Imagine getting a phone call one day and the lawyer on the other end says to you, “You have an uncle that just passed away and you’re listed in his will. You need to come downtown for the reading.” To your surprise you have been told that this uncle left you his entire estate… more value than you have ever known. No more living paycheck to paycheck. No more concerns about money. You have been given a priceless inheritance. Well, that’s what Peter is talking about in this passage. Every time I read it, my heart is moved. Let’s think about it for a second.
When Jesus rose from the dead, an inheritance for His people was issued. We didn’t do anything to deserve such an extravagant gift, except put our faith in Him. Let’s break this passage apart and learn a little more about this inheritance…
It’s priceless! In fact, it’s so beautiful and valuable that no price tag can hang from it. It’s more valuable than anything we might find on Rodeo Drive, the largest and most expensive mansion in the world, or the most expensive piece of land on this earth. I’ve never known this kind of wealth but one day, I will. So will you. You and I will stand in awe as Jesus presents us with this glorious inheritance.
It’s kept in heaven for us! In the summer of 1980, I had the opportunity to go on a short missionary journey for the summer. Two months in Guatemala. One problem, though… I always worked all summer to pay for the next semester at Bible college. Before I went, the church offered me an opportunity to give my testimony on a Wednesday night and that night, they took up a love offering for my trip. The money that came in was well over the amount I needed. My pastor said to me, “Sheryl, we will keep the remaining money here at the church and when you return, we will write you a check so that you can start the new semester. With that, I could go and not worry how I would afford the next semester. Our inheritance is kept in heaven for us… it’s ours and will be presented to us when we get there.
It’s pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay! In fact, it will never depreciate in value. Rather, I’m thinking it will appreciate in value. Jesus said in John 14:1: “I’m going to prepare a place for you.” This tells me that He’s constantly working on this inheritance.
Imagine, just imagine the day we get to heaven. After a very long embrace with Jesus, He says, “Look around! All this is yours.” So with this great information before us, how should we live TODAY? Peter says that we should live with great expectation. Sometimes we need this reminder to keep our hope alive and to encourage us. I trust today’s short message did just that.