CHRIST’S VICTORY IN OUR SUFFERING

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on January 23, 2019 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: January 23, 2019 from 1 Peter 3:17-22

Theme: Jesus’ victory in suffering for us assures us of our own victory when suffering for Him.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

In this fallen world, you and I cannot choose whether or not we will experience suffering. Suffering is inevitable for those who are in Christ. But what we can choose is the reason for the suffering that we experience. As the apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:17;

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil (1 Peter 3:17).

When the circumstances of life press a decision upon us, we can either choose to do what is wrong and suffer the long-term consequences and regrets of a disobedient path, or we can choose to follow Christ in the path of righteousness and suffer briefly the hostility and persecution of an unbelieving world. And Peter affirms to us in verse 17 that, in those cases in which—in accord with the will of God—we must make that choice, it is a far better choice to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Why is this so? In verses 18-22, Peter explains how what he says in verse 17 can be true that it is always better to suffer for righteousness in Christ:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him (vv. 18-22).

Peter wrote these words to believers who were suffering persecution for their faith. And they are meant to prove to us that it is always better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. In fact, in Christ, it is never a defeat to suffer for His sake. It is always a glorious victory. This is because, as Peter shows us, the victory that Jesus brought about by His suffering for us establishes the victory of our own suffering for Him!

* * * * * * * * * * *

What are the victorious things Jesus brought about in suffering for us? First, notice that …

1. HE BROUGHT ABOUT OUR RECONCILIATION TO GOD (v. 18a).

Peter shows us that it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God …” (v. 18a).

First, notice how Peter tells us what Jesus did. Jesus suffered—or as some translations have it, Jesus “died”—”once for sins”. It should be a wonderful thing to us, who suffer in this fallen world, to know that our precious Lord also “suffered”. That fact alone should comfort us. When we come to Jesus in our times of suffering, we can know that He perfectly ‘gets it’. He knows all about suffering. But more than that, His suffering was “once”—that is, He suffered “once for all” in His suffering for our sin. As He Himself declared from the cross as He died, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Nothing more is needed for our salvation. His death has paid it all.

Second, notice how he tells us why Jesus did this. He says that Jesus suffered as “the just for the unjust”. That is, He took the guilt of our sins on Himself and paid the death penalty on our behalf. As Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 5:21; “… He [that is God the Father] made Him who knew no sin [that is His Son, our Lord Jesus] to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

And third, notice what the result is of what Jesus did. Peter tells us that Jesus did this for us “that He might bring us to God”—that is, to reconcile us to Him. Because of what Jesus has suffered for us, the barrier of our sin before a holy God is removed, and we are now free to enter into a full relationship of love with Him. When we place our faith in what Jesus has suffered for us, God the Father declares us to be 100% righteous in His sight. We are fully reconciled to Him. As Paul wrote in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ …”

And these three things establish for us the absolute victory that is ours whenever we suffer persecution and shame for following Jesus and walking in righteousness with Him. We may have to, at times, suffer being mocked, or ridiculed, or laughed at, or lied about, or spoken of as evildoers. We may even be treated unjustly, or threatened, or actually physically harmed. But what, ultimately, does it matter what we suffer from the hands of men if we are already fully reconciled to God? If Jesus has completely reconciled us to the Judge of all the earth, then we have nothing ultimately to fear from anyone else! What victory!

Next, we see that we are victorious in our suffering because, by His suffering …

2. HE HAS DECLARED JUDGMENT UPON THE ENEMY (vv. 18b-20a).

Peter next says that Jesus suffered for us, “being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah …” (vv. 18b-20a).

First, Peter tells us that Jesus underwent both death and resurrection for us, “being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit”. His was a true, physical death for us. But He was also made alive three days later. This was done by the Holy Spirit (see Romans 1:4). And Peter tells us that between His death and resurrection, Jesus preached. It was by the same Holy Spirit that raised our Lord that He also “went and preached to the spirits in prison”. And in His preaching, Jesus declared His victory over the forces of the devil.

To understand this, we need to consider Peter’s words in the light of a few other passages. In 2 Peter 2:4 for example—in the context of the story of Noah and the judgment of the flood that God brought upon the earth long ago—we’re told that “God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment”. These, we’re told, were imprisoned spirits “who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah”. Way back in Genesis 6, we’re told;

Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:1-3).

And in Jude 6, we’re told that “the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day …”

What is all of this about? It seems that these fallen angels—evil spirits who are under the service of the devil—interacted with “the daughters of men” in such a way as to somehow corrupt and contaminate the human race. They tried to create a hybrid-humanity; a corrupted form of the fallen race born from Adam and Eve. Knowing that it was God’s plan to send His Son centuries later to be conceived and born into the human family—born as the Seed of the woman—and to redeem fallen humanity through this promised Seed, these angelic beings sought to corrupt the human race before that could ever happen by intermingling with the race and defiling the very nature of humanity itself. It was a crime so dreadful that it made it necessary for God to destroy all of corrupted humanity and to save only the family of Noah in the ark.

The devil’s plan failed. He could not now prevent the promised Redeemer from coming. The Son of God was born into humanity from out of the family of Noah, and lived a righteous life, and died on the cross, and purchased our redemption for us. And between His death and resurrection, Jesus—our Redeemer—went to those imprisoned spirits and proclaimed both His glorious victory and their sure and certain judgment. As it says in 1 John 3:8; “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

This, then, is yet another glorious way that our Lord’s suffering has brought about victory for us! As a result of His death on the cross, He has declared judgment upon the forces of the enemy! He went to their prisons, showed Himself to them, and declared their defeat!

This leads us to yet another way Jesus’ death has brought about victory for us; and that is that …

3. HE PROVIDED THE GUARANTEE OF OUR SALVATION (vv. 20b-21).

Peter wrote of how “the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah”; and went on to say that this was “while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ …” (vv. 20b-21)

First, note the picture. Peter here tells us that the water of the ancient flood was a picture of something else—a “type” (or symbolic representation) of something greater that was the “antitype”. That greater ‘something’ is what saves us. That something is baptism. But Peter not talking about the ceremony of baptism that occurs in a church. The mere ceremony of baptism cannot save anyone. Peter says that the baptism he’s speaking of is, “not the removal of the filth of the flesh”; but rather “the answer of a good conscience toward God”; which the ceremony of baptism merely represents. Peter is speaking of the spiritual ‘baptism’ by which the Holy Spirit fully unites us to, and identifies us with, the death and burial and resurrection of Jesus.

Second, note the salvation shown us in that picture. Think of it! The very thing that was the judgment of sin—that is, the cross—is also the very thing that saves us. That is pictured to us in the flood of the Old Testament. Only eight people were saved—only those who obeyed God and entered into the ark. And do you notice that Peter says they were “saved through water”? The very water that brought horrible judgment upon the world was also the very thing that lifted those eight people from the destruction—while they were safely in the ark—and carried them along to salvation. Just as the floodwaters of judgment for sin also saved those who believed, so also the cross on which God poured out His judgment saves those who believe on the Christ who Himself bore that judgment for us!

And third, note the security of that salvation. If you and I are fully identified with Christ—baptized into Him—then we are safe from the judgment of God for sin. The ultimate proof of this is our Lord’s resurrection. The resurrection is the guarantee of our salvation through our identification with Christ—who, as the Bible tells us, “was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25).

No matter what we may suffer for Jesus Christ in this world, we can rejoice in the knowledge that we have been ‘baptized’ into the resurrection of Christ, and are certain to be raised with Him in glory. What victory!

Finally, Peter sets before his suffering brothers and sisters one more reason to rejoice in the victory Jesus brought about for them in His suffering; and that is that …

4. HE NOW HOLDS SUPREMACY OVER ALL AUTHORITY (v. 22).

After telling us of how Jesus, by His suffering for us, has brought about our reconciliation to God, has declared judgment upon the forces of the enemy, and has provided the guarantee of our salvation, he now adds that Jesus, “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him” (v. 22).

Note what position of authority Jesus now holds. To say that Jesus is in heaven “at the right hand of God” is to say that Jesus now holds the place of primacy over all. He is supreme. As Paul puts it in Philippians 2:9-11;

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

And note what Jesus’ position of authority now means for us. It means that, when someone insults us for our devotion to Christ, or speaks badly of us, or does evil to us, or treats us unjustly, it cannot be anything else but that they are—unwittingly—serving the sovereign will of the supreme Lord Jesus, who brings about His glory through all things. If angels are now made subject to Him, and authorities in the spiritual realms, and powers in high places, then so also are all people, and all governments, and all human institutions or movements among men that seek to harass and harm His people. They are merely His puppets that do His sovereign bidding. He even brings about His own purposes through their rebellion. He will cause all those who speak against His people to one day be ashamed (1 Peter 3:16). He will bring about the glory for His people even through their suffering! What victory!

* * * * * * * * * * *

You and I should never be surprised when we’re called upon to suffer for the Lord Jesus. It should be expected. As Peter says in 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”

But we should also put that suffering in perspective, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Peter here shows us why it is infinitely, victoriously better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. It is all because of what Jesus has done victoriously for us.

EA