I Peter 3:18-22 - The Ministry of Christ

In this short passage of five verses, we see the ministry of Christ portrayed:

1. The Sacrificial Death of Jesus Christ (vs. 18-20)
2. The Baptism of Jesus Christ (vs. 21)
3. The Exaltation of Jesus Christ (vs. 22)

The Sacrificial Death of Jesus Christ (vs. 18-20)

¹⁸ Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

¹⁹ So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— ²⁰ those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 

            Jesus, who had never sinned, gave His life on the cross for all of our sins.  He was slaughtered like the sacrificial lamb…the perfect lamb with no blemishes.  We are only set free from our guilt of sin by the death of Jesus, for God accepted the sacrifice given by His Son Hion the altar of the cross.  Only through Christ’s death are any of us forgiven of our sins, and acceptable in God’s sight.  Jesus made possible what was impossible…a way for us to enter into the heavenlies to spend eternity with God, our Father. 

            The death of Jesus on the cross is effective for all time…it does not have to be repeated.  When Jesus died, His spirit descended into hell and conquered death once for all.  He proclaimed His victory over death and His authority over demonic powers to those who had died in the flood in the days of Noah.  He came back out of that grave, proving He was all powerful, and death had no hold on Him.  Anyone believing in Him and accepting His sacrificial death are also set free from the power of the grave, the fear of eternal death.  He paved the way, He was our substitute, and He paid our ransom.  Even though He himself was not guilty, and did not deserve to die, He took our sins upon Himself.  We deserve death, but through the blood of Jesus we have been pardoned.  Praise His name!!

            The grace and mercy of God are seen in the story of the great flood.  God waited patiently for the people of Noah’s day to turn to Him and repent of their sins.  They could have escaped God’s judgment of their wickedness if they had asked forgiveness, but they chose instead to mock God’s anointed.  Noah and his family boarded the ark, believing in God’s Word that they needed to be in the ark to avoid the great rain God was going to send.  They had never heard of rain or seen it before in their life times, but they trusted God and followed His instructions.  Those eight family members were saved by believing God.  Everyone else outside the ark experienced the intensity of God’s judgment and was drowned.  This is our example of the consequences of our choices…either to believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, or to scorn His name.

            When we choose to place our faith in Jesus Christ, we not only escape the floods of hell, we also now have spiritual access to our heavenly Father, through the Holy Spirit.  We can worship Him and sing our praises to Him, and enter into intimate prayer fellowship with God during this life time.  When we gain entrance into heaven itself, we will have total access to our Father God, forever.

The Baptism of Jesus Christ (vs. 21)

²¹ And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

            The waters of the flood in Noah’s day lifted up the ark and kept everyone safe.  The waters of baptism are a symbol of our salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.  Baptism is not a rite of physical cleansing, but an act of identifying that we are one with Christ.  We believe in His sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection to new life.  We have repented of our sins and believe that we are forgiven and renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit living within us.  It is the symbol of our hearts being cleansed from the power of sin because Jesus conquered the sin problem when He conquered the power of death.  He rose to new life, and we also rise to new life in Him.  We have a clean conscience before Him.

The Exaltation of Jesus Christ (vs. 22)

²² Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

            Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  He has finished His course.  He went through death and hell, and rose triumphantly to His place of exaltation…His place of honor next to God.  His authority is complete.  The hosts of heaven all worship Him.  All powers and authorities are submissive to Jesus Christ.  As Christians, especially as Christians who may be going through a time of persecution and suffering, we can know that in the end WE WIN!!!  We shall be like Him!!  There is no power that can defeat us, and one day we too shall reign with Jesus!!  Hallelujah, Praise the Lamb!!

Personal Note:  I was looking back through some of my material on my Genesis Blog, and found a portion of a post that I would like to add to this post...a good summary of what I have written above.  This comes out of my Reflections of Genesis, Chapter 44:

One day Jesus Christ stepped forward and said to the Ruler of the universe, "Father, let me pay the price for their guilt. Let me give my life as a payment of their ransom. Let me be crucified so that they may be freed from their sins, their guilt, their bonds that hold them so tightly." Jesus willingly paid the ultimate price by being stretched out and nailed to some rugged pieces of wood in the form of a cross. The price of leadership. Would you pay it? The good news is, we do not have to. Christ paid the price once for all.

"There is a Savior, what joys express,
His eyes are mercy, His Word is rest.
For each tomorrow, for yesterday,
There is a Savior who lights our way."
(Copyright 1986 New Wings Music/Greg Nelson Music)