Annual Mission Illinois offering, week of prayer next week.

Just last week online worship conference, haven’t watched yet because it’s been a crazy week.

IBSA is a more helpful partnership now than it was before.

There are parts of Scripture that are easy to understand.

And then there are some other Scriptures that are just… hard. This is one of those.

So yes, we’re going to address some of the confusing parts of this text this morning, but I’m going to do my best not to get bogged down there.

My momma used to say (usually in relation to my interactions with my younger siblings): “Don’t major on the minors.”

My goal is not for you to understand every intricacy of every possible meaning. That’s what commentaries are for.

My goal is for us to understand the point Peter’s trying to make, and to be encouraged and challenged by it for life.

We’re going to keep the main thing the main. We’re going to talk about Jesus this morning (surprise, surprise).

1 Peter 3:18-22

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few — that is, eight people  — were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

1 Peter 3:18–22

This is the Word of the Lord.

Okay, there’s a lot to get to, so let’s work fast.

Like always—always!—it’s important to get the context around these verses. Peter’s writing to elect exiles, believers who were a tiny minority that suddenly “just couldn’t feel at home in this world anymore”

Last week, in verses 13-17, suffering while having hope that is recognizably different.

  1. I should expect suffering.
  2. I shouldn’t be intimidated.
  3. I should be ready to turn my misery into ministry.
  4. I should have a clear conscience.

Immediately after this, the beginning of chapter 4:

Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understanding…

1 Peter 4:1

So between these two calls to suffer comes our text. The main point of these verses is to help us get ready to suffer with Jesus for doing what is right, not for doing what is wrong.

For all the puzzling things in these verses, let’s not major on the minors. Peter’s intention in this text is to help us arm ourselves with the faith to suffer for the sake of Christ and his kingdom.

Jesus Suffered, too. (18a)

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.

1 Peter 3:18

The NT is incredibly consistent on this; following Jesus means suffering like Jesus, with Jesus

My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,

Philippians 3:10

Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace.

Hebrews 13:12–13

“If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

Mark 8:34

Peter’s going to say later on in chapter 4…

Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.

1 Peter 4:12

Our first great encouragement to prepare ourselves for suffering for doing what is right is that this is what happened to Jesus the greatest, most loving, caring, truthful, holy man that ever lived.

Suffering is a sign that you’re His.

Jesus suffered, too. You’re not alone in this.

I can understand how you might be thinking, “My goodness, 1 Peter is depressing! Suffering, submitting, aliens, strangers, exiles… I’m never going to fit in? If that’s the kind of life following Jesus is going to get you, why would I want that?”

Simple answer, second thing about Jesus:

Jesus suffered to bring me to God. (18)

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.

1 Peter 3:18

Human’s greatest need is not to live a long, safe life and be comfortable. Our greatest need is to be reconciled with our Creator, to have have our sins forgiven, to be made alive, to move from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. We need our relationship restored, and to live forever enjoying fellowship with God and each other, not suffering under His wrath for our rebellion.

This is infinitely more important than anything else. And that’s what Jesus death on the cross accomplished for us.

Four things to notice in this verse, quickly:

  1. “for sins” our greatest enemy, separated from Him.

  2. “the righteous for the unrighteous” His death was substitutionary. He took my place. He stood under the wrath and penalty that I deserved and bore it for me.

  3. “once for all” his death was final and all-sufficient to accomplish the forgiveness of all who believe on him. It was all that was necessary to take away the guilt of my sins. It is finished—my debt is paid in full.

  4. “bring you to God” Make it personal, because it was personal for Him. “When I was on the cross…”

How does that help us suffer?

It destroys once and for all any notion that God has abandoned you. If He was going to abandon you, wouldn’t it have been on the cross? Why would he go through that just to abandon you now?

Brother or sister struggling, suffering, feeling like God is nowhere to be found… look to the cross!

“But I don’t feel it.” Praise God, the cross is not based on my feelings. Keep looking there until you heart catches up to your eyes.

  1. Jesus suffered, too.
  2. Jesus suffered to bring me to God.

Jesus patiently proclaims his victory. (19-20)

He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few — that is, eight people  — were saved through water.

1 Peter 3:18–20

This is one of the most complex verses in the New Testament.Lots of ideas, lots of interpretation going on no matter what.

For instance, verse 19 is nine words in the Greek. Every single one of them has multiple meanings and definitions, could be taken differently.

I tried to figure out the number of unique combinations that might be, and I wasn’t even smart enough to do that!

So boils down to two basic options:

  1. Either in the 40 days post-resurrection or in his ascension, Jesus proclaimed his victory to demons who were active during Noah’s time. Lots of godly people land there, and that’s fine.

  2. Peter’s saying that Christ, through his Spirit, was preaching through Noah to Noah’s disobedient generation, just as he is to this generation through us.

People in Noah’s day were disobedient, mocking him as he obeyed God, preached to them, and with his boys, worked to build the Ark, for 120 years.

Just like in chapter 1:11 Peter said the Spirit was testifying to the prophets about Jesus, so the Spirit of Jesus was in Noah’s preaching to the people of his day, who are NOW in prison, yes, because they didn’t listen to the call to repentance all those years ago.

So restating verse 19 with this interpretation would look like:

…by the Spirit (in the past)  in which he also went and made proclamation (through Noah) to the spirits in prison (now)  who in the past were disobedient.

You think Noah and family felt like exiles? Strangers?

It’s never rained before, and you say, “Water’s just going to start falling from the sky!” “Yeah, okay Noah!”

So how does remembering the days of Noah help us now?

Think about it, from Genesis 1-3 is about the same amount of time as from Jesus to now. There’s most likely tens if not hundreds of millions of people on earth.These 8 people were a minority. Must have felt foolish about year 85. But 8 + God > millions. You’re in the majority when He is on your side.

Why did God wait 120 years? Not just for the Ark to be built. It was to give those millions of people 120 more years to repent.

  1. Jesus suffered, too.
  2. Jesus suffered to bring me to God.
  3. Jesus patiently proclaims his victory.

Jesus’ resurrection is my salvation. (21)

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

1 Peter 3:21

Another confusing verse! But not as much as the last one.

Verse 18 said that Christ died for sins and brought us to God.

Can’t just take those four words, “Baptism now saves you.”

It almost reads like Peter knows that this will be misunderstood if he does not qualify it. So he immediately says, “It’s not the water. It’s the inward reality of this conscience toward God”—read repentance & trust there.

Ironically, Baptists over the past 100 years or so have somehow separated the “profession of faith” from baptism, where the Biblical idea is that baptism is your public profession of faith!

What’s the connection between baptism and Jesus’ resurrection?

We say it when we baptize someone, “buried with Christ, raised to walk in newness of life.” It’s an outward demonstration of what resurrection power has done in this person’s heart—made them new!

How does understanding baptism strengthen us for suffering with Christ? Like this:

When we have come through the water of baptism, it’s a physical, public demonstration we have passed through death and judgment. We have been buried with Christ and we have risen with him. We have passed from death to life. Judgment is past.

So then whatever suffering we are experiencing cannot be the condemnation of God. That has already been experienced for us by Christ.

Our baptism stands as a constant reminder that the worst suffering—God’s wrath—has been averted. Christ took it for us. We will never have to come into judgment. There is now no condemnation. We have already died that death in Christ and been raised in him.

So then, the suffering we’re experiencing now is not the wrath of an angry God, but the loving discipline of our Father and the preparation for glory.

  1. Jesus suffered, too.
  2. Jesus suffered to bring me to God.
  3. Jesus patiently proclaims his victory.
  4. Jesus’ resurrection is my salvation.

Jesus is king. (22)

Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

1 Peter 3:22

Currently. Right now, September 6, 2020. Jesus is on the throne.

Sometimes, we can get an exalted view of Satan. Good vs evil, angels vs demons, God vs Satan, like they’re equally powerful.

Nope!

Take this one thought with you in preparation for your suffering. No harassing, oppressing, deceiving, accusing demon is free to do as he pleases. All angels, authorities, powers, devils, evil spirits, demons, and Satan himself are subject to Jesus Christ.

Application

Are you trusting in the hope of his resurrection like Noah and his family trusted in the ark, the only hope we have?

Are we proclaiming the victory of Jesus? It’s not primarily a set of ideas to believe, it’s Good News to be shared.

Do you trust, revel, delight, overwhelmed at the notion that Jesus suffered for you, to bring you to God?

Do you look to Jesus as not just your Savior and Friend, but as your King? Do you trust that he’s in control? And do you long for him to come back and bring his Kingdom to its fulfillment?