What is the main point of the passage? The main point of this passage usually gets lost in the focus that so many people put on verse 19 (Which we will get to later), which is unfortunate because the message is powerful. Peter is addressing the suffering that Christians are experiencing through persecution (Which was pretty intense int he ancient world: shunned from families and community, loss of work/business, imprisonment, mocking, beating, and sometimes death), by pointing out to them the fact that Jesus also suffered. He suffered and his body was killed, but he was raised up in the Spirit. Jesus was victorious and He conquered sin and death. He took our shame and unrighteousness so that we could also experience this victory. So the point of this passage is that Jesus suffered for our sins...Jesus rose victorious...Jesus proclaimed his victory over sin and death...and if we put our faith in him, we will experience the righteousness, redemption and salvation he offers us.
What part of the passage spoke most powerfully to you? The underlying theme of the passage is what really stood out to me. Even when things are brutal in this life...even when it seems like life is harder because of faith...even when it seems like you are being excluded or persecuted because of your faith in Christ - there is reason to rejoice! I know that sounds strange, but when we experience the brutalities of this fallen world, we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus experienced them as well. Even when they were draining the life from his human body on the cross...he remained faithful to his mission to offer his life in place of ours. And he showed us through his resurrection that he has conquered sin and death. We do not have to fear what comes after this life is over, because we will be vindicated if we trust in the Lord. Yes, things can be very hard but we can rejoice in the fact that Jesus is victorious and we will one day experience the perfect community and creation that we were made for.
What kind of questions did this passage bring to mind? Well, there is the one huge, looming question that comes from this portion of scripture. What the heck is Peter talking about when he says that Jesus descends to preach to the "spirits" in prison? This is pretty much the only thing that people focus on when they read this section and that is unfortunate, because they are missing out on all the stuff we just talked about. Here are the three most commonly held up suggestions about what Peter is trying to tell us in verse 19: (1) Some believe that this is a picture of Jesus descending into hell to give sinners who never got a chance to hear the Gospel and opportunity to hear it and repent; (2) Some believe that the Spirit of Jesus (who as God is eternal and has always been around) was preaching the Gospel through the "prophet" Noah to the corrupt humans around him who were imprisoned by their faithlessness; (3) Some believe that Jesus in the spiritual realm proclaimed his victory over sin and death to the fallen angels before ascending into heaven to retake his position among the triune community of God. Based on the scriptures that come before and after this passage, the most likely explanation is the third (Peter described the fallen angels in 2 Peter 2:4ff). There is not enough contextual information to make a definitive claim to knowing exactly what is going on here, but they all share a central theme. Regardless of how you interpret this passage...Jesus conquered sin and death...we can trust in this fact and know that we will be vindicated in the world to come for our faith in Christ now. That is what really matters. Forget about whether or not people get another chance at hearing the Gospel after death...that might only make an excuse for us to put less effort into sharing the Gospel with people. Life here an now is better with Jesus and we need to let people know that...life after death comes only to those who put their faith in Jesus and we need to let people know that - that is what matters!
What have I been challenged to do through this passage and what are the next steps for me in making that happen? Am I doing everything I can to proclaim the victory of Jesus in my life? Jesus conquered death himself, but he also gave you and I the ability to conquer sin and death in our own lives. He offers us new life - free of the death that sin brings in our lives...that freedom is beautiful...that forgiveness is awesome...are you sharing it with other people. We are not just following a bunch of rules so that we can save ourselves from hell...we are placing our faith in Christ so that we can be free from crippling sin right now! Eternal life starts now!!! It starts with our life here on earth and there are so many people that need to hear that...so many people that are enslaved to corrupt lifestyles that are toxic to their souls. Even when things seem to be falling apart around us, we can rejoice in the fact that perfection is waiting for us at the end of this life. That is the Good News!!! And I need to be doing everything I can every day, to rejoice in that truth and to share it with other people. If we really believe in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, how could we not tell people about it?
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