The Work of Christ
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17 For it is better to suffer for doing good,
if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
I. The Work of Christ
I. The Work of Christ
Now before we start unpacking the work of Christ, let’s consider the context, again before we look at the purpose and effectiveness of Christ work.
Remember Peter is writing to who? The suffering church of Asia Minor. Those who have been saved and , if necessary have been grieved by various trials. Those who endure sorrows while suffering unjustly, Those who do good and suffer for it.
Peter is writing to the believers to encourage them. So he follows verse 17 where he reminds them is it God’s will if they suffer with verse 18
For Christ also suffered.....
We know it was the will of the Father to crush Him. We know if Christ suffered those who follow Him will suffer.
We know Christ sufferings were only temporary, so our sufferings are only temporary.
We know Christ suffering resulted in glory, so our sufferings will result in glory.
We must remember that even though Peter explains Christ “also” suffered, Christ suffering is far superior than our suffering. Christ does provide us a perfect example of how we are to suffer, but the point and effect of His suffering and death is way more than anything Christ’s followers could ever accomplish.
The suffering and death of Jesus was the will of the Father and the standalone work of the Son. The death of Christ was the purpose Christ came, and it was accomplished for a specific people whom God foreordained to salvation.
A. Christ’s atoning work
A. Christ’s atoning work
For Christ also suffered once for sins,
NASB For Christ also died for sins once for all,
Here Peter points us to what I would consider the most painful part of Christ’s work. Here the verbs used to describe the atoning work of Christ,
He suffered,
He died,
Jesus Christ not only humbled himself by leaving His heavenly throne and taking on the form of a servant, being born of no reputation, born of a young Jewish girl, he began his life in a manger, in a barn, couldn’t even get a hotel room. He was born in a barn, laid in a feed trough, and unless they are a lot different than they are today, he was born in the midst of flies, filth, and farm animals. He was born into suffering.
However that was only a small taste of what was to come. Even as small boy they were on the run, because Herod wanted him killed. They fled to Egypt tying to escape the evil ruler of His age. But this still would not be the pinnacle of His suffering.
Think for a moment about Christ inauguration into his Messianic office. After His baptism, he heard the Father thunder from heaven, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, then what happened.
He was led out into the wilderness where he fasted for 40 days! Talk about suffering, we can’t go without eating for 4 hours, much less 40 days. Imagine the hunger pains, the weakness that would come as the days progress. Then Jesus took on a direct assault from Satan. Imagine that, not a one of us is important or dangerous enough to the principalities and powers to cause Satan himself to tempt us. We are defeated enough by our own flesh, and the ways of this world, Satan doesn’t need to come fool with us....
Again, none of this suffering would be the apex of Christ suffering and his atoning work. It wouldn’t be until His walk to Calvary that His suffering to atone for our sin would begin. This is where Christ truly took on the punishment you and I deserved!
Think about it though, he was the only one worthy, the only one able, the only one willing to work to the point of death for our sin.
Consider the cruelty and brutality of Jesus’ work of atonement.
Listen to,
As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
Isaiah 52:
He was beaten past the point of recognition.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isaiah
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
Matthew 27:27
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:45
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
Matthew
Jesus work of suffering and death was prophesied of, played out on Calvary, and proven as he was buried in a borrowed tomb.
But here is the beauty of the atoning work of Christ, he suffered once for sins or as the NASB renders it, died once for all. There is a completeness, a finality, and a specificity to Christ atoning work.
Here we see the point to Christ atoning work, His suffering, His death was for sin (Penal) for that which deserves punishment.
Albert Martin explained, “If we do away with the fact that God is creator and lawgiver and man is morally accountable to God and sin is that which provokes God’s wrath and warrants God’s punishment (Penal) then the sufferings and death of Christ are indeed at best an unanswerable riddle or at worst a cruel and sadistic joke.”
It only took him one death to accomplish the atonement. He only had to go to the cross one time and it was finished. Every sin and every sinner that Christ intended to die for was completed at that very moment.
He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
For it was the will of the Father to crush Him, only once! One time and it was complete, one death for the sins of many. He did not have to go back, he did not miss a few when he offered himself, Christ atoned for the sins of all those whom God had predestined to repent and believe!
This leads us to our second point of Christ work,
B. Christ’s substitutionary work
B. Christ’s substitutionary work
the righteous for the unrighteous,
NASB the just for the unjust
The guiltless for the guilty
The sinless for the sinner
The Holy one for the unholy
The One who fulfilled the law for the ones who transgressed the law.
The Lamb for the goats
The Son of Man for the sons of wrath.
Do you get the picture?
Christ,
who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
How can sinners like me and you who are guilty before God be made right with God?
How can God be both just and the justifier?
How can God be holy, just, and merciful?
By crushing Jesus in our place. By taking on flesh living the life we could not live and dying the death that we could not die. Our sins are paid for through this substitutionary work of Christ.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Why did He do it? How did He do it? He accomplished the atonement, the penal substitution through,
C. Christ’s Reconciling work
C. Christ’s Reconciling work
that he might bring us to God
Peter in His unpacking of the work of Christ now turns to Christ ministry of reconciliation. Jesus suffered and died in order that sinners like me and you might be brought to God.
Our transgressing of the law, our rebellion against our creator has caused us and all of humanity to be separated from God. Instead of being sheep cared for by the great sheep we are straying sheep wandering from the fold of God. We are runaway children who refuse to come home.
The problem is also that we cannot return and be reconciled because of the great chasm our sin has created between us and God.
Because or our sin which began when Adam sinned, death, judgment, and wrath is our portion.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Every since creation sin has brought on death. When sin occured there had to be a sacrifice.
In the garden what happened? Adam and Eve fell and animals had to be killed for coverings.
When we get into the Mosaic covenant, bulls, goats, rams, and birds were sacrificed for to reconcile God people to Himself. To atone for the sins of the people.
he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Hebrews 9:12-
We needed to be brought to God, because we were alienated from God. Our sin had separated us form the Father and the blood of these sacrificial animals was only temporary would have to continue throughout eternity if a perfect sacrifice was not made.
but made alive in the spirit,
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
Spurgeon Commentary: 1 Peter Exposition
This passage nobody understands, though some think they do. It is for our good to be made to feel that we do not know everything. The point that is clear is that as Jesus suffered though innocent, we also must be willing to suffer at the hands of the ungodly.
Spurgeon Commentary: 1 Peter Exposition
Recollect how He cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30) before He bowed His head and gave up the ghost. What was finished? Why, the road from hell to heaven, the pathway along which the vilest sinner may travel to glory; the fountain in which the most scarlet sins may be washed away; the redemption by which the slaves of sin and Satan are forever set at liberty. All this and more than this was finished on Calvary.
This is the joy, that comes with Christ’s work of reconciliation, when he said it is finished he did all that was necessary for us not only to be saved from the wrath of God, but to be adopted as sons and daughters of God!
This next section is where confusion and debate
on this text really begins. Faithful men and commentators with differing views trying to interpret and explain the next couple of verses.
The next phrase,
being put to death in the flesh and made alive in the spirit. The flesh and spirit are were the the difficulty lies, really the spirit more than the flesh. Is Peter here talking about Peter’s human spirit or being made alive by the Holy Spirit? Different translations translate it both ways. But here is what Schreiner explained that helped me not to get hung on this seemingly hard to interpret phrase.
Tom Shcreiner states, “We can be confident, therefore, that Peter did not merely envision Jesus merely living in the interval between his death and resurrection in terms of his human spirit. He thought here of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.” (Pg 183)
being put to death in the flesh
John Calvin writes, Being put to death in the flesh. Now this is a great thing, that we are made conformable to the Son of God, when we suffer without cause; but there is added another consolation, that the death of Christ had a blessed issue; for though he suffered through the weakness of the flesh, he yet rose again through the power of the Spirit.
We don’t often think of being put to death in the flesh, especially by cruel execution as being a blessed thing. And the act in itself was not, it was a painful, excruciating death that Jesus bore for our sins.
The death of Christ produced these benefits.
but made alive in the spirit,
The Penal atonement was made, the punishment price, wage, debt for sin was paid! Once for all.
Calvin, J., & Owen, J. (2010). Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles (p. 112). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
The Great exchange was made for those who would trust in the Cross of Christ. The righteous for the unrighteous. Our sin was placed on Him and His righteousness was placed on us.
Relationship with God was restored, reconciled. Rebels were returned to God. Our sin had been atoned for, we no longer stand in front of a Holy God as ruined sinners, but as justified, adopted, sons of God!
However this death, the death of Christ is only half of what was needed for this victory to be complete. If that was the end of the story we are no better off than those who believe in a dead Savior. The truth is that the our hope, our encouragement, our eternal salvation comes because of Jesus being put to death in the flesh, and because He was,
but made alive in the spirit,
Jesus died physically, but he also rose physically. His Resurrection completed the victory.
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
Christ humanity was no doubt on display as he suffered the cruel death on the cross. He bled as we do. His flesh ripped open as ours would. He head had streams of blood running down it as ours would. He cried out in agony as we would in the midst of this type of brutal punishment and abuse.
But what would happen three days later sets him apart from the rest of humanity. He was divinely raised from the dead. This proves the deity of Christ. The fact that he was truly man and truly God. He was raised from the grave, the Spirit gave Him life, raised him up, He folded up his burial clothes, and walked out of the grave.
His resurrection would be the first fruits of our resurrection. Because he was brought to life by the Spirit, in the spirit we have a confident hope they we will be raised to walk, we will be alive again because we have been born again, and because Christ was made alive in the Spirit.
What is the point then to Christ work of reconciliation through his death in the flesh and spiritual resurrection?
Schreiner states, “The message for readers is clear. Even though Jesus suffered death in terms of his body, the Spirit raised him from the dead. Similarly, those who belong to Christ, even though they will face suffering, will ultimately share in Christ’s resurrection.”
Remember, these saints in Peter’s day would have been very familiar with the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. They would not have have been separated by 2000 years but 20 - 30 years… They idea of persecution and governmental oppression was not foreign to these men and women, but they were familiar with this cruel treatment. Therefore, the work of Christ would have been not only personal but a present reality. Even if they would not have seen it visibly, they lived in the time when this would none of these truths would have been foreign.
So when they heard, or read,
For Christ also suffered once for sins,
They would have understood His atoning work was Penal and Final.
When they heard or read,
the righteous for the unrighteous,
They would have understood the Subsitutionary work of Christ, was vicarious.
When they heard or read,
that he might bring us to God,
They would have understood the Reconciling work of Christ was purposeful and efficacious!
Here is the encouragement to us, it doesn’t matter if you are 2000 years, 200 years, 20 years, or 2 days from the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, if you believe in His person and work and repent of your sins, the truth that the only way to be saved from your sin and the wrath of God is Jesus,
being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
you will be brought to God!
R.C. Sproul sums up the Penal, Subsitutionary, Satisfactory, Atonement of Christ this way, “Orthodox Christianity has insisted that the Atonement involves substitution and satisfaction. In taking God’s curse upon Himself, Jesus satisfied the the demands of God’s holy justice. He recieved God’s wrath for us saving us from the wrath to come.
Do you insist on this truth?
Are you and I
and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Let’s take some time to consider how we apply this text to our lives today? When when you consider the Atoning, Vicarious, Reconciling work of Christ on the cross how do we take the message central to the Christian faith and ensure we are living in light of it?
This should be central to our presentation of the gospel.
We should live in confidence of the finality of Christ’s work, it is “once for all.”
We should live, serve, and worship in humility understanding that Christ,s sin defeating, justice providing work is a gift to his people by his grace.
Christ suffering unto death is not just for our imitation, but our justification, salvation, and glorification.
When we face any sin, suffering, or persecution we remember Christ died once for all and enables His people to live faithfully to the end through repentance and faith.
II. The Word of Christ
II. The Word of Christ
A. The Word Proclaimed to the Imprisoned.
A. The Word Proclaimed to the Imprisoned.
Now, before we get into these next few verses I want us to understand the importance of not getting so bogged down in the difficult portion of the passage that we steer off of the main point of the paragraph. Remember, Peter did not write this letter to confuse us but to encourage us to stand strong in Christ in midst of suffering and seek to grow in sanctification in light of the glorious gospel.
Scot Mcknight explains,
The NIV Application Commentary: 1 Peter Bridging Contexts
IN INTERPRETING THIS passage, one needs to recognize how easy it is to drift into the problem verses (3:19, 21) and lose sight of the way in which these particularly disputable passages fit into the general theme of persecution and suffering. That is, focusing on these verses tips the balance against the weight of the passage—how the example of Jesus becomes a source of encouragement for those who are facing suffering. While I would not want to minimize the significance of this passage for formulating special ideas (though I doubt debate about the location of Jesus after his death and before his exaltation advances theology much), it is fundamentally important to interpret these problem verses in light of their overall context.
And as usual Spurgeon humbles us regarding this passage,
The NIV Application Commentary: 1 Peter Bridging Contexts
IN INTERPRETING THIS passage, one needs to recognize how easy it is to drift into the problem verses (3:19, 21) and lose sight of the way in which these particularly disputable passages fit into the general theme of persecution and suffering. That is, focusing on these verses tips the balance against the weight of the passage—how the example of Jesus becomes a source of encouragement for those who are facing suffering. While I would not want to minimize the significance of this passage for formulating special ideas (though I doubt debate about the location of Jesus after his death and before his exaltation advances theology much), it is fundamentally important to interpret these problem verses in light of their overall context.
Spurgeon Commentary: 1 Peter Exposition
This passage nobody understands, though some think they do. It is for our good to be made to feel that we do not know everything. The point that is clear is that as Jesus suffered though innocent, we also must be willing to suffer at the hands of the ungodly.
Let’s dive in,
Verse 19 reads,
19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
because they formerly did not obey,
Verse 19 connects to verse 18 where Peter closes writing,
being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed.
First, Peter is communicating that Christ went and proclaimed in the spirit by which he was made alive. Even though this death was brutal, bodily death Jesus was still victorious and went and proclaimed this message in the power of the Spirit, while alive in the spirit. The death and resurrection of Jesus is what proved he was who he said he was. He was the Son of God, the Second person of the Trinity who had himself preached prior to His death, that he must by crucified but would be raised from the dead.
This would have been what I would call, “Jesus’ I told you so” sermon. He had prophesied of his own death and resurrection to His disciples, He had told the Pharisees that he would rebuild the temple in three days and now even thought he had been put to death in the flesh he had been resurrected by the Spirit in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.
Notice that he
B. The Word Proclaimed in the days of Noah.
B. The Word Proclaimed in the days of Noah.
when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah,
while the ark was being prepared,
C. The Word Proclaim to Save.
C. The Word Proclaim to Save.
in which a few,
that is, eight persons, (obedient to get on the boat)
were brought safely through water.
III. The Way of Christ
III. The Way of Christ
A. Salvation through Faith
A. Salvation through Faith
21 Baptism, which corresponds to this (brought safely through the water),
now saves you,
not as a removal of dirt from the body
but as an appeal to God
for a good conscience,
B. Salvation through the Resurrection
B. Salvation through the Resurrection
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
C. Salvation through the Ascencion
C. Salvation through the Ascencion
who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God,
with angels,
authorities,
and powers having been subjected to him.