1 Peter 3:18-22 Ministry of Christ

Intro:

Read 1 Peter 3:18-22

Transition:

In 1 Peter 3:17, Peter wrote about suffering for well-doing rather than for evil-doing; and then he gave the example of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was the “just One” (Acts 3:14), and yet He was treated unjustly.

Why? That He might die for the unjust ones and bring them to God! He died as a substitute (1 Peter 2:24), and He died only once (Heb. 9:24–28).

In other words, Jesus suffered for well-doing; He did not die because of His own sins, for He had none (1 Peter 2:22).

vs. 18 The death of Jesus

vs. 18a Suffered Once

There is no longer any sacrifice or atonement that can please God other than what Jesus provided at the cross.

Even our own suffering won’t pay for our sins. The price has already been paid.

vs. 18b Righteous for Unrighteous

Jesus is a perfect example of suffering for doing good.

He, the just, suffered for all of us who are the unjust – and the purpose of it all was to bring us to God, to restore our broken and dead relationship with Him.

vs. 18c Bring us to God

The phrase “bring us to God” is a technical term that means “gain audience at court.”

Because of the work of Christ on the cross, we now have an open access to God (Eph. 2:18; 3:12).

We may come boldly to His throne! (Heb. 10:19ff)

We also have access to His marvelous grace to meet our daily needs (Rom. 5:2).

When the veil of the temple was torn, it symbolized the new and open way to God through Jesus Christ.

Jesus did die in His body but was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit.

Here, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead.

It also tells us that the Father raised Jesus from the dead (

Romans 6:4 ESV

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

and it says that Jesus raised Himself from the dead (John 2:18-22). The resurrection was the work of the Triune God.

vs. 19-20 Proclamation of Jesus

By whom: This means that Jesus was inspired by the Holy Spirit when He did the work of preaching to the spirits in prison.

He was made alive by the Spirit, and then also did this work by the same Spirit.

He went and preached to the spirits in prison:

Apparently this work was done in the period after Jesus’ death but before His first resurrection appearance to the disciples. Jesus went to Hades – the abode of the dead – and preached to the spirits there.

Spirits in prison: Though some have regarded these spirits as human spirits, it is more likely that they were demonic spirits.

We know that their disobedience was in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:20).

We have evidence that this was a time of gross sin for both demons and humans, when there was an ungodly mingling of humans and demons (Genesis 6:1-2).

Jesus preached a message of judgment and final condemnation in light of His finished work on the cross to these disobedient spirits.

vs. 21 Resurrection of Jesus

Eight souls, were saved through water:

Peter drew a picture with his words here.

Even as Noah’s salvation from the judgment of God was connected with water, so the Christian’s salvation is connected with water, the water of baptism.

The water of the flood washed away sin and wickedness and brought a new world with a fresh start before God.

The water of baptism does the same thing, providing a passage from the old to the new.

Not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God:

At the same time Peter was careful to point out that it isn’t the actual water washing of baptism that saves us, but the spiritual reality behind the immersion in water.

What really saves us is the answer of a good conscience toward God, a conscience made good through the completed work of Jesus.

vs. 22 Ascension of Jesus

Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God:

We see the completeness of Jesus’ work by His exaltation to the right hand of God the Father, and the subjection of all created spirits unto Him (angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him).

So though Jesus suffered for doing good, He had the ultimate triumph.

The example of Jesus proves Peter’s point in 1 Peter 3:9: when we suffer for doing good, we will inherit a blessing.