1 Peter 3:17-22
18 For Christ also suffered for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—
20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.[b] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Today we are talking about suffering. Yay, Who’s pumped for this one? The truth is no one likes suffering. We avoid suffering at all costs. And as I look out into the room today, I see two types of people. The ones who are enduring suffering right now, and the ones who will. The reality is that we can’t escape some amount of suffering in this life. Jesus himself said to his disciples in John 16, In this world you will have trouble… you will have trials, you will experience suffering.
Suffering is a recurring theme in 1 Peter, as many Christians are experiencing persecution, insults and suffering because of their belief in Jesus. Peter addresses this in chapter one, acknowledging “…now for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”
When we look at the verses surrounding our passage for today we get a sense of what Peter is teaching. Look at chapter 3 verse 14, “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”
Chapter 4 verse 1: “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.”
Peter is writing this portion of the letter to help US both understand suffering, and strengthen us for the possibility of suffering.
Peter begins by helping them understand Christian suffering. Verse 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
This may seem obvious, but Peter is reminding his readers of what he just said in the previous verses. Verse 9: Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. The only thing trading insults will do is satisfy your pride.
I see these youtube videos all the time where people on the left side of the political and ideological spectrum argue with people on the right side. And many times, it ends up just being insults being hurled back and forth like grenades. What good is that really doing? None.
Peter is telling us the same thing. Don’t get sucked into repaying evil for evil. If you suffer for your sin it does no good. Plus, it defames Jesus.
Instead, Peter says, it’s better to suffer for being obedient to Christ – to stand up for your faith in the face of ridicule – to share the gospel even though you believe you will be rejected or despised. This is what it means to suffer for doing good.
This is what Peter wants to prepare his readers for… to strengthen them for the possibility of suffering.
Why just the possibility of suffering? Because the suffering happens according to the will of God in verse 17. And some people may not suffer for the gospel while others DO suffer for Christ’s sake. Now you might think, “Why God should I suffer for Christ’s sake and not that other person?” The fact is some people do suffer more for Christ’s sake than others.
For most of the world and for most of history being a Christian has not been safe. Stephen Neil says in his History of Christian Missions (p. 43) that in the first three centuries, when the Church was spreading like wildfire, “Every Christian knew that sooner or later he might have to testify to his faith at the cost of his life.”
Here in the U.S., we’ve mistakenly assumed that safety is the norm, and the life of a Christian should be free from such persecution. For Peter such an idea would have been completely unimaginable.
It is normal, not unusual, for Christians to be despised. Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 24:9: “You will be hated by all nations because of My name.”
We are even starting to see this in the US as well. Believers are standing up for the biblical definition of marriage and being canceled. Christians are losing their jobs because they don’t agree with company philosophy on sexuality and gender. Students are being reviled and cursed on college campuses simply for sharing the gospel. Perhaps Peter’s words here are more relevant to us in the US than ever. In the rest of our passage, Peter shares 3 ways we are strengthened to endure suffering – if God wills it.
Christ’s Suffering Brings us to God
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely, he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Wow, a vivid and moving description of the suffering servant, and here Peter reveals Jesus as the suffering savior. Jesus knows what it is to suffer as it was through his suffering and death that he accomplished his mission. And what was his mission? To bring us to God.
Verse 18 “For Christ also suffered for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
Verse 18 is so good. If you want to explain the gospel in one verse, 1 Peter 3:18 is it! Here’s the play by play or the deeper explanation of verse 18.
- Christ suffered “for sins.” This is what separates me from God, and it is my greatest need. My biggest enemy is not Satan, but the sin that stands between me and my Creator. Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.” This separation is far more terrifying than suffering for righteousness—it’s about facing the wrath of God if my sins remain unforgiven. But here is the good news: Jesus suffered and died “for sins.”
- And Christ died “once for all.” His death was final and fully sufficient to provide forgiveness for everyone who believes in Him. There is no need for any further sacrifice—His work is finished. It was all that was necessary to erase the guilt of my sin. The debt has been paid in full.
- Christ died “the righteous for the unrighteous.” His death was a substitution. He took my place, bearing the penalty and wrath I deserved. Jesus, the only truly innocent one, died not for His own sins, but for ours. His sacrifice was completely selfless.
- And all of this brings us to God. “For Christ also suffered for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” His suffering and death is the way back for you and me to a restored relationship with God.
This is the great comfort for suffering Christians: our greatest enemy—sin—has been defeated. Jesus has secured our safety and our eternal home with God. He has brought us into God’s presence, removing the separation that once stood between us. We have access to God, just like my children, no matter where they are, no matter what they’ve done, they’ve got access to me. I’ll be there, when they need me, simply because they are my sons or my daughter – I will always be there.
How does this help us in our suffering? One of the devil’s greatest temptations during times of hardship is to convince us that God has abandoned us. But Peter’s message is clear: suffering is not a sign that God has forsaken us or turned against us! Christ has already bore our sin, absorbed God’s wrath, and brought us safely into His presence.
The second way Peter encourages and strengthens believers in the face of suffering is that Christ’s Resurrection Saves Us
Christ’s Resurrection Saves Us
20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
All right, what the heck is Peter talking about here? Some controversy surrounds this passage. It was even challenging for the great reformer Martin Luther as he said this about this passage:
“A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other – anywhere in the New Testament, so that I still do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.”
Well, I’ve read enough commentaries and papers on these verses to make smoke come out of my ears… and when we have challenging passages like this, my temptation is to go so deep that I miss the overarching point of the passage. It’s like the saying I can’t see the forest because of the trees!
So when we read these verses as a whole, we see this is about the Resurrection of Christ. verse 18 “He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive,
Now let’s skip ahead to the end of verse 21 It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
It’s clear that Peter is talking about the resurrection of Jesus, and our salvation by the resurrection of Jesus!
Now let’s make sense of the rest of this section and how the resurrection can strengthen us for suffering.
Verse 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—
20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
I read one scholar who said there are 180 possible translations of this from the Greek, so I thought I’d take you through all of them… just kidding, it just shows you that just like Martin Luther, we can’t be 100 percent sure, but I’ll tell you what the majority of scholars and I think and why it makes sense with the passage. If you’d like to discuss this further with me, let’s get coffee, but remember the big picture or the context of this passage; this is about the resurrection of Jesus and how this should strengthen the suffering Christian!
Verse 19, After being made alive in the Spirit, he [Jesus] went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits — 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah. Jesus, after his resurrection, goes to these imprisoned spirits. Who were the imprisoned spirits? They were fallen and disobedient angels from Genesis 6 that were mysteriously involved in the rebellion of humanity that preceded Noah and the great flood. These fallen angels had been imprisoned and were awaiting final judgment.
Now this may sound really wild, and you may think Peter is leading us down a rabbit hole, but what we need to focus on is the proclamation… What was Jesus doing?
He is proclaiming victory over the demonic spirits and their evil scheme to steal humanity from God. This is Jesus throwing down on the forces of evil for all time. Just as he died for sins once for all, in his resurrection, he is claiming victory over evil, for all time!
Christ is victorious in his resurrection… and by his resurrection not only will he save us from the suffering of this world into an eternal life with no suffering, but his resurrection also guarantees that he will see us through any suffering we experience in this life! If God takes you to it, through Christ, he will take you through it! It doesn’t mean that we don’t suffer, but rest assured we will be saved!
Now when we look at the rest of 20 and 21 it makes even more sense. How? Because Noah and his small family trusted God, and by faith, were obedient, to build and get into the ark, and God saved them THROUGH the waters.
So how does this encourage believers in the face of suffering? Because Noah was obedient to something that was so crazy, yet he trusted God and You can trust God too when he calls you to obedience in the face of ridicule.
Because when the flood waters of life come, no matter what happens, you are secure in Christ and you are able to endure the suffering because if God takes you to it, He will take you through it! Remember what Peter said earlier in verse 14: Do not fear what they fear… do not be frightened. The promise is you can endure suffering when your hope is in Jesus!
Then Peter connects Noah’s salvation through the waters to Baptism. Verse 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Is Peter saying that baptism saves? No! He says “not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God” Baptism is an outward expression of an inward decision. When you decide to follow Jesus, you are making a PLEDGE of faith. It’s faith in Christ by which we are saved, not a ritual of cleansing (which the jewish christians would have been used to). And the symbolism of baptism like Noah walking in obedience to get in that ark in the face of the flood waters of death… You identify with Christ’s death, you identify with his suffering by going under the water. This symbolized that you are drowning your old life! BUT just like the but in verse 18: “He was put to death in the body BUT made alive in the Spirit. You are raised to new life… symbolized by coming up out of the waters. It’s YOUR resurrection with Christ. You have salvation! It can never be snatched away from you, no matter what happens in this life. (IN CHRIST ALONE).
Christ’s Ascension to Glory Fuels our Faith
Verse 22: [Jesus Christ] who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
So we’ve discussed the crucifixion, the resurrection, and now we see the ascension of Christ. And when he ascends into heaven, Jesus is given a place of authority and power. Whenever you see God’s right hand in scripture, that’s what it means, power and authority – with all the angels, good and evil, all authorities and those in power, fully submissive to him. This is Christ’s glory; he is the absolute king.
So what does this mean for those who suffer for Christ’s sake?
I love what John Piper writes on this:
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. When Peter says at the end of his letter (5:9) that the devil prowls around like a lion seeking to devour, resist him firm in your faith, THIS is the faith he has in mind. The faith that all angels, authorities and powers are subject to Jesus. This is what we rebuke and resist the devil with:
“You are subject to Jesus. Jesus reigns at God’s right hand and you are under him. You can do nothing without his permission. You are a cat on a chain. You cannot touch me unless he lets you. And he will only let you to the degree that your touch will turn for my good and for his glory.”
Suffering does not get the last word in your life, Christ does.
Church, suffering is a part of life: Suffering for Christ will happen. Don’t shrink back from it. Be quick to share your faith and the reason that you have hope. Share the gospel, share truth but do it with humility, gentleness and respect.
With the election results just around the corner, you are going to have a lot of opportunities to look different to both those who agree and disagree with you. Be humble and gentle.
With our emphasis on outreach and invitation into our building and into our homes, you will face rejection and ridicule. Do not fear. Jesus has it under control.
In your job, if you face persecution for standing up for what is right, trust God. You may have to suffer a trial for a little while. If he takes you to it, He can take you through it.
If you are here this morning and you are suffering and it’s hard just to make it through the day, my consolation is this: You have a savior who knows suffering. HE LOVES YOU. More than you will ever know. In fact he loves you so much that he suffered for you on a cross so that you would only know suffering for a time, but that you would be brought to eternal glory, with joy and peace forevermore!
