Christ Also Suffered

[Read 1 Peter 3:18-22]

I want to begin by reading a portion of a Psalm. As I read it, I want you to take a moment to think about the last time you prayed liked this—if you’ve ever prayed like this. What was going on in your life when you prayed it?

“How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.” (Psalm 13:1–4, NIV)

Have you ever prayed that way before? I think it’s a good reminder to us of the pain and suffering that we can experience as Christians. There are some Christians who would try to tell us that we cannot pray this way. We cannot talk to God like this. We cannot come close to despair like this. We have to put on a happy face. We have to pretend like everything is OK. We have to pretend that we have joy. 

Yet, the Psalms are filled with prayers like this. The Psalms are filled with believers who are suffering and struggling and crying out to God. Crying out, “How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1). Like I mentioned last week, the Christian life—the Good Life—is not one that doesn’t involve pain and suffering. It involves pain and suffering, but mixed with joy and hope. Sorrowful yet always rejoicing. 

I’ve been thinking about Noah this week because our passage talks about Noah. I think Noah probably prayed Psalm 13—even though it wasn’t written when he was alive. Still, I’m sure these words were on his lips. Think about it. Noah was surrounded by evil and wicked people. In Genesis it says, “The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5, NIV). Then you have faithful Noah in the midst of this culture. He was surrounded by enemies. He was surrounded by those who mocked him for his faith. 

Then, God decides to flood the earth and wipe everyone out—except for Noah and his family. Yet, God doesn’t flood the earth immediately. He waits a long time. I think he waited 120 years before he flooded the earth. There’s this line in Genesis 6 where God says, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3, NIV). Some have interpreted this to say that God is limiting the lifespan of humans to 120 years. Yet, after this statement, the Bible talks about people living longer than 120 years. So, I don’t think that’s what it’s saying. I think God is saying, I have decided to flood the earth and wipe out all of humanity, I’ve given them 120 years before I do that. Plus, imagine how long it took Noah to build the ark. He didn’t throw it up over the weekend. It took a long time. 

Anyway, think about what was going on in Noah’s mind as he built the ark and waited for the flood—waiting 120 years for God to fulfill his promise. Do you think that Noah ever grew impatient? Do you think Noah ever questioned whether the flood was going to happen? Do you think Noah ever got frustrated that God waited to bring this judgement as he watched the evil and wickedness all around him? Do you think Noah ever felt like his enemies where triumphing over him? 

I’m sure we’ve all been there before. We’ve all found ourselves struggling with something—tired of struggling with it for so long. We’ve all be at that point where we are tired of being tired, or sick of being sick, or frustrated with being frustrated. We’ve all found ourselves wondering, “How long before you do something about this God? Why are you waiting so long to help me? Have you forgotten me? Am I left here all alone? Why aren’t you coming to my rescue right now?” 

Our passage this morning says that God is patient. It says, “…long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.” (1 Peter 3:20, NIV). While Noah build the ark, God was patiently waiting. He wasn’t patiently waiting for Noah but for the rest of the world. In Romans it says, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4, NIV). God’s patience is intended to lead people to repentance. God waited 120 years before he flooded the earth, giving the earth time to repent. Think about Nineveh. Jonah was told to preach judgement on them: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4, NIV). Yet, they repented and God spared the city. That’s why Peter says this in his second letter: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance…Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…” (2 Peter 3:9, 15, NIV). When we find ourselves crying out to God, “How long?” and growing impatient, we need to remember God’s patience is always leading toward repentance and salvation. God is patient with us. God will fulfill his promises. God will accomplish his purposes. God will lift us out of the pit. But, He will do it in his perfect timing, not ours. So, we wait patiently in hope. 

As we wait patiently in our suffering, we are reminded that our Savior also suffered. Our passage says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18, NIV). There are a couple reasons it’s important for us to remember that our Savior Jesus Christ also suffered. 

First, it reminds us that he knows what it’s like to suffer. Jesus knows what it’s like to go through pain and agony. He knows what it’s like to grieve very deeply. He has experienced all of the same things that we have experienced. He knows what you are going through. He’s been there. 

This also reminds us that his patience to remove us from our suffering isn’t because he doesn’t understand what we’re going through. He knows exactly what we are going through, he’s been there and knows the difficulty. So, if he’s being patient to remove your from the pit, it’s because he has something better in store. He’s doing something. He’s accomplishing a purpose. He’s preparing you for something. 

Second, we’re reminded that Christ’s suffering had a purpose. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus lived the perfect life and died the perfect death so he could cleanse you from your imperfections—so he could make you holy and righteous. He only had to do this one time. Once. His death on the cross was perfect and complete. Now, anyone who looks to Jesus in faith—who trusts him for the forgiveness of their sins and his righteousness—will be saved. 

But there’s more. Not only will we be saved, but we’ll be brought to God. That’s why Jesus died for us—to bring us to God. So, it’s through Christ’s suffering that He made a way for us to come to God with our prayers. If you are are crying out to God, asking “How long?,” you can only do that because Christ suffered for you—because God used his suffering for a glorious purpose. Now, we have been brought near to God—even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Now, we can come before our Father and plead with him to rescue us and lift us from the pit, trusting that He WILL do it in his perfect timing. 

Yet, for Jesus, suffering wasn’t the end of his story, was it? Our passage reminds us, “He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18, NIV). That means that the natural sinful humanity that he took on in our place, died on that cross, but Jesus was made alive and rose again with a new spiritual body—a glorified body that will last for eternity. This is a reminder that Christ’s suffering didn’t end in defeat. It ended in victory. 

That’s what the rest of this passage is all about. It’s explaining the victory of Jesus through his resurrection. It’s one of the most difficult passages to understand and interpret in the Bible, but we’re going to give it a go. I finally think I understand what Peter is trying to get at int his passage. Remember, he’s talking about Jesus’ victory. 

So, he says that after Jesus rose again victorious “he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient 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,” (1 Peter 3:19–20, NIV). So, we’re brought back to the days of Noah and we’re reminded of some disobedient spirits. It’s referring to the first couple verses from Genesis 6: “When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.” (Genesis 6:1–2, NIV). The phrase “sons of God,” is always used to refer to angels throughout scripture. Yes, there are other ways to interpret the term, but I like to stick with the way scripture uses it. If we understand the term “sons of God” to refer to angels, then we have a picture of fallen angels messing around with human women and causing a mess. It seems like these are the “spirits” Peter is talking about. Then, when you connect this with an image from the book of Revelation of Satan causing angels to fall with him, so see more of the picture. It says, “Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.” (Revelation 12:3–4, NIV). This has typically been explained as Satan bringing 1/3 of the angels with him when he fell from heaven—because “stars” are often referencing angels. So, we have this picture of Satan falling from heaven, taking 1/3 of the angels with him, and then these fallen angels making a mess of things during the days of Noah. 

Actually, throughout scripture there is always a spiritual reality to our suffering. Even our physical suffering has a spiritual reality. Paul says, “I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7, NIV). This was in his “flesh” but it is also attributed to a demon—a spiritual reality. Paul also writes this to a congregation that he loves, “But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way.” (1 Thessalonians 2:17–18, NIV). 

There is a spiritual reality to even our physical suffering in this world. These fallen angels—demons—are active in the world fighting against the Kingdom of God—trying to make a mess of things. They HATE God and they HATE Christians and will do whatever they can to throw things off course and attempt to overthrow the Kingdom of God. 

Yet, Peter reminds us of something important. Jesus rose victorious from the grave, and when he rose victorious from the grave and went and had a word with these fallen spirits—imprisoned on earth. Peter says he proclaimed to them. He proclaimed his salvation to these spirits. He went to these spirits to proclaim the gospel—his victory over sin and death. Yet, they HATE the gospel. It wasn’t good news to them. It was judgement upon them. It was a reminder that they have lost the battle! 

That’s why Peter also ends this passage saying, “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.” (1 Peter 3:21–22, NIV). When Christ rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, he was won victory over every authority and power on the earth. Yes, Satan is real. Yes, fallen angels and demons are real. Yes, they are working against us and the kingdom of God. But they have LOST! Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and is ruling and reigning OVER THEM! They are in SUBMISSION to him! We don’t have to live in fear. We don’t have to look for demons behind every bush or every disease or every trial. Christ has defeated them. They have no power over us. 

Then, the beauty of all these truths begin to hit closer to home. Not only has Christ walked through suffering to victory, but we can walk through suffering to victory. Not only has Christ triumphed over the angels and authorities and powers, but we can triumph over them in Christ. 

That’s why Peter talks about our Baptism. Our baptism is a sign and seal that we are connected to Christ—we are connected to his death AND resurrection. Our baptism is a sign and seal that we are connected with the suffering of Christ—we will suffer and experience pain in this life. Yet, our baptism is also a sign and seal that we are connected to Christ’s resurrection—to his victory over sin and death and Satan. We can have confidence that we—with Christ—can walk through our suffering into victory. Suffering will not have the final word. Satan will not have the final word. Death will not have the final word. Christ already had the final word and he cried, “VICTORY!” 

This is what we hold onto when we find ourselves asking “How long, O Lord?” We hold onto the victory of Christ over sin and death and Satan. It doesn’t make all the pain and suffering go away immediately. It doesn’t cause us to walk through life on a cloud. But, it gives us hope in the midst of our suffering. We can KNOW that we have victory. We can taste it now—even in the midst of terrible pain—but we also know that one day we will taste it fully. So, we wait for it with hope and patience. 

Our God will keep his promises. He kept his promise to Noah—even after 120 years. He did bring them safely through the flood. He delivered them in the midst of tremendous struggle and suffering. 

He will do that for us as well. We don’t know how long it will last. We don’t know when God’s perfect timing is. Yet, we know God is faithful and He will keep his promises. He WILL deliver us from the flood. So, we look to him and trust Him—trusting His patience and trusting his salvation. And, like in Psalm 13, while we’re crying out “How long, O Lord,” we also cry out, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.” (Psalm 13:5–6, NIV).