1 Peter 3:18-22 “Valleys and Victory with Jesus”

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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Before we jump back into the next passage of 1 Peter this morning, our passage today

gives us the opportunity to talk about a theological concept called the perspicuity

of Scripture and who here is not looking for a chance to talk about the Bible's perspicuity,

right?

That is why you came this morning.

It means the clarity of God's Word.

That's why they pick such a clear word like perspicuity for clarity, okay?

That'll help you remember.

It means the fact that we can understand God's Word.

I bet that every one of us at some point has read part of the Bible.

Perhaps even this week if you're doing the Bible reading plan with us, you may have been

in the book of Leviticus and you've read a passage and thought, I don't have a clue what that means.

I don't understand that at all.

And I hope this encourages you.

Some parts of the Bible are harder to understand than others, but even when that's true, the message

of God's Word is clear.

It's perspicuous, if you will.

Listen to how the Westminster Confession of Faith says this.

All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all.

Yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation

are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other,

that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain

unto a sufficient understanding of them.

God gives us His Word so that we might know Him.

So that we might know how to live in relationship with Him, which does not require a seminary degree.

Did you know that?

It does not require a correct understanding of every theological detail.

Thank goodness.

Amen?

It's about a relationship.

So remember, when it feels confusing or difficult as you're reading God's Word,

it's not because He's hiding from you.

He's showing you Himself in some ways that are easier for you to access than others.

Peter says later in his second letter, chapter 3, verse 16,

that some things that Paul writes are hard to understand.

Is that not encouraging to you?

Peter found some things that this crazy Paul guy wrote to be hard to understand.

Some of you have found some things Paul wrote to be hard to understand.

But he says, don't be distracted when that happens.

Rather, grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Don't miss that.

Those crucial things are the clearest things, right?

God reveals Himself so that we might know Him,

so that we might understand ourselves,

so that we might find life as He designed us to have it.

Why all this talk about clarity, about perspicuity?

Well, this passage in 1 Peter 3 that we're about to read

has for centuries been referred to

as the most difficult to understand in the whole New Testament.

Many theologians, all sorts of people with different opinions about what it means,

but they agree on this.

It's hard to understand, and I'm not sure.

And I've read, and I've studied a lot,

and I'm not sure I have the right understanding of this passage,

which leaves the potential this morning for a really unclear sermon, right?

I want to be honest about that with you.

I also don't want that to discourage you.

I want us to expect that the things God most wants us to hear,

His Spirit will speak clearly to our hearts as we open His Word.

That's what He does.

He loves to do that, okay?

So we're going to look at this,

and we're going to trust Him to speak clearly to us.

And after I read it, you'll start praying for me that we will understand.

1 Peter 3, beginning at verse 18,

this is the inerrant, infallible, even perspicuous Word of God,

the God who loves us so much that He wants us to know Him.

For Christ also suffered once for sins,

the righteous for the unrighteous,

that He might bring us to God.

being put to death in the flesh,

but made alive in the Spirit,

in which He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

because they formerly did not obey,

when God's patience waited in the days of Noah,

while the ark was being prepared,

in which a few, that is, eight persons,

were brought safely through water.

baptism, which corresponds to this,

now saves you,

not as a removal of dirt from the body,

but as an appeal to God for a good conscience

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

who has gone into heaven

and is at the right hand of God

with angels, authorities, and powers,

having been subjected to Him.

Let's pray together.

Father, we do ask for Your help,

that You, by Your Spirit,

would be our teacher this morning.

Not merely because we want to know

what this means,

although we ask for Your insight,

for Your Spirit to shine light on this Word

that we have just read.

There's nothing more important

than Your Word for us to understand.

But Father, we ask it because

we want to love and trust

our Savior more,

to know where our hope should be,

to know in the difficulties of life

what to hold on to and how to do that.

So would You speak to us clearly

and give us ears to hear

and hearts to obey and love and trust.

We ask it in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Last week we noticed

that the rest of Peter's letter

that we're studying here

focuses on suffering

in the lives of God's people.

He's wanting us to endure faithfully

in a world that is not our home.

Now here's our picture

of the Ukrainian violinist

if you were here last week.

He wants us to endure

by remembering who we are, right?

Held in His hand.

Part of a courageous people

with an eternal hope.

And in verses 13 to 18,

the key principle about suffering

was that those bad things in our lives

provide good opportunities

for sharing with others

the eternal hope that we have in Jesus.

Today,

in the verses we just read,

the principle about suffering

builds on that.

Because Jesus has endured our sufferings,

we can be assured

we will enjoy His victory.

Where do we get that hope

that we're called to share,

especially in the dark times?

Where does that come from?

It comes from our connection with Jesus.

Our union with Christ.

That's what gives us this assurance.

And it's really glorious.

Y'all,

can we just stay in verse 18

for a while this morning?

Can we vote on that?

Let's just talk about verse 18.

For all the complexity

and confusion

of verses 19 to 21,

the good news of verse 18

is amazingly clear

and perspicuous

and glorious.

Okay, let's start there.

Our connection to Jesus here

begins with Jesus

entering our sufferings.

That's the connection in verse 18

from what we've been reading.

Hey, Christians suffering unjust,

Christ also suffered.

That's what Peter's saying.

Christ also suffered horribly.

Emotionally, physically,

spiritually, unjustly.

Jesus has endured the sufferings

of a world that is not His home.

In fact, Jesus so identifies,

not with His successful people.

Interesting.

Jesus so identifies

with His suffering people,

He's so close to them in that,

that when Saul,

who's about to become Paul

in this story,

is killing Christians,

is persecuting the church,

the followers of Jesus,

Jesus confronts Saul on the road

and says,

Saul, Saul,

why do you persecute

me?

Isn't that amazing?

How closely Jesus identifies

with those of His people

who are struggling.

If you feel the pain of suffering

as a child of God today,

be assured,

your older brother feels it with you.

He hurts with you.

And that's because

He has hurt like you

for you.

This is the glorious good news of Jesus.

When He suffered,

it wasn't merely to empathize

with your sufferings.

It was to end your sufferings

once and for all,

one day, forever.

Right?

Christ also suffered once,

once and for all,

for sins,

the righteous Him

for the unrighteous you

that He might bring you to God.

Don't miss the glorious message

of the gracious Savior.

Every one of us

has a sin and shame problem.

We're messed up.

We feel that the dirt

that is on us,

it clings to us

and we want to hide it, right?

We don't want to be seen

and exposed.

And He washed it away

by forgiving our sins,

all of them,

by washing us clean.

Every one of us

has a guilt problem,

a huge debt

that we can't pay.

We can't afford it.

But He paid it all

in our place.

It was our sins.

Let's be clear, right?

Jesus was on the cross

for our sins,

not His.

Our sins deserved the cross.

And every one of us

has a relationship problem,

not just a sin and shame problem,

not just a guilt problem.

We've got this relationship problem

where we're distant from God.

We're separated from Him

because of all this sin

that we've talked about,

the very God we were created

to live with

and that's the purpose of life.

We're stuck away from Him.

And Jesus brought us back

near to God.

The good news of Jesus

is that you don't have to fix

any of these problems yourself.

You don't.

It's not up to you.

You are connected to your Savior.

You are so covered

by your substitute

that you are safe

and accepted

and beloved forever.

That's the glory of grace, right?

That is the simplicity

of substitution

that Jesus stands in your place

and before the throne

of God above

I have a strong

and perfect plea.

It's not something I've done.

It's a great high priest

whose name is love

who ever lives

and he pleads for me, right?

He stands there in my place.

So we sing

the vilest offender

who truly believes

that moment from Jesus

a pardon receives.

Amen?

That's why we sing that

because Jesus has indeed

won our forgiveness

at the cost of his blood

on the cross.

Praise the Lord, right?

Friend, listen.

If you don't stand

covered by Jesus right now,

if you don't know

that that's who you are

is that you are his

and that he is yours,

please don't let anything

after verse 18

distract you

from the wonder

and the glory

of Jesus

offering himself

to you right now

to cover you today

and forever.

Receive his mercy

substituting in your place.

That's all it takes.

Rejoice in this

brand new relationship

with the God

who made you

and loves you

and wants to know you.

Jesus gives you

that relationship again.

That is the clear hope

of this passage.

Sins dealt with.

Man and God

set right.

Unworthy prodigals

brought back home

covered by Jesus

once and for all.

That's there for you

for all of us today.

I've told you before

one of my favorite pictures

of this

from a PBS documentary

about sheep.

The story begins

with an orphaned sheep

who will most surely die

the narrator tells us.

Every time

the little sheep

runs up

to the milk

that he needs to live

the ewe lambs

kick him away

because he doesn't

belong to them.

That's us, right?

Far from God

deserving death

unworthy

not belonging

in his family.

Death

is coming soon.

But then the mood

of the music

turns hopeful

and you know

something good

is coming

and the narrator

says,

ah,

but the shepherd

knows best.

And what the shepherd

does is he goes

and he finds

one of the little lambs

that is nursing

with his mother

and he takes that lamb

and he shears

his wool coat

off of him

and then he scoops

up the orphaned

lamb in his arms

and he puts

that coat

leg by leg

over that little lamb

and he puts him

back down

and he sends him

running right back

over to the mother

of the first lamb

who bends over

and sniffs

and feels

and welcomes him

back in

recognizing her child

she brings

this orphaned lamb

back in

to tend for

and care for

as her own child

accepted

and beloved

and saved.

Listen,

especially if you've

never trusted

Jesus before.

Jesus,

the lamb of God,

the rightful son

offers you

his coat.

Offers to cover you

no matter what

you've done,

no matter where

you've been,

no matter how little

you deserve

to be in his family

and if you put

that coat on

God won't be fooled

by it,

he sees you.

He will be delighted

to welcome you

into his family

to feed you

from the bounty

of his table

and the riches

of his grace

to keep you

close to his side

forever.

It's all of grace.

It's not up to

how well you perform.

You don't have to worry

about that this morning.

He has paid it all

once and for all.

It is finished.

That's the gospel,

dear friends.

It's good news.

If you don't know it

and if that's not

yours personally,

there's nothing

I would commend

to you more.

There's nothing

I'd rather share

with you.

There's no hope

I'd rather you have

than that good news.

Talk to any of us.

We'd love to tell you

more about Jesus.

It's not complicated,

but it's good,

good news.

Now there's more

good news

for us

as we're in our suffering

of how connected

we are to Jesus.

That reality

that many of you know

that you are

connected to him

and covered by him.

It's just a little

harder to understand

as we keep going

through this passage.

I'm going to give you

my best shot

at seeing glorious

gospel complexity.

Some of you

like complexity,

right?

So you're fired up

about this.

But Jesus was put

to death

in the realm

of the physical

but made alive

in the realm

of the spiritual.

He had a body

then too, right?

Risen bodily

from the dead.

So the emphasis here

is on the eternal

lasting nature

of the spiritual realm.

And verse 19 says,

in that manner,

spiritual,

he went and preached

to spirits

who are now in prison.

Proclaiming to spirits

in prison.

Who is that?

When did that happen?

Why do we care?

All very valid questions.

Very few people

agree on the answers.

I think

that the spirits

in prison

are unbelieving

people

who were on earth

during the time

of Noah

and have now

died

and are in

prison

because of their

unbelief

and disobedience.

And I think

that Jesus preached

to them

back then

in Noah's

day

through the

spirit.

Now one of the reasons

earlier in this book,

chapter 1,

verse 11,

Peter refers to

these Old Testament

prophets

preaching

as the spirit

of Christ

speaking

through them.

So when Noah

foretells

God's judgment

in the form

of a flood,

he says,

God told me

a flood is coming,

his judgment,

and he calls

the people of his day

to find safety

where?

In the ark.

He told me

to build this ark.

You need to come

with me.

You'll be safe.

That's Jesus

in the spiritual

realm

proclaiming

to the people

their need

to repent

and trust

Yahweh.

That's the only

place they'll find

safety.

And I think

why it comes up here

is that Peter

is recalling

this other time

many, many,

many years ago

where the people

of God,

Noah

and his family,

they were in

the minority,

they were suffering

ridicule,

and he's saying

Jesus was there

preaching by his

spirit back then

when,

that word because

could mean

when they were

not obeying,

back in the days

of Noah,

building the ark

and God being

patient and not yet

sending his judgment

even though there was

unbelief,

he hadn't yet

poured out his judgment,

and that's when

all this happened.

Another reason I find

this understanding

to fit with Peter's

flow of thought

in this passage

is that he just

told us what

last week?

He told us to preach,

to witness,

to share the hope

that we have

in the midst

of our suffering

with anyone who asks,

right?

And now he's

assuring us

Jesus is with us

in that preaching

as well.

In that difficult

experience,

Jesus has faced

unbelief

and scorn.

An ark

in a desert?

Come on,

Noah.

Really?

A resurrected

Jesus?

Come on,

Will.

It's not even

Easter anymore.

Stop talking

about that stuff.

You can't be serious.

You really believe

that?

And so,

Jesus knows

when you preach,

when you share

your hope,

it's often

rejected,

even ridiculed.

Don't lose heart,

he's saying.

There's hope

even then.

As it turned out,

the ark was the place

of safety,

wasn't it?

when the flood

came,

the eight family

members of Noah

were the ones

who were saved.

And then Peter

says,

while we're

making things

confusing,

let's have some

more fun with

21st century

Christians.

No,

I don't think

that's what Peter

says.

I think what

Peter says next

is,

while we're

thinking of

people being

saved through

water,

that makes me

think of

your baptism.

It's like that

too.

There's judgment

due to sin,

but if you run

to the ark

of Jesus,

the water,

it will wash

you,

it will cleanse

you,

you'll be saved

in just the same

way like Noah

and his family.

But if you read

verse 21

carefully,

it states,

baptism

now saves

you.

And if you've

been in a church

like this long

enough,

you think,

hold on,

that's not right.

I read verse 18.

I'm saved by

Christ alone.

His death

for sins,

the righteous

for the unrighteous

to bring you

to God.

Now I'm getting

confused again.

Why did we go

past verse 18?

Peter says,

don't be confused.

I'm not talking

of course,

he clarifies for us.

I'm not talking

of the physical

water of baptism

that would wash

dirt off your body,

that that process,

that that ceremony

would actually be

what cleanses

and saves you.

But rather,

the washing

with water

is a sign

of the heart

reality.

You're united

to Christ

and he is

the only one

who saves.

So your appeal

to God

from a good

conscience,

from your faith

in the risen

Jesus,

that's how

you're saved.

Through the

resurrection

of Jesus Christ.

So listen,

your union

with Jesus,

where you're

connected with him,

it's not just

him entering

into your sufferings

and into your

preaching

in a difficult

context.

Christ,

it's about you

entering his

resurrection life.

Romans 6, 5,

if we have been

united with him

in a death

like his,

we will certainly

be united

with him

in a resurrection

like his.

Both of those

are true.

We need that Easter

hope right there,

right?

If you have died

with him

and if you've

experienced those

sufferings

and you're

having yourself

put to death,

you will also

live.

Baptism may be

a bit complex

and how it works

out that it's

a sign pointing

to something else.

Maybe we don't

get all the

nuances right.

Some Christians

who really love

Jesus still get

confused about

exactly how

baptism works

out.

Amen?

Yep.

You know what

we're all clear

on?

It points

to the cleansing

work of Jesus

who lives

so that connected

to him,

we too

never more

will die.

As surely

as Jesus

who endured

even more

suffering than

we have

to the point

of death

on the cross.

As surely

as he is

alive

again,

so you too

who are suffering,

who feel

worldly powers

against you,

who feel like

you're given over

to death

day after day

and you have to

walk back into

this situation

or back into

this relationship

and back into

this struggle,

you can rest

assured that

no matter

what happens

in this life,

you will live

again and

forever.

Here's the point.

Jesus lives

again.

You live

again

forever

with him.

That's what I

think is going

on in that

middle section

and there's

one more thing

that is even

more wonderful

than that.

A glorious

gospel certainty

in this last

verse.

This resurrected

Jesus

has gone

into heaven

and is at

the right hand

of God

with angels,

authorities,

and powers

having been

subjected

to him.

Okay,

now we're

tracking again.

We've been

singing about

this this

morning.

Jesus is not

merely alive,

wondrous

though that is.

He is reigning

over everything,

victorious

over it all.

Now,

this truth,

to be fair,

fits really

well with the

other most likely

understanding of

the previous

verses,

besides the one

I gave you.

That spirits

in prison part

that we read,

a number of

people,

another possible

understanding,

especially if you

like to read this

passage chronologically

and assume

that the preaching

to the spirits

happened in the

days between

Jesus' death

and his

resurrection,

that understanding

would be that

Jesus proclaimed

his victory

to fallen angels,

demons,

spirits,

in prison.

Don't get hung up

on figuring out

which one of us

is right.

You know I'm right.

No,

it doesn't matter

which one of us

got the understanding

of verse 19

through 21,

right?

Whether verse 19

paints that

triumphant picture

or not,

verse 22

makes it really

clear,

doesn't it?

It makes it very

clear Jesus has

indeed triumphed,

he is reigning,

he is victorious,

stick with the

clear part,

so listen,

why does that

matter?

It matters

because some of you

are hurting.

all of you

know suffering,

some of you

are feeling it

this morning.

Some of you

are feeling

overwhelmed

by spiritual

attack,

evil spirits,

hosts of hell

arrayed against

you,

the reality

of spiritual

warfare

and you're

living in it

and you can

have hope,

you can rest

assured

that you

will share

Jesus'

victory.

Jesus is

with us

in our

suffering,

right?

He's there,

you're not

alone and

look where

he ends up

having endured

death,

he rises

to new life

and eternal

victory at

the right hand

of the Father

over all of

his and

our enemies

forever.

How does

that encourage

me when

I'm struggling

when I'm

losing,

when I'm

suffering?

It tells you

your hope

is not

fanciful,

it's not

naive

optimism,

it's not

a selfish

vanity,

you haven't

made this

up,

no,

if you are

really suffering,

if you have

died with

him,

you will

live with

him,

if he

endured

your

sufferings

and now

reigns

over all,

you will

assuredly

enjoy

his

victory

with

him,

remember

you're

connected

to him,

if he's

there,

you will

be there

with him,

you are

seated,

Derek

read earlier

to us,

with Christ

in the

heavenly

places,

so right

now even,

already,

Christ in

you,

is what?

The hope

of glory,

you have

right now

living in

you in

relationship

with Jesus,

the hope

of glory,

one day

forever

reigning

victoriously

with him,

I've shared

with you

before,

one of my

favorite images

of our

sharing Christ's

victory because

we're united

to him.

Team Hoyt

was a

father-son

triathlon

team,

they together

completed

257

triathlons

including

Ironmans,

72

marathons,

they're five

ahead of me,

Rick,

I've been

dreaming lately,

Rick the

son

was born

with cerebral

palsy,

he was

unable to

talk or

to walk

but his

dad realized

how much

they enjoyed

being together,

spending time

together,

especially

outside

when they

could run

so they

developed some

specialized

devices for

staying connected

during the

triathlons,

Dick biking

with Rick

attached to

him,

then getting

off and

jumping into

a boat

where he

could place

Rick and

then swim

attached to

him,

and then

running

together

while pushing

Rick in a

specialized

wheelchair,

they both

suffered the

pain of a

triathlon,

bodies hurting

as the sun

beat down,

the wind

blowing in

their faces

as they're

running or

biking.

But my

favorite images

are of

Team Hoyt

crossing the

finish line.

Rick,

almost always

in these

pictures,

has this

joy across

him.

There's a

big smile

often on

his face.

His fists

are always

pumping in

the air as

they cross

the line.

He is

celebrating

victory,

and he's

loving it.

I think we're

all pretty

clear.

The victory

was earned

by Dick,

suffering the

pains of the

race to get

to that

victory,

even more

than the

other

competitors

out there.

The victory

was earned

by Dick,

but the

victory was

enjoyed by

Rick, too,

wasn't it?

Why?

How?

It's the

only way

that Rick

got to

finish that

triathlon

and cross

the finish

line with

that kind

of victory.

It was

only, of

course,

because he

stayed

connected to

his father

the whole

way.

A father

who delighted

to be with

him.

A father

who found

a way

to make

it happen

when it

didn't seem

possible.

Listen,

whatever else

confuses you

in this

passage,

don't miss

our hope

for enjoying

eternal

victory.

It is as

clear,

as perspicuous,

as Rick

needing to be

connected to

his dad to

finish that

triathlon.

Our hope

in our

suffering is

not in our

own strength.

It's not in

our wise

techniques for

managing the

situations.

It's not even

in the size

of our faith

or our own

strength of

our grip on

God.

It's not.

Our hope

is in the

victory of

Jesus,

who has

united us

to himself.

United himself

to us in

this amazing

relationship

that can never

be broken

because he's

the one

that bound

himself to

us in

love,

enduring our

sufferings,

conquering our

enemies,

and achieving

our victory

to bring us

to God,

right?

That's why he

did it,

to bring us

to God,

to keep us

near him,

connected to

him.

And where

is that?

Where is he

that we've been

brought to with

him?

Where's God,

kids?

He's in

heaven.

That's where it

says Jesus is.

He's in heaven

at the right

hand of God,

reigning over

all powers

and authorities.

Think of it.

If only for

this life

we have hope

in Christ,

we are to be

pitied.

But no,

that's not it.

Our hope's not

just for this

life.

There's a

life to

come.

A hope

that we have

that is for

a life

eternal,

a hope that's

not in

ourselves,

but is in

him.

Listen,

one day,

all of those

warring against

you right now

will be

defeated.

One day,

we will

taunt

death as

we talked

about at

Easter.

You can't

hurt me.

You can't

bring me to

tears with

your stings.

You are

defeated

forever.

We'll say

that one

day.

And we

will reign.

We will

be more

than conquerors,

right?

Through him

who loved

us.

Because

nothing,

no powers,

no suffering,

nothing in

heaven or

earth can

separate you

from the

love of God

in Christ

Jesus,

your Lord.

Oh,

Jesus,

that's our

hope.

don't let

our hearts

waver

and wander

to look for

victory

anywhere else.

Just as

much though,

Jesus,

don't let our

hearts waver

and wonder

if we have

any hope

anymore.

our suffering

can be so

overwhelming

at times,

Lord.

Our world

can be so

disheartening.

Our weakness

can be so

discouraging.

But greater

is he that is

in us.

Jesus,

you are in

us by

your spirit.

Praise you.

so no one

can keep us

from God.

Nothing can

separate us

from his

love.

Thank you,

Jesus.

No one

can snatch

us out

of our

Father's

hand.

May we

find our

hope in

you today

and forever.

Amen.

Amen.

For more

information,

visit us

online at

southwood.org.