“Christ Died for Sins Once for All” -- 1 Peter 3:13-22

As the sun went down that Sabbath day, the world must have seemed particularly gloomy. Over the last three years, they had followed the man they believed would lead them to a new world and a new day. They saw in Him all the hope and dreams they had held in their hearts for so long.

They had also become more than His followers—they were now His friends. They enjoyed being around Him, even though there were times it was uncomfortable to be near Him. He asked questions and taught lessons that were designed to challenge them, cause them to question all they had previously been taught and believed. Still, they believed in Him and knew He alone held the answers to all their questions.

And now He was dead. Betrayed by one of their own, their Master, Teacher and Lord was beaten, humiliated and crucified. A few of them had seen the crucifixion, most from a distance lest they be arrested themselves. It was no longer safe to be identified with Him, and now they hid in fear that the next knock on the door would be the one that would lead to their own crucifixions.

There was a knock on the door early Sunday morning. They opened the door only after they identified the voice of Mary, one of His disciples like them. She and some of the other ladies had gone to the borrowed grave to fully prepare His body for burial, only to discover that the body wasn’t there.

From that moment, the world of Jesus’ disciples was once again changed in ways they never dreamed possible. He had gone from Messiah to dead martyr to risen Savior and Lord. Their lives would become transformed as a result of the empty grave and the coming of the Holy Spirit. None, perhaps, more so than the life of Simon, son of Jonas, who was also known as Peter. His letters reflect his transformation from a simple fisherman who sometimes spoke without thinking, who was willing to take steps of faith that others didn’t. He had come so far as he wrote his letters, the letters reflecting a man who had taken to heart Christ’s forgiveness and calling.

Background

Peter is writing his letters at a time when persecution of the Church was becoming the official policy of Rome. Sure, Jesus’ followers had suffered social and economic hardships from friends, family and society, but now the full might of Roman law was coming against these believers.

Life may have seemed bleak, so Peter wrote his letters of encouragement. God uses Peter’s letters to remind His people that we are never alone in our calling, and that the One who has called us is truly the Lord of our lives.

The passage we look at today is introduced with the statements: “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9). Peter then cites a passage from Psalm to remind us that reinforce his words and ends with a promise of God’s watchful and attentive presence for those who walk humbly with their Lord.

On this Easter morning, we turn to this passage to remind us of the significance of what the Risen Lord truly means to our world and our lives. We’re going to start midway through our text to remind us why we are blessed and then return to the practical living out of our blessed state of holiness.

Central Truth: The holy life is made possible through the miracle of the risen Christ who died for our sins.

The cost of holiness:

1. Christ died for our sins (18-21a)

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in this body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God” (vs. 18-21).

The word “gift” implies something given to someone for free. In theory, no one pays for a gift. Granted, some gifts are given with strings attached, perhaps some hidden agenda or some expected reciprocation. If a gift is genuine, though, then it is given freely from a heart filled with love and gratitude.

Even though a gift is free for the recipient, though, the gift will cost something to the presenter. It may cost time and effort if the gift is made by the giver, or it may cost money for the purchase of the gift. Sometimes, the gift is relatively cheap, barely making a dent in one’s purse or time or effort. Other times, the gift can be costly.

The gift of salvation is a free gift, but it is the most costly gift. The first words of v. 18 show us this. “For Christ died for our sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” You and I are sinners, and our sins should result in death. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “For the wages of sin is death” and “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” We are sinners deserving God’s punishment.

But the Bible tells us in no uncertain words that God’s love is greater than His judgment. God’s love caused Him to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to our world for the express purpose of dying for our sins. Peter writes why Jesus had to die for our sins.

It was a death that only needed to happen once—“For Christ died for our sins once for all.” Unlike the sacrificial system of the Mosaic law, requiring an annual sin sacrifice for the atonement of the people, Jesus’ death covers the sins of those who believe in Him and follow Him.

Jesus’ died even though He Himself was blameless—“the righteous for the unrighteous.” The term “righteous” in the original language is a legal term wherein the person on trial is not only found not guilty but is declared to be in the right. Jesus was righteous—though He was tempted as we are, He is without sin. Jesus, the unblemished Lamb of God, obediently went to the cross in order to die for our sins, because we are woefully unrighteous. Had we been taken to a court to be tried for our sins, we would be found completely guilty. Only, because Jesus died for our sins, He would stand up in court and declare that our guilt had been washed away and we are now, like Him, declared righteous in the eyes of the One who judges all.

The reason Jesus died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, is this: “to bring [us] to God.” Paul, writing in 2 Corinthians 5, tells us that God has made us a new creation, reconciled through Christ with God. Our reconciliation is God bringing us back into right relationship with Him through the giving of His Son—the sacrifice that takes away our sins and restores our relationship with the God who created us and now calls us His children.

Peter’s last words of v. 18 reminds us that Jesus is both man and God. He died in the body—an actual body, one that experienced the world as you and I experience the world. And He is alive by the Spirit—the Spirit that is the presence of the Father and of the Son who now indwells us. The Spirit that gave life to Christ—the divine nature of Jesus—is the same Spirit that gives us life in Christ.

Peter then raises the issue of where Jesus was between the time of His crucifixion and the time of His resurrection. The Bible tells us that Jesus was in Hades, preaching the Gospel to those who had already died before Christ had come. The Bible tells us that God had planned to save the world through Christ even before the foundations of the world were created (cf. Ephesians 1:3-14), and so all people, from Adam and Eve through those who had died while Jesus walked the earth, needed to hear the gospel. God made provision for this to happen while Jesus was in Hades.

Hades is not Hell, but rather the place where the dead go while we await the Second Coming and the Final Judgment. In the Revelation, the Bible tells us that those whose names are not written in the book of life will come out of Hades and be cast into the lake of fire, which is Hell. Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man shows us a picture of Hades, where the righteous and the unrighteous await the Final Judgment. Jesus went there and shared the gospel with those who had died awaiting Jesus’ first coming. It is my guess that those who were righteous like Abraham—people of faith—readily accepted the message of Christ, while those who refused to walk in faith rejected Jesus’ message.

Peter uses an analogy of salvation by water to symbolize baptism that saves. He uses the example of Noah, who worked on the ark for 120 years. During that time, people heard Noah’s message but rejected it, so that when the flood came, only eight people—Noah, his wife and his sons and their wives—were saved.

Peter refers to a “baptism that saves you.” He is not referring to the ritual of baptism, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, who is the Living Water (cf. John 4), cleanses us and lives within us through the work of the Holy Spirit. The presence of Christ through the Spirit both gives us a good conscience before God and calls us to walk in obedience to His will.

Christ died for our sins.

2. Christ was raised to give us eternal life (21b-22)

It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him” (vs. 21b-22).

As significant as the crucifixion is to the salvation and cleansing of our sins, without the resurrection, there would be no promise of eternal life. With the empty tomb, with the Risen Christ, we are given eternal life and walk in hope and faith in Christ who now sits at the right hand of the Father as Lord of all.

Jesus, in His Priestly Prayer in John 17, tells us that eternal life is to know the Father and the Son, and the purpose of our eternal life is to bring glory to the Father and the Son. Our eternal life began the moment we accepted Christ, and allows us to fellowship with Him through the Spirit that lives within us.

We know that Jesus is Lord because of His position with the Father. Jesus sits in the seat of honor, and all power and authority has been given to Him exclusively.

The fact that we have eternal life, saved by Jesus’ resurrection, means that we have the capacity to live a holy life. As we have learned over the past few weeks, it is God Himself who makes us holy, who sets us apart for His service and plan. We are called to participate in this holy life by making a conscious decision to walk in accordance to His will. We prepare our minds for action, become self-controlled, setting our hope in Christ and walking in obedience (cf. 1 Peter 1:13-14).

All of this—the life of holy living—is made possible because Jesus Christ is risen and gives us life through Him.

3. Christ died and was raised to be our Lord (13-17)

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than doing evil” (vs. 13-17).

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “No good deed goes unpunished.” The statement has been around a long time and is said facetiously, but sometimes it seems to ring true too many times. When we choose to do something good for someone, it usually costs us something, and it’s not unusual that the good deed is not appreciated. Something as easy as holding a door open for someone can be met with the person not acknowledging the act. Sometimes, living in our current culture where people are so ready and easy to take offense, a good deed can be seen in a negative light that results in being berated and insulted.

Nonetheless, the Bible clearly expects us to do good. The Golden Rule and Jesus’ commandment to love one another, even our enemies, lets us know that God expects us to do good.

So Peter asks the question, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” Most people, even in our society, will appreciate it when we do good. Peter is aware, though, that it is possible to suffer for standing up for and doing good. He is perhaps reminded of Jesus’ words the night He was betrayed in telling us the world does not accept us nor will it like us because it hated Jesus first.

Please note that Peter isn’t saying we will suffer for our faith, but that it is possible to happen. Regardless of whether we suffer for our faith or not, we are blessed. Because we are blessed in our relationship with Christ, then we have nothing to fear. What’s the worst that can happen? Jesus tells us not to fear the ones who can destroy the body, but to fear the one who can destroy the soul. The worst that can happen is that we are martyred for our faith.

Peter’s response is that we need to keep our faith in Christ, regardless of circumstances, and be prepared to tell others why we believe in what we believe. Peter isn’t telling us we all need to go to seminary and become Bible scholars. We only have to testify about our faith in Christ. Be ready to tell others why we believe.

And we are to be gracious in the sharing of our faith. There are some who want to use the Bible as a hammer, smashing people over the head with it. That’s not God’s way, though. Instead of using Scripture to look down on others, we need to be gentle and respectful. We can disagree without being disagreeable. Not everyone will share our commitment to Christ. If we will act in a Christ-like way toward all people, then our lives will reflect our faith and our “good behavior” will only confirm and affirm our faith in the One who has saved us.

Peter’s last word in v. 17—“It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil”—is a reminder that some people suffer persecution not for their faith, but for their obnoxious behavior in the name of Jesus. We avoid the obnoxious behavior if we set our faith in Christ, commit to do good and be gentle and respectful in sharing our faith when called upon to do so.

Conclusion

The uncertainty that accompanied Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection has given way to faith, assurance and confidence to walk in His ways. Because He lives, we know that we can walk with Him and in Him if we will commit ourselves to living holy lives.

Jesus enables us to live holy lives because He died for our sins and was raised to give us life.

Live in Christ. Today, let us commit to be holy because He is holy.