1 Peter 3:18-20

I Peter 3:18-20

Grace beyond the Grave

“Would you open your Bibles with me to...”

1Pet 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1Pet 3:19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

1Pet 3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Prayer

Intro

√ What lies beyond Death?

What happens when a person dies? Every person at some point in their life ask these questions…

Do they simply cease to exist?

Does their soul sleep?

Is there a heaven and hell?

The truth is that whatever answer people give, if it's not based upon the Word of God it is merely speculation!

Only Jesus can speak with authority on the subject of what lies beyond the grave as He is the only One to who has been there and back!

Rev. 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Ap. Christians - many ignorant of what the Bible tells us about life after death.

Many have a surface understanding of what happens to a person when they die. Yet, when pressed to give a…

"reason for the hope that is within us"

…can't find the scriptures to back up their beliefs.

√ This morning we're going to look at the subject of what happens after death so that…

You will have hope for yourself!

You can share that hope with others!

Buckle up and get your Bible ready - we're gonna cover some text this morning!

Where did Jesus go when He died? (vs. 18-20)

1Pet 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1Pet 3:19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

With very little commentary Peter makes passing reference to the time in which Jesus was dead and tells us that…

"He went and preached to the spirits in prison,"

…and then in vs. 20 identifies those spirits as those who were…

"formerly disobedient - in the days of Noah"

What is Peter talking about!?

√ The Grave

To understand what happens to a person when they die we really need to examine the whole counsel of God.

That is, we can't take these few verses in Peter and come to a full understanding of what lies beyond death.

We need to compare scripture with scripture so that we can put together a complete picture from God's Word.

I would suggest that the place which Peter is speaking of here is the place the Bible calls…

Hades (Greek)

Sheol (Hebrew)

"the place of departed souls:-- grave, hell, the pit."

Important to understand that this is not the "hell" people generally refer to when they talk about someone "going to hell".

(We'll cover that place later!)

Rather, this is the place where the spirits of the dead go to await their eternal destiny.

Originally Hades, or Sheol, consisted of two compartments - one a place of torment, the other a place of blessing.

Jesus speaks of this place in Luke's Gospel.

√ Two waiting rooms

Luk. 16:19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.

Luk. 16:20 “But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,

Luk. 16:21 “desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luk. 16:22 “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

Luk. 16:23 “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Luk. 16:24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

Luk. 16:25 “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

Luk. 16:26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

Note - not a parable:

Jesus doesn't say…

"was like"

…rather, He speaks as if this story actually happened and represents real people and real places!

Two waiting rooms:

Abraham's bosom (AKA "paradise - Luke 23:43 - thief) where the righteous wait for their redemption.

Hades where the unrighteous wait in torment for their judgement.

Ap. So, in the Old Testament times when a person died their spirit went to Hades.

The Old Testament saints like Abraham, Moses, David, etc., went to this place called "paradise", or "Abraham's bosom". They did so because they, like Abraham pleased God by their faith in Him and looked forward to the work of the Messiah to set them free.

Those who did not live by faith but rejected God were sent to wait in torment.

You may be thinking…"are they still there"? The answer, yes and no!

"Paradise for rent"

√ Paradise is empty today!

The Bible reveals to us that after Jesus rose from the dead that He opened the door for those Old Testament saints to join Him in heaven and leave Paradise empty.

Eph. 4:8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”

Eph. 4:9 (Now this, “He ascended”--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?

Eph. 4:10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

Note Paul's commentary regarding the ministry of Jesus to set the captives free.

He first descended - to Hades

He then ascended - to Heaven

That is, when Jesus died He went to this place called Hades and set free all those who had been waiting for Him.

He was able to do that because His Death upon the Cross provided the means by which all those Old Testament saints could be redeemed!

More than that, Jesus took the very keys (authority) over Death and Hades from Satan so that He could make heaven and eternal life available to all who would trust in Him!!!

Rev. 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

√ When did this happen!?

When Jesus rose from the dead.

Mat. 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Mat. 27:51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

Mat. 27:52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

Mat. 27:53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

√ The unrighteous are still in Hades

Please note that those whom Jesus freed represent only those who had were in Paradise. Those like the Rich Man in Jesus' story in Luke 16 remain in waiting for judgement.

How do we know that?

Turn to Rev. 20 - note the context - this happens after the Millennium.

Rev. 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

Rev. 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

Rev. 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Rev. 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev. 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

So, while the righteous were freed by Jesus and live today with Him in Heaven…

…the unrighteous are still waiting in Hades for that terrible day when they will be judged for their sin and be cast into the Lake of Fire.

What about you?

√ What happens when you die?

All of this makes for an interesting theological discussion…

…but what happens to "me" when I die!

Ap. That's where the rubber meets the road!

We're all destined to die…

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

…unless of course we're blessed to live in that generation which Jesus removes from the earth at the Rapture of the Church.

So, it's of utmost importance to each of us to know what happens to us when we die.

1) The Christian

Defined as that person has truly given their life to Christ. Their Spirit goes immediately into heaven to be with Jesus

2Cor. 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

And…

Phil. 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Phil. 1:22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.

Phil. 1:23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Phil. 1:24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

So, for those who trust in Jesus as their Savior, when they die their spirit goes immediately to heaven.

Their physical body remains in the earth ("sleeping") until the Rapture of the Chruch.

Then the dead in Christ come with Him to call those who are alive in Christ to join them in Heaven.

Both receive their new body at the Rapture.

1The. 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

1The. 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

1The. 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

1The. 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

1The. 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

1The. 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

And…

1Cor. 15:50Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

1Cor. 15:51Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--

1Cor. 15:52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Ap. Free from the fear of Death!

Death has no hold over you anymore! Rather, after you take your last breath here on earth you will then breath your first breath of Heaven's glory!

2) The unbeliever

When an unbeliever dies today their spirit goes to Hades to await the Great White Throne judgement spoken of in Rev. 20.

No hope

No second chances

Eternally separated from God

The greatest tragedy is that God has done everything possible to make sure that no one goes to Hell!

1tim. 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

1tim. 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

God doesn't send anyone to Hell, each person is given the choice as to where they will spend their eternity.

That choice is made in this life.

Ap. Have you made that choice?

√ Life after death - only the Bible can speak with authority

√ Christian - what a wonderful hope we have!

√ Non-Christian - are you willing to gamble your eternity that your opinion about what happens after death is correct?

Jesus rose from the dead in part to prove that He knew what He was talking about and that He has the authority to grant eternal life to whoever trusts in Him.