Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV)I can imagine the words Jesus spoke to Thomas echoing in Peter's memory, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe..." Words Peter had heard with his own ears; the same ears that had heard innumerable public sermons and countless intimate conversations from The Lord Incarnate. Peter was one of Jesus' closest throughout his years of ministry. He had firsthand experience to solidify his faith. Peter's feet had been washed by the King of Heaven- His eyes had seen the risen Christ.
Peter's authorship of these verses strikes me as significant. By writing them, it is almost as if he is saying, "You have greater faith than I - I walked, talked, and I dined with the Man- and you believe and love one you have never met."
Not only that, but Peter here describes a depth of love that is "inexpressible and filled with glory." These people truly and purposefully loved a God they had never seen, and trusted in a salvation that would not be definitively proven until they left this world.
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