Christ Suffered for Us

As a church, we are committed to expositional preaching. That means that Keith or myself, when we come into the pulpit every week, our desire is to make the point of the text the point of the sermon. Usually, that means we're preaching through books of the Bible verse by verse, chunk by chunk, however we divide it up, just moving systematically through God's word. So, this morning we come to a text about baptism, not because I went through the Bible to pick a text on baptism. As we looked at Keith's vacation schedule, looked at my schedule preaching through 1 Peter, it sort of aligned that this was the Sunday that I was going to be preaching this text and it worked out to do baptisms today. And so, God providentially has provided us a text on baptism on a Sunday which we're doing baptisms. Normally, for me, this method of preaching is quite freeing. I'm not depending upon my own creativity every week to come up with something to say and then search the Bible to find something that supports what I wanted to say. The text sets the sermon schedule, and my goal as a preacher is to be faithful just in communicating what the text has to say. Now, I said usually very intentionally, because sometimes that style of preaching requires us to deal with a text that we might not otherwise deal with. And this morning's text is one such text. Now, I knew that this was going to be coming this week, and I did a lot more reading that I than I would normally do in preparation for a sermon. And I thank those of you who prayed for me specifically this week, who pray every week for the preaching of God's word. And I feel like as a result of that, I've I've arrived at a very solid understanding of the text interpretation that I'm going to present this morning. But more than that, in the process of study, I've just been more and more convinced and grateful of the sufficiency and the clarity of God's word. I believe that God in his providence has once again provided a message for this body that is timely. And I trust that God will use his word this week as he does every week to accomplish his purposes in us and through us. So we're going to continue this morning our study through First Peter, page 1016 of your few Bibles, if you want to turn there. If you don't have a Bible at home, feel free to take that as our gift to you and take it home and read it. Again, we're continuing a study through First Peter. We've been in this for several weeks now, actually over the course of nearly two years, but I preach occasionally. And so when I do, we just jump back into First Peter. Last week's text, we heard a very challenging call from First Peter about Christians suffering, living like God in this world, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the contrary, blessing, being willing to suffer even for righteousness. And so this morning's text is continuing in that thought. And what I hope for us to see this morning is that Jesus suffered to end suffering. Jesus suffered to end suffering. So let's read the text together, first Peter three verses 18 to 22. 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 patients waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons were brought safely through the 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. Amen. Amen. Because this is a complicated text, I want to give you my outline up front. I actually think the structure of the text is very clear. Just what it means is difficult. So the structure is this verse point one, the suffering of Christ, second, the suffering of Noah, third, the suffering of baptism and for the end of suffering. So the suffering of Christ, the suffering of Noah, the suffering of baptism and the end of suffering. So let's look first at verse 18, the suffering of Christ. We see here that Jesus' suffering is the basis for our suffering. Jesus suffered for us. Now, we heard some very similar language in chapter two. There, Peter's emphasis was different. He talked about how Jesus suffered unjust treatment, calling slaves to follow suit and follow Jesus' example and be willing to suffer unrighteous treatment. This morning, the focus is shifting from what Jesus did as an example to what he did as a substitute. So to be clear this morning, just right out of the gate, Jesus' suffering is referring to his crucifixion. In some sense, Jesus' whole life was characterized by a form of suffering. He left the glory of heaven, came to earth to take on the limitations and frailty of human flesh. He lived a life of sacrifice, had no place to lay his head. gave himself meeting physical needs and spiritual needs. But as we've seen throughout the Gospel of John, his suffering refers to his hour, the time when he's going to the cross, where he is condemned by God and executed as a criminal. The theological significance behind the cross is massive. Jesus, the son of God, is abandoned by the father. He is forsaken by God and he is left to die the death of a sinner. That's that's what we're talking about when we're thinking about Jesus's suffering. So as we walk through this verse, I want us to think about each phrase that Peter uses to describe what's taking place. So Jesus suffers for sin. And this phrase is a specific phrase that refers back to the sin offering that we see in the Old Testament, in the book of Leviticus. The sin offering was a response to an individual's sin. As we might think, when that person broke some aspect of God's law and the emphasis of the sin law, the sin offering was the person's impurity, his uncleanness before God. And so so the sin offering is about God's holiness, about his perfection and the fact that sinful people cannot have a relationship with a holy God. And so that sacrifice pointed to the annual sacrifice, the Day of Atonement, when once a year the high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and he would sprinkle the blood of a goat to purify the place where God's presence came down and was revealed among his people. And then he would take another goat. The priest would place his hands on the head of that goat and confess the sins of the people. And then they would drive him away into the wilderness. Never to be seen or heard from again, bearing the sins of the people, taking them away. And so we see there both the need to be purified of our sins in order for God's presence to be manifested with us, but also the sin has to be removed from us. God's people cannot exist in a relationship with God without being purified and having their sins removed. But the writer of Hebrews points out the problem with this system. That those sacrifices don't actually take away sin. And so that's why they had to be offered year after year after year and day after day after day, they cannot actually cleanse God's people. And the same thing is true with the priests. They, before they could go in, had to offer sacrifices for their own sins, and then for the sins of their family, and then they could intercede on behalf of the people. They cannot actually cleanse God's people. But, brothers and sisters, Jesus can. Jesus can cleanse God's people. Jesus actually takes away our sin. He actually makes us pure before God. And so that's why Peter goes on to say that his sacrifice is once. So in contrast, all those daily and annual sacrifices under the old covenant, Jesus made one sacrifice. He gave up his blood in one single event. His sacrifice was unique. It was definitive. It was distinctive like no other sacrifice that has ever been or can ever be made. The system is over. His work is finished. Jesus' work is effective because he suffered as the righteous for the unrighteous. Just like the bulls and the rams and the goats that pointed forward to him, so he too was perfect, spotless, without a blemish. He was clean. He was faultless. He had no sin. He wasn't there to bear his own sins. He had none of his own to bear. And so he was perfectly innocent. So Jesus suffered for righteousness in a way that no one else ever could. He lived a life of perfect obedience to God, and because of that, his death made peace between God and man. His death was a substitution. He took our place before God to provide the righteousness we owed God and to take away the sin, to take the punishment that our sin deserved. At the last phrase there, we see the purpose of Jesus's work, that he might bring us to God. The result of Jesus's suffering is that sinners are actually reconciled to God. On the cross of Jesus, we see the consequences that our sin deserves. Each one of us as individuals deserves to be forsaken by God, to suffer God's wrath against our sin. But because Jesus has suffered in our place, he takes God's wrath away. He offers his perfect obedience on our behalf so that God can no longer see us in our sin, but see us clothed in Jesus's righteousness. And just like the goat that was driven out into the wilderness, never to be seen or heard from again. So our sin through Christ is completely removed from us. The result is that we can actually approach God without fear. Jesus, as the God-man, is the only one who can span the gap that separates us and God. As infinite God, only he could bear the eternal wrath of God against finite sinners. And as man, he could represent us before God. He could come with his perfect life on behalf of all men. And by his suffering, that's exactly what he's done. He alone has access to God. But through him, he offers that access to us. And actually ushers us into the presence of God. Peter says that Jesus was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. I think it's actually easier to understand those two phrases if we say it this way, he was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the spirit that is by the Holy Spirit. The normal grammatical preference would be to take those phrases as parallel unless there's a good reason to do so. But I think this is a good reason to do so. He was put to death in the realm of the flesh, but he was so he actually died a physical, real death. But he was made alive by the agency of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was God's instrument to raise Christ from the dead. We see a similar confession in First Timothy three. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit. The same words would be used in this text as well. In Romans 8, verse 11, it confirms that God raised Jesus from the dead through the Spirit, and the Spirit in us is the basis of the hope of our own resurrection. So what I want us to see here, though, is He was put to death in the flesh, made alive by the Spirit. That's referring to Jesus's resurrection. And the resurrection is the key event in this passage in the resurrection. God, the father, shows that he has accepted the work of God, the son. He shows that the penalty for sin has been paid in full, that the son is completely righteous before God. Through the resurrection, as Peter said in chapter one, we have been born again, we have new life in him. Through that new life, we are changed into new creatures that are oriented towards God that worship him. Spiritually, we were dead, but God has made us alive in Christ. Once we were living in rebellion against God as his enemies, but through Christ, we have been set free to live in loving communion with God. So a few points of application here, thinking about what Christ's sacrifice has done for us. Christian. Understand this morning. Verse 18, very early into the sermon, understand now that your sin is God. Jesus has accomplished what no one else, no sacrifice, nothing else could ever do. He has removed your sin. Just like that scapegoat that was driven out into the wilderness, so Jesus has taken away the sins of the people never to be seen, never to be heard from again. Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to feel the weight of that this morning. Because many of you come here week after week, Sunday after Sunday, burdened, guilty, aware of your sin, aware of your past failings, aware of the things you've done this week, even this morning. You feel distant from God, you feel alone. You need to hear this morning that if you are in Christ, your sin is gone. In Micah, it says that God cast our sin into the depths of the sea, never to be brought up, never to be rediscovered, gone forever. So, brothers and sisters, don't come here this morning more aware of your sin than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Listen to the words that we sang this morning. Christ is risen from the dead, trampling over death by death. So wake up. Wake up and join the chorus that sings, oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, hell, where is your victory? Church, stand in the light. God is not dead. He is alive. You need to hear that this morning. Christian, come out of your guilt and your shame and see the love of God in Christ suffering for you. See the resurrection as the definitive evidence that God has accepted Jesus's sacrifice. Your sin is gone. Brothers and sisters rejoice. Second, understand that Jesus willingly suffered for us. Jesus came into the world for the purpose of bringing us to God. His mission from God was to come and get us. So Isaiah 53 says out of the anguish of his soul, he shall see and be satisfied by his knowledge. So the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous and he shall bear their iniquities. The author of Hebrews tells us that for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame. So the cross was not an accident, it was the eternal plan of God. In God's love, he sent the sun into the world to rescue us. The sun knew what was coming to him before he ever left the glory of heaven. He looked down into his suffering. He knew he was going to bear the wrath of God. And he saw through that something that was worth it for him, something that made it all worthwhile. And what was that? It was us. It was his people, you and me. The joy set before Christ was his union with us. It satisfied him to think that he would make us righteous. And so, Christian, as you come out of your guilt and your shame this morning, remember that you are coming to the one who loved you before the foundation of the world, despite your past, despite your present, despite your future sin. So stop trying to hide from him in guilt and shame and go to him for free grace. Jesus is eager to give it. The third thing we should see this morning is we actually have access to God. Now, this is the same God that we've been hearing about, the same God that required the sprinkling of blood, that required the careful obedience to the law, that required all those prescriptions, the purifying of the tabernacle, the same God who crushed his son in holy wrath against sin, the same God is the God that we are in relationship with. So as we remember how much God delights in us, we remember how much he wants to be with us. We also need to remember that it is sin that keeps us from God. And so God has not saved us from our sin in order that we can continue to live in and enjoy sin. That's why he gives us marriage as a picture of our relationship with him. Turning back to our sin is like committing adultery against God. So all of the talk about our freedom from sin, as true and glorious and essential as that doctrine is, should cause us to hate sin more and to turn away from it more. Christians cannot be comfortable in sin because it keeps us from God. So to be a Christian is to love God more than we love sin. The last thing we should see here is that God calls us to enjoy his grace, all the things that I've been saying, and to reflect his beauty to the world. So we've been seeing this throughout the book of Peter, that we've been born again to a living hope, and that causes us to live differently in this world. We reflect God's character. We avoid sin, but we also seek to make God known. And so in our new life, God calls us and equips us with everything we need to live in a way that proclaims his glory, that makes his excellencies known to the world, that fuels us by the gospel to live lives of forgiveness and extending grace and mercy to those who don't deserve it. If you're here this morning and you're not a Christian, we're glad that you're here. We welcome you to our fellowship, but we want you to know that none of the promises, none of the blessings that I'm talking about now apply to you. If you have not personally come to Jesus Christ to turn away from your sin and depend upon him in faith, then you're on the outside of these promises looking in. You are still in your sin, and as a result, you are still under the wrath of God. And so you are cut off from God. You cannot work your way out of it. You cannot flee from him. You are condemned. But the good news this morning is that all the blessings that I'm talking about, everything that I've said is available to you freely. You are guilty in your sin. But through Jesus, you can be freed from your guilt. You are an enemy of God, but you can receive the love of God. You must turn from your sin and trust Jesus as Lord. Put your faith in him and if you want to talk some more more about that We'd love to talk to you about that after the service Second thing we want to see this morning is the suffering of Noah versus 19 and 20. Let me read this again 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. The part you've all been waiting for. I think what we see in this section is that Noah's suffering is an example of the suffering that we should endure. So Noah suffers as an example for us. This is arguably one of the most difficult texts in all of scripture. There are grammar and syntax and theology issues that all sort of cloud the text a little bit to make it unclear and confusing. It's not precise exactly what Peter means here. If you know anything about church history, you'll appreciate this quote from Luther. A wonderful text, this is and a more obscure passage, perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means. So Martin Luther. read this and said, I don't know what it means to just show grace this morning. This text gives us, I think, several questions we should ask to try to make sense of it. Where did Jesus go? When did he go? To whom did he speak? What did he say? None of these things are crystal clear just from a plain reading of the text. One of the commentaries I've ventured that there are as many as 180 different possibilities, different decisions that have to be made that would result in different interpretations. For sake of time this morning, I just want to outline the top 25. We've actually already ruled out a number of options because of what I think is a very clear and necessary interpretation of verse 18. when he was put to death in the flesh made alive by the spirit because I think those phrases have to mean the death and resurrection of Jesus. We can sort of rule out anything that's happening in between that period. I don't think that's at all what Peter is talking about. That's one of the reasons when we read some of the confessions we don't usually confess as a church. He descended into hell. There are a lot of historical reasons why I think a better trend that that phrase was actually used to mean the same thing as he was dead. He was buried. It was the same thing that he descended into the realm of the dead. But beyond the historical reasons, I think the main question we have to ask is, is there any biblical evidence that that's what Jesus did in the in-between state? I don't think this text certainly gives us warrant for that. I think other texts in the New Testament seem to indicate that when God's people die, they go to be with him. So Jesus tells the thief on the cross today. Today, you will be with me in paradise. Jesus commits his spirit to the father after pronouncing on his sufferings, it is finished. Now, it can be confusing because we don't want it. We're not talking about heaven and hell, which are the places of final the final destination for the faithful and the the reprobate that that God consigns us to an eternal state. That is a something that has to happen in the future, something that has not yet happened. So we're not talking about heaven or hell, but it does seem like that that even now, when the faithful die, they die. They are disembodied spirits, but they go to be with God. And they wait to be reunited with their bodies in the new heaven, in the new earth when they're remade. And so nothing in our in our theology, I don't think, depends upon Jesus doing something in the intervening period between his death and resurrection. So when we come to this text, I think it essentially comes down to two options, and there are people that I respect on both sides of the issue. I'm going to give one and tell you what issues I have with it and then give you the other the way I would interpret this text. So one option would be to take this to refer to something that happened after the resurrection. So what Peter would be describing here is a sequence of events. First, he was put to death, then he was made alive, and then he went. So because of the connection with verse 22, the use of the same verb for he went and he going that same verb there that she's in 22. So who has gone into heaven, who has gone, has gone is the same word as went. And so there's a reason to think he may be referring to the same thing. And so Jesus is going then is referring to his ascension. In his ascension, he's preaching or proclaiming, declaring something. Now, the spirits to whom he's preaching could be human or angelic. It's not clear that those words can be used for both. According to this view, though, they're normally rebellious angels or what we call demons. They are. Well, we see clearly in 2 Peter 2 and in Jude 6 that the Bible does talk about angels who are imprisoned, who are in chains. And so that's something we have biblical evidence for this position. 2 Peter 2 also refers to Noah, which we'll get back to. And this view understands, interprets Genesis 6 to be a time when, at the beginning of Genesis 6, that angels look down from heaven, see human beings see women particularly are attracted to them and then come and they have relations with women and they create this race of human beings that are kind of superhuman. But the result is that humanity is only more corrupted. And then that's what ultimately results in the fall and the flood. Sorry, not the fall, but the flood and God's judgment coming upon humanity in the flood. And so that's that's the interpretation of Genesis six. And so the idea is that in response to that angelic rebellion, God has sentenced them into prison and they now await his judgment. And so Jesus in his death and resurrection and ascension then is declaring God's ultimate victory over them. It shows that God has vindicated his people. It shows that he's dealt the final blow to the serpent and that the rebellion that the serpents led against God is over. Now, To be honest, I love where that position lands. So I affirm that conclusion. I think that the resurrection and ascension are doing that. I think it's perfectly in line with what Peter says in verse 22. And it makes the transition of the word went very simple. He he was put to death. He was raised and he went. But ultimately, though, I think there are a couple of problems with this position. It doesn't really account for the story of Noah. So the Bible puts all of the blame for what's happening in Genesis 6 on mankind, on human beings. It's people and not angels who sinned and are judged in the flood. And moreover, when we talk about God's patience in the Bible, his patience is always referring to his waiting for human beings to repent, his mercy showing and not judging them immediately, but waiting, letting them have time to repent. Never described that way about angels. And even more, I'm really not sure that that's how we should interpret Genesis 6. I think there are other explanations of that text that actually make better sense of the narrative. And I think the possibility of spiritual angels having physical relationships with physical human beings is just confusing and doesn't really square with the biblical picture of those things. So I don't think that's a justified interpretation of Genesis 6. That comes from some Jewish historical writings between the Old and New Testaments that are not only not inspired, but also inconsistent in their theology and their acceptance among various communities of Jews. So that's an issue. And then further, Peter's not even writing to Jews. He's writing to Gentiles. So it's not clear what they would have known about these Jewish writings. So, in addition to the biblical problem, there's also historical problems of knowing who knew what and all of that. But here's the issue with this position. It's difficult to see how Peter's readers would have taken comfort and encouragement from these words. So, according to this position, what Peter is essentially saying is some demons long ago who sinned were condemned. So that's that would be the pronouncement. That's the thing he's saying in the text. And then this interpretation means that his readers would then reason from that the following other demons are at work in my human persecutors. Those demons will be condemned like the demons of Noah's time. Therefore, the people who are persecuting me will also be judged for their sin. Therefore, I should not live in fear of them. I should trust God. You see how that's a lot of things to assume that they would understand by just writing the simple phrase, the demons who sinned long ago are condemned. So I don't think that's the best way to understand this text. The interpretation, I think, is this, is that what Peter is describing here is something that happened, something else that Jesus did by the Spirit a long time ago. He went from heaven to earth and preached through Noah. And through Noah, he spoke to human beings. when they disobeyed and then were judged by the flood. And because of that, because they disobeyed, their spirits are now in prison. Their bodies were destroyed in the flood. Their spirits are in prison waiting until final judgment. And this message that Christ preached through Noah was one of warning, calling them to repentance, calling them to turn away before God's judgment came upon the earth. So I think that interpretation better accounts for the reference to Noah. So we see that in 2 Peter 2, Peter describes Noah as a herald of righteousness and the word herald in 2 Peter is the same word that's used for declared or preached here. Hebrews 11 says that that through by faith, Noah condemned the world in constructing the ark, he condemned the world. And even though Noah is not specifically named as a prophet, the view here that I'm talking about is consistent with first Peter, first Peter of chapter one, verse 11, that says the spirit of Christ was working through the prophets, indicating his sufferings and coming glories. And so we see a consistency there, the spirit being at work in the Old Testament here being another reference to that, the spirit of Christ preaching through Noah. So that avoids all of the confusion about Genesis six, and it doesn't rely on an assumed knowledge of Jewish literature. Now, the challenge to this position is the word went, so it doesn't have that sequence that the first position has, but I think Peter had to add clarification because Jesus wasn't preaching from heaven onto earth. He actually went and through Noah was preaching. And so, yeah, there's more I could say, but that's a lot of information. Obviously, neither one of these are airtight or else we wouldn't be having these fun discussions. But that's my take. I think Peter is referring to Jesus preaching through Noah to unrighteous human beings while the Ark was being built. Now, all of that information to say, why is Peter talking about that? What does this have to do with what he's saying? And I think it's actually a lot. Peter is addressing suffering Christians. He's encouraging them to persevere, to give an answer for the hope that's in them, to not return evil for evil, but to bless. Last week, we heard him reminding them that those who reviled them will be put to shame, and he was encouraging Christians to suffer for good according to God's will rather than evil. So let's think back to. what's happening in the Noah story, because I think so often we start talking about Noah, we start thinking about Sunday school and it sort of clouds our memory. We think of Noah as the biblical zookeeper. He's the one who built the boat and he gathered all the animals two by two, and they all spent some time on the water until the land came back and then they went and there's rainbows and it's a happy time. And we sing this to our children before bed. But beloved, let's remember that the time of Noah was the closest to final judgment that this world has ever come. God wiped the slate almost completely clean. The flood was catastrophic destruction of the entire earth. Every animal that was not on the ark died. Every man and woman and boy and girl on the earth died. was drowned by God in judgment. This world was once so evil and so hostile to God that God came in judgment and saved a total of eight people. Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives and everything else was destroyed. So we look to the flood and we see it teaches us about God's holiness and his judgment. But I think maybe better than any other story in the Bible, it illustrates God's ability to preserve his people. The earth had never seen rain, and yet God tells Noah to build a boat because I'm going to flood the earth and this is the only way to survive. So we think about other references to God's judgment, you have Israel being fleeing from Egypt, crossing over the Red Sea, God causing the sea to come down on Egypt and destroy them. But that only refers to two nations. You have Sodom and Gomorrah and God rescuing righteous lot while he destroyed the city. But again, that's a localized event. There's nothing else in the Bible that compares to the ratio that's presented in the flood. Eight people saved, everything else destroyed. So we see in the flood the example of Noah, a righteous minority surrounded by a world of hostile unbelievers, knowing that God's judgment is coming, witnessing boldly, warning of God's coming judgment. Living in the fear of God, but according to the folly of the world, he's building an ark. It's never rained and never seen that much water. Noah is building a boat to survive a massive flood, and ultimately he's saved by God. So now we can start to see the connection between Noah and Peter's audience. See, they, too, were a religious few struggling in a world that was hostile to their faith. They know that God's judgment is coming, but they're being called to witness boldly in the face of hostility. And ultimately, God is promising that their salvation is secure, that he will save them. So Noah serves for us. as a model of Christian suffering, because his faithfulness to God is demonstrated through his difficult trial. So Peter is using Noah to remind his readers and us that God will keep us through our trials. No matter what we're facing, God will save us. Even more, Christ was at work in Noah, the same Christ was at work at Noah, just as he is in us. And so the call for the readers, the call for us is to persevere in our suffering, knowing that God has always and will always bring his people safely through. So, Christian, you're here this morning, I wonder what trials are before you today. Where is it that being faithful to Christ, being loyal to him in the midst of hostility, where does that seem impossible? I want you to hear in this text the promise that God will keep you. You don't need to look to the world for security or hope or identity today. We have everything we need in Jesus Christ. We have a perfect inheritance kept by God and nothing can touch it. We have the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ to assure us that God has accepted his sacrifice and he will absolutely complete the work that he's begun in saving us. Nothing can stop him. So look to God this morning. Look to Christ. Come to him with your burdens and entrust them to him. He is faithful. He will do it. Third, we see the suffering of baptism. So we see in baptism, our commitment to suffer for Jesus Christ. Let's read verse 21 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. So Peter says that baptism corresponds to this. The story of Noah is a type. It's a picture in the Old Testament that looks forward to something that is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. And we could have said the same things about the sacrificial system I was talking about. All those sacrifices look forward to the work that Jesus has done. And so the question is, how does baptism correspond to the ark in the flood? Noah's commitment to God was demonstrated by his construction of the ark. God used the ark to deliver Noah and his family through the waters of God's judgment. It says that they were brought safely, literally, they were saved through water. So in other words, Noah's salvation was brought about by the same act of God's judgment that destroyed the wicked. So the floodwaters, as they were the instrument of God's judgment upon the earth, so they were the instrument of God's salvation of Noah. God rescues the righteous by destroying the wicked. The judgment upon the earth also served as a cleansing from sin, so that Noah and his family, when they got out of the ark, entered into a new world that had been remade, that had been renewed and purified and cleansed. The key idea that we see in this verse is that baptism saves through Jesus's resurrection from the dead. So we're going to just put parentheses around the phrases, not as a removal of dirt, but an appeal to God. We're going to come back to that in a minute. We need to think about what baptism represents. Baptism is a picture of the reality that God delivers his people from judgment. This is why Peter says that it now saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, as I said earlier, the resurrection is the confirmation that God accepted Jesus's sacrifice. It's the basis for our faith and our hope in this life. So let's think about what baptism is. And I say that realizing a lot of you don't come from a Baptist background. And so when we think about baptism, we think about both the subjects and the mode of baptism. That is who should be baptized and how should that person be baptized? We'll deal with the who in a minute. But think about what this text is saying that baptism is and how it should be performed. The word baptized literally means to duck. OK, so what what Peter is saying when he when he says not the removal of dirt from the flesh, he's saying it's not the physical act of getting wet. Now, I don't know about you, but when I have dirt on my flesh, what I want to do is immerse that piece of flesh in water. I don't just sprinkle a little bit of water on it. I immerse it. I want it flooded with water to be cleansed. And so this is what baptism is. It is the physical immersing of someone in water and raising that person back up. And we baptized by immersion because of the picture that we have in this text. It's a picture of the flood of God's judgment. Believers are plunged underneath the water in a way that would result in death apart from intervention. To be submerged into water is to die. Water represents destruction and going down into the water is a picture of us going down into the grave. It shows the death that our sin deserves. And that's why we lay the person down into the water. But then we raise the person up, it shows that believers are saved from destruction because we are baptized with Christ and we are united with him because Jesus has already passed through the waters of death and judgment. And through his resurrection, we are united with him in that Jesus has triumphed over death. And we are saved because we are united with him. He's already inaugurated the new covenant age. We are brought up to show that God keeps us through his judgment. We have died and been made alive in Christ. We have passed through the judgment unharmed. And so as we think about baptism, it represents our union with Christ, our being united with him. So Galatians 327, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. It means that we have a new identity in him. We are adopted into God's family. All the blessings of our salvation flow to us because of our being united with Christ. Baptism represents our death to sin and life to God. So in Romans 6, he says, Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried, therefore, with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. So baptism represents our death to sin and our new life in Jesus Christ. It's an expression of the new life that begins as soon as we have faith and continues until we are glorified in Christ. Just as Jesus was put to death in the flesh, made alive by the Spirit, so too we confess our own death to the old self, life in the Spirit. It's also a picture of our future physical resurrection from the dead. So Romans 8 says, if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So it shows that we have passed through, we've been delivered through the waters of judgment. We've been brought to the other side safely. The other thing we see in baptism is the cleansing from sin. So Titus 3 says he saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. So we see it's clear from these texts that baptism represents all the blessings that have been secured to us in the resurrection. What is ultimately saving about baptism is what it represents. And so then we can go back to those phrases we put in parentheses, not as a removal of dirt from the body. So he's not referring to merely getting wet. It's not the physical act of baptism that's important. So what is important? It's the appeal to God for a good conscience. Now, the word appeal could either mean appeal as a request or it could actually mean a pledge. So as an appeal, it would mean with my baptism, I request a clean conscience from God. Or as a pledge, it would mean with my baptism, I promise to maintain a good conscience before God. And because of that, I think it's actually better to be understood as a pledge. So if we think about what baptism is, it's the response of someone who has had a saving encounter with Jesus Christ. And so we baptize someone when that person comes to understand his or her own sin in a personal way, comes to see that because of sin, he is under God's judgment. The person goes to Jesus in confession and repentance and faith. And then in baptism, we publicly identify ourselves with Christ and his church. It's our declaration to the world. We have been purchased by Christ. We've been forgiven. We've been accepted by him and are his forever. In baptism, we declare our intent to follow Christ, and that's why I think it's better understood as a pledge. It's not a statement of of workspace righteousness. It's the confirmation that we've agreed to live in him and for him. In the introduction of the letter, Peter says that we were chosen for the obedience to Jesus Christ and the sprinkling with his blood. And that's an image that goes back to the covenant with Israel in Exodus 24. They confess all that the Lord has spoken. We will do and we will be obedient. And so in baptism, we confess to live in obedience to God. In just a few moments, I'll ask Zachary and Catherine to come up. I'll ask them something about their faith in Jesus Christ, and they'll confess that they do, in fact, have saving faith and that they intend to live in in a life of submission to him in the context of the church. So baptism becomes the sign of that pledge. It's one of continuing relationship with God that changes us. It forever calibrates our moral compass. It's how we live now in light of the realities that baptism represents. So for Peter's audience and for us, it serves as a reminder of our call to be faithful to Jesus Christ and even be willing to suffer for him. All of that said, that's why we practice believer baptism. Baptism is for those who can make that pledge or appeal, if you want to take it that way, can make that confession to God. The new covenant is made up of those who have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, who have a new heart and a new spirit, who are indwelled with the Holy Spirit, who have the law written on their hearts, who all know the Lord, whose sin is forgiven and forgotten. That comes from Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31. So this is the new covenant, and this is the requirement for entrance into the new covenant. Baptism is the sign of participation in the new covenant, the pledge to live for Christ. So, Christians, as we prepare for another baptism, I'm certainly grateful for God's work in these individuals' lives, but baptisms work for us kind of like a wedding. If you're married and you go to a wedding, you're celebrating with the people who are there, but you're also remembering your own wedding. You're remembering the time you made those vows to your spouse, and so it serves as a celebration with those people, but it also serves as a time of renewal as you think about your own marriage and recommit to your spouse. So, too, if you're a Christian, every baptism is an opportunity for you to rekindle, to reconnect with Christ, to remember the commitment that you made to him. and to resolve afresh to live in obedience to him, to remember that he is worthy of our allegiance. As I've said, everything about baptism is dependent upon Jesus's resurrection, because Jesus suffered, died and was raised, we have absolute confidence that he accomplished everything that God sent him to do. And that could be enough, right? That could have been enough. Peter could have left us there and we would have a lot to celebrate, a lot to praise God for, a lot to rejoice in this afternoon. But he leaves us with one last declaration that spurs us on to even greater confidence and hope in our suffering. So verse 22, we see the end of suffering. So 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. So Jesus is suffering and his exaltation guarantees the end of our suffering. So this verse is talking about the ascension and the exaltation of Jesus Christ. Not only is he the risen, conquering Lord that we sing about, he's also the exalted king of the universe. He's assumed his place at the right hand of God, the place of authority. And notice here that his authority is over all creation, both the things that are seen and the things that are unseen. The emphasis here is on the absolute scope of his reign, nothing in this universe is outside of the authority of Jesus Christ. This includes even the angels, even the authorities and powers, the whole spirit realm has been subjected to him. This is an action that was completed in the past with ongoing future results. It has been subjective. Jesus reigns over all angelic powers, even the hostile ones. And Peter's point in this text is that nothing, even in the unseen spiritual realm, can finally harm those who are in Christ. Even the demons are subject to Christ. They can do nothing without God's permission. Their schemes only further our dependence and hope in God if we are in Christ. Let me show you how this works. When Satan, when demons come to us with temptation. I'm just going to walk through how this passage relates to how we do spiritual warfare. Satan comes to us in temptation and he tells us sin is not a big deal. It's not a big deal. But we look to the cross. And we see there the seriousness with which God takes sin. It took the death of God's son to make us right with him. So Peter told us earlier to conduct ourselves with fear because it was nothing less than the blood of God that purchased our redemption. And so that truth counters Satan's lie. Satan tells us that God won't really judge us. But we see in Noah's example that the wrath of God will be poured out against all sin. We know that God's delay in judgment is not his slackness. It is his purposeful, hopeful waiting for all of his people to repent and come to him before he comes in judgment. Satan tells us that we must sin. But we remember in our baptism, the reality that we have died to our old self, that we've been raised to new life in Christ and that we are no longer bound to give in to the sins that once enticed us. And so Jesus's resurrection has set us free from the power of sin. And so all of this, brothers and sisters, allows us to expose Satan's lies for what they are. Christ turns Satan's temptations into tests that refine us like gold, removing our impurities, making us more holy. It works the same way with his accusations. So Satan comes to us and tells us that we're guilty. But we remember the cross, we remember that our sin has been paid for. He tells us that we're not good enough. But we look to Noah and we see that it wasn't Noah's ingenuity. It was God's intervention that saved him. When Satan tells us we're unclean, but we look to our baptism and we see the reality that Jesus has purified us from sin. If you've ever been on the receiving end of collection calls, you know how frustrating they can be. If you're in debt, You typically have two problems, at least the accusations that they're bringing against you are true and you have no means to pay your way out of them. And that's the position that we were in as sinners. So if you're if you're on the receiving end of collection calls, the wrong approach is to get on the phone and say, well, you know, I really didn't mean to get into debt or, you know, I really couldn't help it or it wasn't my fault or any of those those excuses don't matter. That doesn't get us out of debt. What gets us out of debt is payment. And Christians, what Jesus offers and has done for us is payment. So when the accusations come to us as Christians, we don't try to justify ourselves. We say confidently, you're right. You're absolutely right. I am guilty. I'm not good enough. I am unclean. But my sin was atoned for. Jesus died in my place. Jesus cleansed me. My debt is paid. And because of him, you no longer have any basis to accuse me. Brothers and sisters here, the freedom that the gospel gives you to respond to Satan's lies with the truth of what Jesus has accomplished. Even his accusations drive us to Christ, to boast in him, to rejoice in what he's done for us. Satan schemes are powerless against those who are in Christ. The message of Jesus's ascension was good news for Peter's readers, and it is good news for us today. We may suffer in this life, but like Christ, our suffering is the pathway to glory. Jesus's death was not a defeat as it appeared to be, but it was the victory over everything. And so this text assures us that our present troubles are temporary in our suffering. Jesus still reigns and rules. He has not surrendered us to the power of evil forces, even if we suffer for him unto death. Nothing that comes against us is beyond Jesus's control. Our suffering as Christians is purposeful and victorious because death is not the final word. Our victory is sure because Jesus, by his death and resurrection, has triumphed over all evil, and hence, by implication, all believers will reign together with him. To quote from one of the commentaries, This passage represents the sweeping scope of the efficacy of Christ's victory in his resurrection and ascension. So listen to this. Christianity is not a parochial religion that is or was valid for only a limited time in history or in a certain region of the world. If Peter's claim is true, that Christ's resurrection and ascension have dealt with even the primordial evil of fallen angels and uncountable prior centuries of human history, then Christ is victorious over all evil, even the most depraved for all time. This verse indicates Jesus's present universal authority, the finality of his completed work of redemption and his immeasurable worthiness to forever receive our praise. And so we saying already in Christ alone there in the ground, his body lay light of the world by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in glorious day up from the grave, he rose again. And as he stands in victory, which he stands now, brothers and sisters, in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on us. We are his and he is ours, bought with his precious blood. No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me from life's first cry. To final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand till he returns or calls me home here in the power of Christ. I stand. That's the reality that grounds Peter's benediction. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace. who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Let's pray. We praise you, Lord Jesus. As the ruler and king of everything. We confess this morning our unbelief when we fail to live as if this isn't true. Lord, impress upon us the reality of your resurrection. Empower us to live in light of all that you have accomplished for us. Grant us endurance. To persevere even through suffering, knowing that none of it is meaningless. May we trust Lord Jesus in your care this morning. May we witness boldly for your glory and may we anticipate the day when we too are raised to reign with you forever. It's in your name we pray. Amen.