The Just for the Unjust
April 24, 2016, a.m.& p.m. (1Peter 3:18-22) Command Baptist Church
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Text: (vs. 18) - “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
Verse 18 is a key verse every Christian believer should memorize and utilize. If you will memorize this verse and its content, you will be ready at any moment to give an answer to every man that asks you of the hope of your salvation with meekness and fear.
There is a connection between verses 17 & 18. Verse 17 speaks of the suffering of the saints and verse 18 speaks of the suffering of the Savior. The conclusions are obvious. 1] The Lord Jesus suffered for us. 2] Suffering is a normal part of the Christian’s life. 3] God uses our suffering for His glory and our good..
In verses 18-22, it’s as if Peter takes three snapshots of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There are three meaningful things about the Lord Jesus that are of great interest in these verses. Peter portrays Jesus as the Suffering Savior, (vs. 18), the Silent Savior, (19-20), and the Sovereign Savior, (vs. 22).
BI - “This verse is loaded with theology that exalts the Savior and equips the saints.”
*** The Suffering Savior - (vs. 18)
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
There are five facts Peter mentions in this first portrayal of the Lord Jesus Christ as the suffering Savior. He tells us first that:
1. Jesus’ Suffering was Timely - “For Christ also hath once suffered…”
During the Old Testament era, people brought a sin offering as a sacrifice to the Lord through a God-anointed priest, (Lev. 5:7; 6:30). Since men have always been sinners and therefore continued to sin, this was a reoccurring sacrifice. The sin question was never satisfied in the Old Testament economy. This happened every day of the year, year after year, and decade upon decade.
It was not satisfied until “one” major, exclusive event occurred in history. Jesus, the Son of God, became the perfect, permanent, propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of all men. He suffered on the cross for us. He took our suffering, our sin with its enormous debt load, and our hell for us! Jesus did it “once” for all time, and “once” was enough! Jesus’ suffering was timely. God appointed a day from the foundation of the world, (Rev. 13:8), in which the sin question would be finally and permanently dealt with. Paul wrote this to the Galatian church,
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, (Gal. 4:4-5).
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation, (Heb. 9:24-28).
APP: Jesus suffered for sin and He understands your suffering.
Jesus appeared in history to answer the sin question, and He did that. But, there is more here. The apostle Peter reminds us of the Lord’s suffering for our sin. But, he reminds us of the suffering of the Lord as if to say, “God understands your suffering. He suffered once too.” He knows what it is like to undergo the tremendous pressure of suffering that comes to one who strives to live for God. He knows what it “feels” like because He suffered once like you suffer now, only to a greater degree. He knows the mental agony and physical strain that comes with suffering in life.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, (Mt. 26:36-45), Jesus suffered greatly as He agonized under the weight of the heavy burden placed on Him until great drops of blood poured from His brow. The next morning He suffered the humility of an illegal court as they brought silly, nonsensical, and unethical accusations against Him. Afterwards, He was accused of blasphemy and smitten by the hands of religion. Then, His beard was plucked from his face, His body riven by the lashes of the Roman “cat of nine tails,” a leather whip laced with pieces of bone, metal and glass.
Yes indeed, Jesus Christ knows what it is like to suffer for He Himself once suffered. Whatever you go through today or tomorrow, there is a Savior who knows what that is like and how that feels. When you’re dejected, discouraged, disappointed and downtrodden, He knows how you feel. The Bible says,
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, (Heb. 4:15-16).
==> The 1st thing Peter mentions in his portrayal of the suffering Savior is that His suffering was timely. The 2nd thing He mentions is that:
2. Jesus’ Suffering was Tender - “the just for the unjust…”
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed, (1Pet. 2:24).
Here’s the difference between the suffering of the Savior and our suffering. His suffering was tender, compassionate, loving and kind. You see; He suffered for us. He suffered in our place. He suffered as “the Just for the unjust.” We suffer because we are sinners living in a sin cursed world, but Jesus wasn’t a sinner: He was just.
He suffered for the sins of all men because all men are sinners! Every man is guilty of sin before a holy God. The Bible says, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God,” (Rom. 3:19). Yes, we are sinners, and there is no way to deny that. But, what is sin? The Bible says that:
A. Sin is crossing the line.
The sign is posted, “No Trespassing, Private Property,” but you go in anyway. You can conjure up every reason in the world why it is okay for you to go on the land posted by its owner, but there is no excuse. When you trespass on private property without permission, you are breaking the law of the land. You’re violating civil law.
Why did you do it? Why did you go somewhere that you know you shouldn’t go? Was it because you didn’t believe it was wrong to trespass? Was it due to a rebellious, disobedient spirit? Was it because you rejected the warning of the property owner? It really doesn’t matter “why” you trespassed. The fact is that you did! When you did, you violated civil law and you are guilty of trespassing.
Friend, sin is the transgression of God’s moral law. When you do things that God has said you should not do in the Bible, you’ve violated His holy Law. You’ve sinned against God by breaking His laws. The Bible says:
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin, (James 4:17).
People treat this lightly today. It means nothing to them that they are violating God’s moral laws. They have their own set of laws and by those laws, they can break everyone else’s, and should not be condemned for it. But it doesn’t work that way with God. There is a payday someday.
==> What is sin? “Sin is crossing the line.” 2nd,
B. Sin is missing the mark.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, (Rom. 3:23).
There is a dartboard hanging in your clubhouse or basement. In the middle of the dartboard is a big red circle. It’s called the “bull’s eye.” That’s the sweet spot on the dartboard. If you can hit that spot you will win the game of darts every time. It’s the biggest spot on the board. It’s brightly colored, centrally located, and proportionately larger, but you still can’t hit it.
The problem is not with the bull’s eye, but the fact is that you cannot it. You take careful aim, clear your mind, and while keeping your eyes on the dartboard, you launch the projectile. It’s on its trajectory to the bright red circle slap dab in the middle of the board. It gets closer and closer and closer until it hits the board. Does it land in the middle? Not likely. What has happened? It has missed its mark again.
Most likely, when you take your turn at darts you come up short of the bull’s eye. That’s a common occurrence. That’s a picture of sin. God has a perfect plan. He has set certain standards for us to live by that because of our sinful nature are impossible to hit. We try, but we can never measure up to God’s perfect standard of holiness and righteousness.
Friend, you can live the best you know how to live in your own power and you will fall short of God’s perfect standard every time. That’s because you are a sinner and sin is missing the mark. God has a higher standard and you cannot reach it in your own power and ability. He made allowances for that, but you cannot obtain His allowances by yourself or on your own. It doesn’t matter which way you cut it: you are a sinner and will fall sort every time!
==> What is sin? “Sin is crossing the line.” 2nd, “Sin is missing the mark.” 3rd,
C. Sin is rebellion against God.
The angry crowd brought the Lord Jesus to Pilate to have Him crucified. Why were they so angry? What had Jesus done that made them so mad? Had He violated the Law of God? No, He hadn’t done that. Was He a sinful man like they? No, He was not. They were stirred to anger because of the religious hierarchy that ran things in Jerusalem. They had so stirred up the mob that they in turn were in a rebellious frenzy.
Sin is rebellion against God. When men and women decide that they will do whatever they wish to do with no regard to what God says about it, they are living in sinful rebellion against God!
ILL: The Tiniest Little Child Demonstrates Rebellion in Sin
There is a trinket on the bookshelves at Grandma’s house. It’s just within reach of those precious little hands. At first, the little one doesn’t know that it is wrong for them to play with the trinket. They reach for it and take it at will without even thinking about it. But Grandma sees what is happening and says, “No. No.”
At first, that precious baby doesn’t understand, but eventually he gets the idea that Grandma doesn’t want him to play with it. Grandma continues to reinforce with “No. No. Don’t touch that,” and the child does what Grandma says when she is present. But, that precious little child moves beyond the realm of obedience. We cannot believe what we are seeing. A “No. No,” is no longer sufficient. The time comes when a smack on the hand or a swat on the bottom is no longer effective.
What in the world has happened to this precious innocent little child? It was there all the time: we just did not recognize it for what it was. That precious little child is a sinner like the rest of us and sin is “rebellion against God.” They don’t know they are rebelling against God at this point, but they know they for certain they are rebelling against you!
The Bible says that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman. The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin. The Bible says that sex outside of marriage is a sin. The Bible says that taking the life of the unborn is murder. The list goes on, but the point is clear: when we tell God that we don’t care what He thinks or that His standards for righteousness are not ours and therefore we will live by our own standards regardless of what His Word says, we are in clear rebellion against God! My friend, that is sin too!
As sinners, we are guilty of:
• Disbelieving God
• Disobedience to God
• Dishonoring God
• Rebelling against God
• Rejecting God
Man has transgressed against a holy God. He has broken God’s laws, crossed the line, missed the mark, and rebelled against God’s perfect standard. Because God’s law has been broken, a penalty must be paid. The penalty for sin is death, according to (Romans 6:23).
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, (Rom. 6:23).
Death is separation. Because of sin, man must be separated from God forever! God is perfect and therefore without sin. Only perfect people can go to Heaven and to live with God forever. If you’re thinking, “That leaves me out,” you’re getting the point.
Man’s sin dooms him to physical death and eternal separation from God. But, God doesn’t want it to be that way. The glorious gospel of Christ declares that Christ “died for our sins… was buried…and rose again the third day,” (1Cor. 15:3-4). He suffered for us, “the just for the unjust.” He bore the full load of our sins and the pure wrath of God for those sins! He suffered the guilt and shame of our sin by taking that burden upon Himself, and then bore the judgment and punishment for our sins!
==> 1st, Peter mentions in his portrayal of the suffering Savior that His suffering was timely, “For Christ has also once suffered.” 2nd, He mentions in is portrayal of the suffering Savior that His suffering was tender - “the just for the unjust.” 3rd, Peter mentions that:
3. His Suffering was Thoughtful - “to bring us to God…”
The question here is: “Why did Jesus suffer as the Just for the unjust?” Jesus told Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane that He could have called twelve legions of angels to set Him free, (Mt. 26:53), but that wasn’t the plan of God. The plan of God was for Jesus to suffer on our behalf in order to “bring us to God.”
This is reconciliation. Reconciliation is the settlement of hostilities between two parties resulting in peace between them. Reconciliation was made possible by the suffering Savior! The Bible says:
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life, (Rom. 5:10).
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation, (2Cor. 5:18-19).
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, (Col. 1:21).
Our sin separated us from God: that was a terrible plight. Our sin alienated us from God, (Eh. 4:18; Col. 1:21), and that is a terrible plight. However, when Jesus took our sin upon Himself:
• Our sin was removed! We were made acceptable to God through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross in behalf of our sins.
• The sin debt was paid in full! Never again will we ever be separated from God and never again will a payment be demanded for sin. The sacrifice Jesus made in our behalf satisfied the Father!
• The wall of separation was removed! Now, we have access to the Father through the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ.
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him, (Eph. 3:11-12).
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Rom. 8:38-39).
We are acceptable to God through the suffering of Jesus Christ alone! We must cast ourselves, that is (all that we have and all that we are), upon Him! We must believe in Jesus Christ with all our heart, and surrender to Him all of our soul, mind and strength. When we come to that point, and only when we come to that point, do we experience the glorious, life-changing salvation that God has to offer.
When we come to this place in life, God accepts us in Christ, our sins are covered, and the wall of separation between us and God is removed! We experience peace with God.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father, (Eph. 2:14-18).
==> 1st, Peter writes in his portrayal of the suffering Savior that His suffering was timely, “For Christ has also once suffered.” 2nd, He writes in this portrayal that His suffering was tender - “the just for the unjust.” 3rd, Peter writes that His suffering was thoughtful - “to bring us to God...” 4th, Peter writes in his portrayal of the suffering Savior that:
4. His Suffering was Terminal - “being put to death in the flesh…”
When we speak of the suffering of Jesus Christ, we must conclude that His was the ultimate in suffering. Yes, He bore our grief and carried our sorrows, (Isa. 53:4). Yes, He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, (Isa. 53:5). Yes, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, (Isa. 53:5).
Jesus suffered greatly at the hands of sinners. He was beaten and bruised, smitten and afflicted. He was blasphemed, mocked, cursed and ridiculed. The bones in His body were pulled out of joint when they dropped His cross into the hole atop Mount Calvary. The Lord Jesus experienced every single deliberate, shameful, hurtful, disgraceful thing a man could suffer, but it went further than that. His suffering was terminal! That is, He died!
I didn’t say that He was in a swoon, as liberal theologians say. I don’t mean by that, that He suffered to the point of passing out. I mean that He suffered to the very end of life. He didn’t pass out: He passed away! He didn’t disengage: He died!
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost, (John 19:30).
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, (1Cor. 15:3).
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again, (2Cor. 5:15).
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight, (Col. 1:22).
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man, (Heb. 2:9).
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, (Rev. 5:9).
When we speak of the suffering of Jesus we not only mean that He suffered the pain and agony of our sin being placed upon Him, we mean that Jesus suffered the pain and reality of death for you and me! His suffering was terminal! This is (Romans 5:6-8).
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, (Rom. 5:6-8).
==> 1st, Peter writes in his portrayal of the suffering Savior that His suffering was timely, “For Christ has also once suffered.” 2nd, He writes in this portrayal that His suffering was tender - “the just for the unjust.” 3rd, Peter writes that His suffering was thoughtful - “to bring us to God...” 4th, Peter writes in his portrayal of the suffering Savior that His suffering was terminal! He was “put to death in the flesh.” 5thly and lastly Peter writes in his portrayal of the suffering Savior that:
5. His Suffering was Temporary - “but quickened by the Spirit.”
Yes, Jesus suffered for us. He suffered at a point in time in history, (once). He suffered tenderly on our behalf as (the just for the unjust). He suffered thoughtfully to (bring us to God). He suffered terminally by (being put to death) thereby paying the ultimate sacrifice for sin.
He was put to death in the flesh, but praise God, though it was the end of His suffering, it was not the end of the Savior! His suffering, though terminal, was only temporary!
Joseph and Nicodemus went to Pilate to beg the body of the Lord Jesus. They carried His dead body to a cold, dark, empty tomb. The wrapped His lifeless body in death rags and placed it the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. It was a sad day in their lives. They believed Jesus to be Messiah, the anointed one who was to redeem Israel, and He was gone!
The remainder of the apostles and many of His disciples of Jesus went into hiding. They were holding up and hanging on for dear life. They were soon to follow the fate of Jesus. What happened that week? Things weren’t supposed to go that way. Their plans were shattered. They were mystified with unbelief.
What they didn’t know was that it was not over! What they thought was final was only temporary. What they imagined to be the end was only the beginning! Yes, Jesus had suffered. Yes, He had died. But, how are you going to permanently silence the one who called Himself the LIFE? How are you going to stop the one who said He was the resurrection? Every believer who has come after Jesus Christ has been given the promise of the resurrection because Jesus’ suffering though complete, was only temporary! He arose from the grave!
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you, (Mt. 28:1-7).
Chorus from Sugar Grove Singers’ song - He arose from the grave, He arose from the grave. Death could not hold Him, He arose from the grave. It proved that God was satisfied with the sacrifice He made. Now He sits beside the Father: He arose from the grave.
==> Yes, His suffering was timely, “For Christ has also once suffered.” Yes, His suffering was tender - “the just for the unjust.” Yes, His suffering was thoughtful - “to bring us to God...” Yes, His suffering was terminal! He was “put to death in the flesh.” Yes, His suffering was temporary. “He was quickened by the Spirit.”
