The Unjust Sufferer

The Sufficiency of Christ’s Death

Suffered once for all

“Once”

All sins are covered by His ONE death.

There is nothing we can add to His sufficient sacrifice.

“For all”

There is no other name by which we can be saved.

His sole death

Proclaimed His victory

Occurs post-resurrection

Differing opinions on spirits, but there is overwhelming scriptural support that would say it is of the spiritual realm, i.e., angelic or fallen angelic beings

Most scholars I’ve read believe the message was a message of victory

There is already precedent for Peter’s insight into the angelic world (1 Pet.1:12 “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.”)

This may leave you with more questions…don’t worry, me too! There are aspects of the spiritual realm that are still a deep, deep mystery. And, there’s not consensus on what these difficult verses mean. I’ve given you the summary of what makes sense, and the major themes are consistent in Scripture. So, a brief recap:

Jesus’ death is sufficient for the salvation of all.

Jesus’ resurrection proves His victory over the grave. Vv.21b-22 echo this truth.

The Symbolism in Baptism

Evidenced in Noah’s day

We think of the flood as a destructive device, but it effectively was used for cleansing.

Gen.6:5-8 “When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and he was deeply grieved. Then the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I created, off the face of the earth, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky—for I regret that I made them.” Noah, however, found favor with the Lord.”

The flood was a cleansing judgment — evil had spread, and the flood cleansed the earth of this wickedness.

Because wickedness had spread in the entire earth, a complete cleansing was necessary.

However, even with the story of Noah, grace precedes his righteousness (Gen.6:8-9 “Noah, however, found favor with the Lord. These are the family records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.” — favor/grace comes before the mention of his righteousness).

This cleansing concept is evident in our passage (1 Pet.3:21 “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,”).

Did the flood save Noah?

Not in the least. If not for God’s gracious provision of the ark (warning, instructions on how to build, closing the ark door, etc.), Noah wouldn’t have been spared.

Noah responded in faith to God’s command similar to how we respond in faith to God’s offer of grace.

Not a work to save, but evidence of faith

There is nothing in the physical act of baptism that saves (1 Pet. 3:21 “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body...”).

Peter clarifies the statement: it is the “pledge of a good conscience toward God.” Baptism is an act of faith, what has historically been referred to as the first act of obedience.

Mt.28:19 “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”. The first act of discipleship seems to be baptism.

Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” What follows repentance (turning from our self-centered kingdom to Christ’s kingdom)? Baptism.

We often look for the loop hole — “Well, the thief on the cross…so I don’t have to be baptized to be saved.” To this I would say, “You’re 100% correct. You don’t. We are saved completely by grace through faith. There is not a single work you can do to earn a right standing before God.” But, I would also simply ask, what motivates that thought?

Fear? Maybe you have hydrophobia, fear of water. Or, maybe it’s crowds…fear of crowds, agoraphobia. Is it a fear of commitment? Gamophobia? But God has not given us a spirit of fear, and through Him we are more than conquerors.

I…fear…it’s more a lingering of our rebellious spirits. We don’t like to be told what to do, and we like to make the rules. If it is a lingering rebellion, the question is, “Who truly sits on the throne of our lives?”

Baptism is truly meant to be the rule, not exception.