Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Peter 1:3

"Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," — 1 Peter 1:3 (ASV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (See Barnes on 2 Corinthians 1:3).

Which according to his abundant mercy. A marginal note indicates that the Greek word means much. The idea is that great mercy was shown to them in the fact that they were renewed. They had no claim to this favor, and the favor was great. People are not begotten to the hope of heaven because they have any claim on God, or because it would not be right for Him to withhold the favor. (See Barnes on Ephesians 2:4).

Has begotten us again. The meaning is that, as God is the Author of our life in a natural sense, so He is the Author of our second life by regeneration. The Savior said (John 3:3) that “except a man be born again,” or begotten again, hennhyh anwyen, “he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Peter here affirms that this change had occurred concerning himself and those he was addressing. The word used here as a compound (anagennaw) does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, though it corresponds entirely with the words used by the Savior in John 3:3, 5, and 7.

Perhaps the phrase “begotten again” would be better in each instance where the word occurs, the sense being rather that of being begotten again, than of being born again.

Unto a lively hope. The word “lively,” as we now commonly use it, means active, animated, quick. The word used here, however, means living, in contrast to that which is dead.

The hope they had possessed living power. It was not cold, inoperative, or dead. It was not a mere form—or a mere speculation—or a mere sentiment; it was that which was vital to their welfare, and which was active and powerful. On the nature of hope, see Barnes on Romans 8:24.

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By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the foundation of our hope. It was a confirmation of what He declared as truth when He lived; it was a proof of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul; it was a pledge that all who are united to Him will be raised up. (See Barnes on 1 Corinthians 15:1 and following; also on 2 Timothy 1:10; and on 1 Thessalonians 4:14).

On this verse, we may remark that the fact that Christians are chosen to salvation should be a subject of gratitude and praise. Everyone should rejoice that any of the human race may be saved, and the world should be thankful for every new instance of divine favor in granting to anyone a hope of eternal life.

Especially should this be a source of joy to true Christians. Well do they know that if God had not chosen them to salvation, they would have remained as thoughtless as others; if He had had no purpose of mercy toward them, they would never have been saved.

Assuredly, if there is anything for which a person should be grateful, it is that God has so loved them as to give them the hope of eternal life. And if He has had an eternal purpose to do this, our gratitude should be proportionately increased.