Revealed For You

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

I Peter 1:20

We have been dwelling upon what Christ has done ‘for you.’  Because we have centered our thoughts upon the breaking of His body and the shedding of His blood we have concentrated upon the substitutionary nature of what Christ has done for us.  We want to expand our thinking to include the wider range of what Christ has done for us.  This brings us to our text for today, ‘Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.’  This brings us to consider that Christ, revealed by His incarnation, came for us.  This points out to us, in a very specific manner, the self-sacrificial character of Christ.  Because God is Sovereign, He could have chosen not to redeem anyone.  He could have chosen not to elect, predestinate, or send Christ to live in humility and die sacrificially.  The redemption of any and all of us is entirely voluntary on the part of God.  Christ voluntarily revealed Himself in the incarnation ‘for you.’  This evokes from us an overwhelming gratitude.  All that Christ endured, simply by coming to earth as the babe in the manger, the youth in Nazareth, and the prophet of Galilee,  He underwent ‘for you.’  This brings us to Him over and over again.  Christ has been revealed for us and therefore becomes our All-in-All.

Our Holy and Wise God,
we rejoice that You have revealed Christ unto us.
We praise You that the manifestations of Him
have been for us and all Your people.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning