Liturgy for Sunday Special service remembering the ascension of the Lord Jesus into heaven AM Confession of Dependence and Divine Greeting Hy.40:1,4,5 Ten words of the covenant Ps.130:2,4 Prayer of confession and illumination Ministry of the Word Reading: 1Peter 3:8-22; 1Peter 4:12-19 Hy.38 Text: 1Peter 3:17-22 Through his ascension into heaven Christ teaches us to live this life in the light of eternity. Through his ascension Christ: 1. proclaimed judgment on the wicked. 2. provides comfort for his suffering people. Hy.41 Administration of baptism to: Holly Elizabeth, daughter of brother and sister Derek and Judith Dewitt Ps.12:4 Prayer of thanksgiving Offering Ps.47 Divine blessing Songs for worship taken from the 2010 version of the Book of Praise See http://www.canrc.org/?page=23 for pdf files of Psalms and Hymns Rev. Joe Poppe 1
Singing: Hy.40:1,4,5; Ps.130:2,4; Hy.38; Hy.44:1,4,5; Ps.47; Hy.41 Reading: 1Pet.3:8-22; 1Pet.4:12-19 Text: 1Pet.3:17-22 Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, The text we have before us this morning is one of the more difficult texts in the New Testament. In it there are things that are hard to understand. Especially verses 19 & 20 are tough to deal with. What does it mean that Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison? When did Christ do this preaching? What was the content of this preaching? Who are these spirits in prison? How does all this fit into the context of suffering for doing good? Does this have anything to do with Christ's ascension into heaven? Does it have any relevance for our lives today? These are some of the questions I hope to answer for you. To begin with it is important for us to understand that Peter wrote his first letter to Christians who suffered many hardships, and were even ridiculed and abused for their faith. Many of the people to whom Peter is writing formerly lived in sin and darkness. Yet they were called from out of darkness into God's wonderful light (1Pet.2:9; 4:3). They had come to know the peace of living in fellowship with Christ; their hearts were filled with a living hope of sharing in his eternal inheritance. Yet one of the problems that faced them, is that they could not understand all the hardships they had to endure. The gospel was supposed to be good news; why did they have to suffer so much? It is not hard for us to relate to this question. As God's people living in the 21 st century, we too are often faced with hardships and difficulties. You or one of your loved ones may suffer sickness, or a disability, or depression, or mental illness. Perhaps you struggle in your marriage relationship, or are faced with children who have departed from the service of the Lord. It may be that you are unemployed or do not have sufficient work, or that you face financial hardship. Then questions arise. Why is it that so often it seems like the wicked prosper, while God's children have to undergo tough times? If we are faithful in our service of God, why does he allow us to suffer? Is it really worthwhile to live the Christian life? Our text answers these questions. It points to the suffering that the Lord Jesus had to undergo. It says that Christ also suffered, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1Pet.3:18). Yet our text does not stop with Christ's suffering and death. It also speaks about his ascension into heaven, which is something that we may commemorate this coming Thursday. Our text teaches us about how Christ was victorious over sin, and death, and Satan. It makes it clear how in Christ, we are also assured of a glorious future. I preach to you the Word of God under the following theme: Through his ascension into heaven Christ teaches us to live this life in the light of eternity. Through his ascension Christ: 3. proclaimed judgment on the wicked. 4. provides comfort for his suffering people. Our text begins with the statement, It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. The whole of our text is set within this context. Peter s purpose is to help us understand why we as Christians sometimes need to undergo trials. From an earthly perspective we cannot understand how it can be good to suffer. Yet Peter encourages us not to look at things just in an earthly manner. He puts suffering into an eternal context. Thus Peter encourages us to live this life in the light of eternity. Peter recalls the blessings that Jesus spoke on those who were persecuted and reviled. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ told us that in such situations we are to rejoice and be glad, for great will be our reward in heaven (Mat.5:10-12). Thus Peter could say in 1 Peter 4:12&13, Rev. Joe Poppe 2
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ." Peter makes a comparison between our suffering and the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ. He makes it clear that Christ had to suffer for our sake. Although he had done no wrong, yet he had to suffer and die at the hands of lawless men (Act.2:23). Peter says, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." As Christians, we should not expect to be treated any better than our Master was in this world. Why are we surprised when we have to undergo difficult times? Has God ever promised that our travels through life would be without trouble and sorrow? At times, as Christians, we adopt the mentality of Job's friends. They said to Job that he must have sinned. Their reasoning was that God blesses the righteous, and brings his curse upon the wicked. Since the LORD had brought major catastrophes upon Job, he must have committed some very serious sins. But beloved, Job's friends were severely admonished by God for holding this attitude. Jesus taught his disciples in John 9 that the blindness of that man had nothing to do with either his sin or the sin of his parents. He taught the people in Luke 13 that those upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell were not worse sinners than others. One of the main lessons that Peter wants to teach us in his first letter is that we need to identify with Christ both in his suffering and in his glory. As Christians, we are happy to receive God's promises about the eternal inheritance that awaits us. We are comforted by the assurance that Jesus has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us. We look forward to the glory of the life to come. Yet what we often forget is that our Lord had to walk the pathway of suffering to get to glory. That is why in our text Peter reminds us to live our lives in the light of eternity. He urges us to consider the suffering of this age in the light of the great glory that God has promised to those who love him. We need to identify with Christ in both his suffering and his glory. Peter details Christ s life for us. Our text says, He was put to death in the body, but made alive in the Spirit. (1Pet.3:18). In the human sphere of life, Jesus was put to death. As far as the world was concerned he was dead forever, executed as a criminal. Yet we know that he was made alive in the Spirit. He rose and ascended into heaven to bestow his spiritual blessings on all who belong to him. Just as Christ died and came to life again, we need to do the same. Not just physically, but also spiritually. We need to die to sin; to hate our sins, and flee from them. We need to be made alive by the Spirit, so that more and more we delight in walking with God and obeying his commands. That is not always an easy process for us. It is hard to fight against our sins and live for God, especially when it seems like God isn t standing by us. Our battle against our sinful flesh is tough when we undergo trials and suffering. We struggle with the question: where is God when I need him most. Why doesn t Christ come to my aid in my hour of need? We may be tempted to give us our faith. To say goodbye to the Christian way of life. Yet Peter warns us that this is not a good solution. Instead we are called to persevere through the trials God places on our pathway in life. To encourage us in this Peter speaks about Christ s ascension into heaven. He says that Christ was 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. (1Pet.3:19-20). These words are difficult to understand, and have been interpreted in various ways. One fairly popular explanation of these words is that Christ, during the time between his death and resurrection, descended into hell to announce his victory to the spirits of the wicked people that lived in Noah's day. This is a wrong explanation. Christ did not descend into hell between his death and resurrection. Rev. Joe Poppe 3
Scripture makes this plain. It is on the cross that Jesus completed his work of redemption. During the three hours of darkness he suffered hellish agony when he was forsaken by the Father. At the end of that time Jesus said, "It is finished." (Joh.19:30). And then he said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luk.23:46). The spirit of Christ did not descend into hell to preach to the wicked in the time between Christ's death and resurrection. Instead Christ committed his spirit into the hands of his Father. This is confirmed by the words that Jesus had spoken to the criminal on the cross next to him who repented. He told him, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luk.23:43). So then, how do we explain the words of our text? I'm convinced that they speak about Christ's ascension into heaven. Let me explain. Our Lord Jesus Christ was put to death on Good Friday, he arose on Easter Sunday, he went up into heaven on Ascension Day. When our text says that Christ was "made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison" - it is referring to the time of Christ's ascension into heaven. To understand this we need to figure out what it means that Christ "preached to the spirits in prison." The Greek word used for to preach refers to the work of a herald. In ancient times they did not have radio or television to make important announcements. In case of war or some other important announcement by the king, heralds were sent forth to publicly proclaim the news. Thus Christ heralded a message to the spirits in prison. Our text does not say what Christ s message was. It does not need to. You see, beloved, Christ s ascension into heaven is itself an act of proclamation. By arising from the dead and going up into heaven Christ was heralding his victory. The point is that you can be a herald through words, but also through actions. Christ's ascension into heaven speaks of his great victory over sin, and death, and Satan. On the cross Jesus had offered himself as a sin offering in the place of his people. Despite the fact that Satan tormented him cruelly, Jesus remained faithful to the end. He suffered God's curse in order that we might receive his blessing. Therefore, on Easter Sunday, death could not hold Jesus in its grip. On Ascension Day, Jesus went up into heaven to sit on the throne at the Father's right hand. This act proclaimed Christ's ultimate victory, and spells the doom of all those opposed to him. So whom does Christ address when he heralds forth his victory message? Who are the spirits in prison that our text speaks about? This is an exceedingly difficult question. Some say that these spirits are the fallen angels: Satan and all his evil spirits. That is a possible interpretation. Yet I believe that the spirits in prison are the souls of the wicked who formerly didn't obey and are now under God's curse. This seems to make the most sense in the context of our passage. In verse 20 of our text the spirits in prison are described as those "who disobeyed long ago." Verse 20 goes on to speak of God's patience and forbearance in the days of Noah. God bore with that evil generation for over a hundred years, giving the people an opportunity to repent. Through Noah's words, and through the act of building the ark, Noah preached to that generation. But they did not repent (2Pet.2:5). Peter uses these people as an example of the spirits in prison. Ultimately, the spirits in prison refers to all those who died as unbelievers, who are now awaiting the final judgment. The reason that such people are called "spirits in prison" becomes clearer from what Peter writes in 2 Peter 2:9. There Peter makes a distinction between how God deals with the righteous and the wicked. He says that "the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment." The point, beloved, is this. Through his ascension into heaven the Lord Jesus publicly heralded his victory. In doing so he proclaimed judgment on the wicked. Already now, those who have Rev. Joe Poppe 4
rejected Christ are suffering the torments of hell. We know that from the parable Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. Yet Christ's victory means that these people will suffer eternally. While today their suffering is only in spirit, once Christ returns and their bodies are reunited with their souls - they will suffer God's wrath completely forevermore. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power. (2Thes.1:9). To know that Christ is King, and to be forsaken by him eternally that is hell. To live in darkness and torment, away from the Lord and his goodness forevermore that is the worst punishment imaginable. Thus our text helps us to place suffering within the context of eternity. From an earthly perspective it indeed seems unfair that the wicked prosper, while we as God's children often undergo hard times. Yet God will balance the scales. Christ's ascension into heaven is a proclamation of judgment on the wicked, and it warns us not to follow in their footsteps. Instead, we are called to hold fast the Lord Jesus Christ and entrust our lives to him, also through the midst of tough times. Having seen how through his ascension into heaven Christ proclaimed his judgment on the wicked, we now come to our second point. In it we'll see how through his ascension Christ provides comfort for his suffering people. After our text mentioned the disobedient of Noah's day, it also speaks of God's mercy on Noah and his family. Not only did God punish the unbelieving and unrepentant world with the flood. He also saved Noah and his family through the midst of the water. In doing so Peter points out God's grace and love for his people. Let us remember the persecution that Noah had to undergo. He, as a righteous man, had to live in the midst of an exceedingly wicked people (Gen.6:9-13). God was grieved because the people of Noah s day were corrupt, and full of violence. Life would not have been easy for Noah, living as a righteous man among wicked people. They noticed he was different, and would have given him a hard time about it. We can only imagine the mocking and reviling Noah must have undergone in building the ark. "What do you need such a big ship for, Noah? How are you ever going to get the thing into the water? What a fool building a boat in the middle of the pasture." Noah had to put up with this year after year while he continued building the ark. Hebrews 11:7 says, By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. In verse 21 of our text, Peter applies God's salvation of Noah and his family to us. Just as Noah was saved through the water of the flood, so we are saved through the water of baptism. In the early church, baptism was often administered through immersion in water. You go into the water sweaty and dirty; you come out washed and clean. That is a picture of what happens to us spiritually. When we share in union with Christ, we are washed by his blood and Spirit. Our sins are washed away, and we are renewed more and more in Christ s image. Thus we have a picture of how in Christ we die to our sins, and are raised up to walk in newness of life. This has all been made possible through Christ s ascension into heaven. Christ wouldn t be much of a Saviour if he had just died for us. We might see him as a dead martyr, but he would not be able to help us in any way. The reason we worship Christ as our Redeemer is that he rose and ascended into heaven. Our text speaks about this directly in verse 22. It says that Jesus Christ has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand-- with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. The fact that Christ is seated on the throne at God s right hand symbolizes his glorious position and his great power. Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings. Every knee will bow before Rev. Joe Poppe 5
him, and every tongue confess him as Lord (Phil.2:9-11). For Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Mat.28:18). Even Satan and his evil spirits cannot act against God s people without permission from our Lord and King. Christ's ascension into heaven teaches us about how we have a King on the throne in heaven. He rules over this world for the sake of his church (Eph.1:22). The comfort that we derive from this is that no one and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom.8:35-39). Christ's ascension into heaven teaches us that we have a High Priest seated at the Father's right hand. He intercedes for us; he mediates on our behalf. The comfort that we derive from this is that we can draw near to God in prayer in all circumstances of life (Heb.4:14-16). God will hear and answer us for Christ's sake (Joh.14:13-14). It is true beloved, that at times we can lose perspective on life. In the midst of struggles, and trials, and temptations - we can at times lose sight of God's mercy and grace towards us. At times we may think that God is not dealing fairly with us. Yet our text points to Jesus Christ, and to his victory after a life of suffering. So it also comforts us in the midst of our struggles. Are you confronted with sickness, problems in relationships, financial hardships, or other difficulties in your life? Do you sometimes think that the Christian life is all too hard, that it is not really worth living any more? Do you sometimes feel like giving up on God, because it seems like he has given up on you? Do not despair. Don't give up hope. The ascension of Jesus Christ provides us with enduring comfort. If we look at the life of the Lord Jesus Christ we see that he had to undergo a great humiliation before he was exalted to glory. Christ had to suffer; yes, he even had to die. A shameful and accursed death on the cross! Yet afterwards our Lord arose and went up into heaven. There he is praised and adored for his mighty deeds of salvation by the angels and those who have died in him. Thus in Christ's life we see that suffering was followed by glory. As Christians, we should not be surprised at the painful trial we are suffering, as though something strange were happening to us (1Pet.4:12). We have our Lord's promise that he will sustain us through times of sorrow and trouble. 2 Peter 2:9 says that the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials. We have Christ s assurance that after suffering comes glory. Scripture comforts us with the message that the suffering of this age is nothing compared with the glory we will inherit on the final day. Therefore, beloved, as the author of Hebrews says in chapter 12, "let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Heb.12:1-3). It is true that we may have to undergo difficulties and trials in this life. We may have to suffering the reviling and slander and persecution of the world. Yet by looking to Christ we can bear our suffering patiently, we can even rejoice in it. For we know that after suffering comes glory. We have Christ's assurance that he will take us up to himself into everlasting joy and glory. Thus we may rejoice at our Saviour's ascension into heaven. Amen. Rev. Joe Poppe 6