1 Peter 1:20 NCV
“Christ was chosen before the world was made, but he was shown to the world in these last times for your sake.”
God’s grand design for the world has several details, some of which are even yet to be discovered. He not only created all things wonderful but “From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands” (Act 17:26 BSB). Yes, the LORD determined our “appointed times” of living and also “the boundaries” of our “lands and territories” (Act 17:26 AMP). That implies that as far as God is concerned, there is no ‘mistake’ and thus no regrets with the times or territories where each of us is born and lives. All of that is well and divinely planned.
Moreover, there is even a better way to look at it: There are generations of people who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, i.e., they lived before and looked TO the cross. However, the LORD determined that our generation should come after the cross, i.e., we look FROM the cross of Christ. Does that make any difference? Yes, it does. Let us reflect briefly on what Peter said in our text of reference: “Christ was chosen before the world was made, but he was shown to the world in these last times for your sake.” Hallelujah! Notice, the text does not say, ‘Christ was chosen at the creation of the world…’ Rather, He was chosen for our redemption “before the world was made.” Oh, that must have been a very long time ago!
For all that time, God kept waiting for the fullness of time to reveal Christ to the world, and He did that “in these last times for YOUR sake.” Think about that! Indeed, as part of the generation living after the cross of Christ, where the fullness of God’s gift of salvation is now manifest, we ought to give serious consideration to the question the Apostle asked: “How shall we escape [appropriate retribution (punishment)] if we neglect and refuse to pay attention to such a great salvation [as is NOW offered to us, letting it drift past us forever]?” (Heb 2:3 AMPC). Beloved, may we never neglect and refuse to pay attention to Christ, whom God decided to reveal to the world just slightly over 2000 years ago—for “your sake.” Hallelujah!
Pst. Emmanuel