writing to Christian communities in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Peter tells them they have great joy as followers of Jesus and great suffering as followers of Jesus. The verse quoted is a standard form of a Jewish blessing called the “breakah” (Hebrew for blessing.) Peter is praising God, the source of mercy, for a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Peter names the resurrection of Jesus as the cause and source of a new birth for us. We celebrate this new birth in baptism, a view of dying to our old life and being born new into the life of Christ. Peter calls it our new hope; through it we receive a full inheritance from Jesus. As Jesus came alive, we too will come alive in Him. We are like new born babies drinking in a new spiritual life, a life that is our salvation, we live eternally. We are born anew in Christ whose resurrection is the single defining moment in the life of a Christian. As Christians today we may take this for granted, something we assumed our entire life, but for Peter and the first Christians this was something completely new, and a great blessing.
The resurrection is the reason for our faith, for our hope, for living a new life. We are a resurrection people, we believe in new life because it’s what Christ did first. As disciples of Christ we fully inherit the same path, we are resurrected people. Peter is declaring this and praising God for such an awesome hope. We should praise God which will lead others to want to be resurrected people, too.
Do you live with hope knowing you are born new in Christ? Can you live so others may see you and want to become resurrected people too?
The resurrection is the reason for our faith, for our hope, for living a new life. We are a resurrection people, we believe in new life because it’s what Christ did first. As disciples of Christ we fully inherit the same path, we are… Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity#dailybibleverse @youversion #hope #joy#newlife #peter #everybodyalways#god#jesuschrist #jesussaves#godisgood#dailydevotion #biblestudy#scripture#bibleverse #verseoftheday #pray#prayer#goodnews #loveeachother#godisgreat#bocaraton #youversion#everythingalways