Christ's Descent and Our Deliverance, Part 1

Turn with me in your Bible, if you would, to 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3, verses 18 to 22. I'm going to read these verses to you. We're going to look then at three key observations and three needed interpretations. That's our outline for this evening. 1 Peter 3, verse number 18. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that he might bring us to God. Having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit in which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.

who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ar, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you. Not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven after angels and authorities and powers had been subject to him? Serm titled for this evening is Christ's Ascent and Our Deliverance.

It 's important for us to realize, number one, three key observations. In interpreting the scriptures, you must interpret it in terms of its context. If you don't, then you come up with a misinterpretation and a misrepresentation of what the Lord wants to teach us. So three key observations you will note at the very outset. In fact, if you do a lot of observation, then you have to do Little interpretation. The reason we have a hard time with interpretation is because we mess up on observation. In fact, a lot of times we just skip over observation and go right to interpretation.

But you need to observe the text. Three things you need to see. Number one, there is one paragraph. Yes, it's at the end of the chapter, chapter three, but it's In the middle of one paragraph, a paragraph that began in verse number 13 and ends in verse number 6 of chapter 4. As with most paragraphs, there is a main subject. That subject is unjust suffering. Picks up in verse number 13 of chapter 3, goes all the way down to verse number 6 of chapter 4. And the main theme of that paragraph is unjust suffering.

That leads us to point number two. Not only is there one paragraph, there is one point to the paragraph. And that is this: bl follow those who suffer for the sake of righteousness. That's the main point that Peter makes. And what he does right smack in the middle of the paragraph is use Jesus Christ. As the illustration of unjust suffering and the blessing that follows his unjust suffering through his exaltation to sit down at the right hand of God the Father. You'll notice that over in chapter 2, verses 21 down through the end of the chapter, verse number 25, he did the exact same thing.

He uses Christ as the key illustration. Christ becomes the focal point of our ministry. He becomes the focus of what we are to look for when it comes to suffering unjustly. Because no one suffered as he suffered. And so the purpose of the passage is to set forth Christ. As the supreme example that we are to follow. And because of what Christ did, now we have the opportunity to experience what He experienced. Because of his victory over sin, death, and Satan. That's the main point you need to get out of the paragraph.

Number three. There is one problem, or should I say, one per problem. Right smack in the middle, Peter throws in this illustration about the ark. And No. And then he talks about Christ des into the lower parts of the earth, descending into Hades. What is that all about? And then you have the other problem about the phrase, baptism now saves. What does that mean? And theologians have debated this for years. But if you're with us this evening and you listen carefully, there'll be no longer any debate.

You'll know the answer as to what Peter was trying to convey to these people who were suffering unjustly. In their situation, and giving them examples, helping them to understand what the Word of the Lord has for them that they might live a holy and righteous life no matter what happens to them. Those are the three key observations we must make at the outset. Point number two Three need ex or interpretations.

All right? One is centered around the death of Christ. The second is centered around the descent of Christ.

And the third is centered around the deliverance. Through Christ. You with me so far? Three key need explanations. First of all, the death of Christ.

Four things I want you to notice with me. Number one, Is the pain. Number two, the penalty. Number three, the purpose.

And number four, the position. That's where we're going when it comes around to the death of Christ. Peter says, first of all, about the pain, for Christ also died For sins.

Now, the word also takes us back to the people he's addressing who are suffering unjustly. And they are suffering tremendous pain, tremendous rejection, tremendous hostility toward them because of their faith in Jesus Christ. So Peter takes us back to the supreme example of Jesus Christ our Lord and says, for Christ also Some texts read, the King James Version reads, suffered for sins. The New American Standard reads, d for sins. Both are true. He's drawing the parallel between what is happening to them and what actually happened to Christ.

In order to help them understand that their suffering could lead them to death, as Christ's suffering led him to death. So he wants to help them understand the pain that Christ him f. Christ suffered the utmost. He suffered to the point of death. Remember what it says over in the book of Hebrews, the 12th chapter, when the writer of Hebrews puts Christ up again as the supreme example. For living a life that runs the race with endurance. Verse number two: fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.

des the shame, and is sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself. So you may not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving again sin. He says, listen, you need to be able to endure the race because none of you have striven to the point that Christ Himself Had ar to. It actually cost him his life, the shedding of blood. And so Peter picks up on that, and Peter is now saying, Let's look at the death of Christ.

And understand the pain that Christ Himself went through. He died for sins, and yet he was the one, as Peter said in verse number 22 of chapter 2, who committed. No sin. We, we sin. Christ never sinned. He's perfect. He's holy. And when we sin, we deserve to be punished. We suffer lots of consequences because of our sin. But Christ never sinned. He deserved no consequences for sin because he had no sin, but he died. For sins. That's important to understand. Christ suffered as a sinless one who bore the sins.

The world. It was Pilate who said in Luke chapter 23, verse number 4: I find no fault in this man. He never thought an evil thought. He never had an evil, bad motive. He never did anything wrong. He never said anything that was wrong. In fact, over in Peter's commentary in 1 Peter chapter 2, he talks about the fact that there was no deceit found in his mouth. There was no guile. He never reviled again. He never took matters into his own hands. That's Jesus Christ our Lord. Which leads us to point number two: the penalty.

The penalty. It says, for Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust. The penalty to one who knew no sin became sin for us. That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. That's 2 Cor 5, verse number 21. The one who is just Died for those of us who are unjust. The perfect one died for the imperfect ones. The righteous one died for the unrighteous ones. And the pain involved in that led to the penalty. The wages of sin is what? Death. Okay? The wage of sin is death. So Christ had to pay the penalty that we would face.

If we had to face the judgment of God, so he died in our stead. He became, as the Bible says, our sub.

He died once, once for all. The book of Hebrews speaks about that. Hebrews chapter 7, verse number 2. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this he did once for all when he offered up him.

He offered up him for your sins and for mine. He gave his life as a sacrifice for sins. He died in your place. He became your substitute. He paid the penalty once for all. The just. For the unjust. He became the substitute. He did what you couldn't do. And Peter wants us to understand that. Now, when you talk about that, you must understand, as Ezekiel says in Ezekiel 18, verse number 4: the soul that sins shall die. Now that's important. In order to understand the pain of Christ and in order to understand the penalty which he bore in his body for us, you must understand Ezekiel 18 verse number 4.

The soul that sins, it shall die. Why is that? Because in order for There to be a propitiation for our sins, or in order for there to be a ransom paid for our sins to God the Father. In order for there to be a sacrifice that atoned for our sins, that was well pleasing to the Father, the Son had to pay the penalty that you and I would pay if we died in our sins. And if we died in our sins, what does that mean? That means we would die eternally separated from God for all time. So, for Christ to die on the cross, understand that the physical pain he suffered was great, but the true pain that Christ suffered was not physical, but spiritual.

Why is that? Remember when he said on the cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? It is the only time during his earthly ministry that he addresses his Father in heaven as God and not F. And why is that? It's that way because it's at that time when our Lord hung on the tree. That God the Father would turn his back on his son, although he always loved the son. The love he had for the son never ceased, it was always there. But when the son became the substitute, For us, the world became dark, as Matthew describes.

Why? Because darkness is a symbol of judgment. And God the Father would turn his back on his son. That's why, when you go through the whole element of Christ's passion, that is the beating of Christ, he never uttered a word. Never said a thing. Why? Because that pain to him was nothing. And we know the Bible says in Isaiah 53, he was beaten beyond recognition, but did he.

Let a cry? Did he yell? No, because that wasn't the true pain. The only time he cried. The only time he cried out was when he said, My God, my God, why hast thou fors? That the only time he cried out. Because that 's the only time he was in. Pain. Why? For the very first time, and the only time, never to happen again, God the Father turned his back on God the Son.

Because God can't look upon evil. And he poured out his wrath upon his son. In those three hours, six hours on the cross, but three hours of darkness, he poured out his wrath upon his son at that time. As if he were us. That's why. So he bore in his body. That great p that we would have to face if we died in our own sin. That's important. Remember what Peter said over in 1 Peter 2, verse number 24? He him bore our sins in his body? The word body is the Greek word som. That word is very important to understand.

Because the word body is a word that spec details the body as a whole, the instrument of life. In fact, let me say it to you this way.

When Christ stood before his men on the eve of the crucifixion, he broke the bread, and what did he say? He said, This is my what? Body, which is given for you. To understand that, you must understand the Jewish mind. In the Jewish mind, the body, the som, was representative of the ent person, body, soul, and spirit. To the Jewish mind, the Soma represented the life of the individual. His whole person, not just his physical flesh, that's a whole new different Greek word, but his whole body, that is, his whole person.

So when Christ said, This is my body, which is given for you, he says, I'm giving my life for you. I'm giving who I am for you. And I'm going to take your place at Calvary because you can't pay the price. But I will. And he bore in his body that penalty for your sin and for my sin. Isaiah 53 says it well. Isaiah 53 says, But the Lord pleased to crush him, putting him to grief, if he would render himself or render his soul as a guilt offering. He would render his soul as a guilt offering. The Bible says in Isaiah 53, verse number 11: as a result of the anguish of his soul, He will see it and be satisfied.

When was Christ in anguish with his soul? When he was separated. From God the Father. That's when the anguish came, and that's what pleased the Father because it pleased Him to crush Him. Why? So you and I would have eternal life. That was the ransom that was paid. That was the price that was paid. And Christ did that for you. And for me. So when it was all said and done, what were the words that Christ said in John 19:3? It is what? Finished. What's finished? The ransom price had been paid. It's over.

It's done. He did what he came to do: bear in his body the penalty for sin, which is what? Separation from God the Father. He did that. And then, when it was all over. The communion was restored. The fellowship was restored. Why? Because now it was finished, and now what did he say? Father, he went from my God, my God, to. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Why? Because now he was going to die physically. See? He had to die spiritually before he died physically, or the ransom could not be paid.

Couldn't. That happens. That's why we need to understand the pain as well as the penalty. What was the purpose? It tells us, in order that he might bring us to God. In order that he might bring us to God. Let me ask you a question: What keeps you from God?

Your sin, right? Isaiah 59. It's our sin that separates us from God. So He had to pay the price of our sin. There, when he died, what was torn in two in the Holy of Holies? The veil, from top to bottom. To illustrate that now there is access to the throne of God. What separated man from God His sin was now paid for. The veil was torn in two, so now man has access to God through his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. You see, his whole purpose was to bring us to God. His whole purpose was to die so we could have fellowship with God.

His whole purpose was to die so we could be restored. For what took place way back in Genesis chapter 3. So now we can have communion and a relationship with the living God of the universe. And then the position. That's that in verse number 22. Where is he now? At the right hand. Of God. That's where he is. He's at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to him. He is now at the right hand of God, making intercession for you and for me.

He's at the right hand of God. Because he endured an unjust situation, he paid the price, he paid the penalty, and now he has been raised to an exalted position. And one day, the Bible says in the book of Revelation that the over Is granted the right to sit down on the throne of God with Jesus Christ our Lord.

And Peter's saying, Listen, you saw what Jesus went through. You saw what he did. He did it for you in order that through his resurrection you can now have what he has. Because now we are heirs with Christ. We are joint heirs of God. Heirs of God, joint heirs of Christ. We are the kind, we are children of the living God. And one day we will rule in heaven with him. And one day we will, even as the Bible says, we'll rule over angels because of what Jesus Christ did.

At Calvary. The Bible says these words: having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

A lot of people don't think that Christ died. He was on the cross. He just kind of closed his eyes and Faked his death. But that's not true because the Bible tells us that when the soldiers came by and they stuck him with the spear, that blood and water came out, indicated that he was already dead. Okay, it was important for him to die physically. He had to. Yet, his sp was alive. Al. Now comes the second point.

That's the death of Christ. I want you to see the descent of Christ. The descent of Christ. What did Jesus do for the three days his body would lay in the tomb? We need to understand what took place. And Peter tells us, this is so rich. It says, in which also, that is, in his spirit, because his body was dead. He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison. Where did he go? The Bible says in the book of Ephesians, the four chapter, sixth verse, says this, eighth verse.

Therefore it says, When he ascended on high, he led captive a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. Now, this expression, he ascended, what does it mean except that he also had des into the l part of the earth? He who descended is himself also he who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. What are the lower parts of the earth? You can read about them in Psalm 63, verse number 9. They're called the depths of the earth. Matthew 12, verse number 40, it's called the heart of the earth.

Psalm 139, it's called She. Or the place of the dead, or the grave. The Lord's descent went beyond the earth. Beyond the grave into listen, the very pit of where demons are he. He went into prison.