Joy

I keep coming back to 1 Peter. I'm not sure why. I tried memorizing it once years ago and failed miserably. I only made it through the first chapter. But I love it and I'm going back to visit my old friend for a few weeks. 

1 Peter 1:1-7 (ESV)

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,  who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

My favorite part of this passage is the jubilation. Even before the word "rejoice" is mentioned we are given a growing avalanche of wonderful words that buries us in happiness. 

• great mercy
• living hope
• resurrection of Jesus Christ
• inheritance
• imperishable
• undefiled
• unfading
• kept in heaven for you
• God's power
• guarded

These are all words that extend so far as to be overwhelming. Resurrection is no small thing. We in the church have become numb to it because of its centrality to the gospel. We tend to ignore the magic of the miracle of resurrection. Think about it for a moment. Have you ever imagined what it would mean for a dead person to come back to life, really? And this isn't in some creepy zombie way either. Fully alive. What in the world could ever be called imperishable and even unfading? Our inheritance is described this way. It won't disappear on us. It is ours now, kept in heaven for us. And we have free access to heaven because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.