​            Words like “great” and “awesome” have lost a little bit of their punch in our language. We use them so often and for so many things that they’ve lost a little bit of their significance. For example, we might eat a really tasty pizza and say, “Wow! That pizza was awesome!” Or on the Fourth of July, we might rig up some kind of homemade bomb and when we set it off we say, “That was awesome!”
            I think it’s kind of humorous to put the dictionary definition of “awesome” into those statements. We’d feel kind of silly saying, “That pizza filled me with an overwhelming sense of reverence!” The dictionary does also mention an overwhelming sense of fear, so that might apply to your homemade bomb on the Fourth of July!
            Because of the way that we use words like “great” and “awesome,” when we talk in church about the Great Commission, we might wonder what’s great about it. Why do we call it the “Great” Commission, anyway? I’d like to give you four answers to that question today as we take a look at the commission that Jesus gave his disciples in Matthew 28:16-20.
            The event recorded in this passage is taking place after Jesus rose from the grave. The text says, “Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee [remember that Judas Iscariot is no longer part of the group!], to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.”
            That statement takes us by surprise in this story. What were the disciples doubting? Were some of them doubting whether Jesus had really come back to life?
            Most likely, their doubts were about their worship. The Greek term here includes the act of bowing down to someone, and even though the disciples were coming to understand that Jesus was God and the Messiah, he was also a human being, and the thought of bowing down to a human being would have been very foreign to the minds of these Jewish men.
            So most likely, they were having questions or doubts about what they should do now in the presence of Jesus. “Does he want us to bow down to him? After all, we remember him washing our feet and telling us not to act all high and mighty. What does he want us to do?”
            Jesus doesn’t address any questions of etiquette, but instead he gives them a mission, or we might say he commissions them for a job. Starting in verse 18, we begin to see why we refer to this as the “Great” Commission.
 
1. It comes from a great authority
            [READ v. 18] The first part of the Father’s plan for Jesus required him to submit to various human beings. He submitted to his parents while he was growing up, then later he submitted to the Jewish and Roman authorities.
            But the days for Jesus to submit to other humans are over. The Father has declared him to be the Lord of heaven and earth, and if only all men everywhere would worship him as such! But many people have not heard that Jesus is their Lord and Savior, or some have heard and they have continued in rebellion against him. And so, there is a need for the commission Jesus gives his disciples in verses 19 and 20.
 
2. It has a great goal
            [READ v. 19-20] What a lofty and satisfying goal this is, to call people to become apprentices of Jesus – to call them to embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior, then to make that fact known through baptism, then to learn from Jesus’ teachings how to navigate all the ins and outs of life.
            This is the greatest goal to which we could possibly devote our lives. What even compares to it? Accumulating a fortune that you just have to leave behind anyway? A fortune that your kids might fight over or even squander? Grasping for your 15 minutes of fame that might be gone even before you are?
            No goal could possibly be greater than this commission, and this commission also serves as the marching orders for the church. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What should our church really be focused on?” there’s really no mystery to the answer. We are to make disciples of all nations, lead people to be baptized, and teach them how to live a life that’s based on the commandments of God. Now sure, some of the details will be different for different churches based on where they’re located and the resources they have, but our common goal is laid out right here, and it’s as plain as day.
 
3. It has a great scope
            Notice that Jesus told them to make disciples of all nations. Previously, in Matthew 10, Jesus had sent the disciples out on a short-term preaching tour, and at that time he had told them to stay within the boundaries of Israel.
            But now there was to be no such restriction. Since Jesus has all authority on earth, all the inhabitants of Earth need to hear the offer of peace from their crucified and risen King. The Gospel is not a message for Israel alone, but for all people. There is also no room for prejudice or racism in our efforts to spread the Gospel. The offer of salvation is made to all people, and all people need to hear it.
 
4. It comes with a great promise
            After giving his disciples this commission, he gives them this promise: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
            In may seem ironic that after giving this promise, Jesus left the Earth and returned to heaven just a few days later. But by doing so, he made it possible to be with all of his disciples all the time – at the same time, no matter where they might be. Remember that Jesus’ physical body could not be in two places at once any more than yours or mine can.
            But after returning to heaven, Jesus sent his Spirit upon his disciples on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit has come to live in every believer since that time. So Jesus has certainly made good on this promise, and he will continue to do so.
 
            The Spirit’s presence within us is a wonderful reality of the unity that we enjoy with Jesus through faith. Baptism is a wonderful picture of that unity as we symbolize the fact that through faith, we have died, been buried, and have been raised to new life with Jesus. Let us celebrate with those who choose to take this important step.

            When we study the life of Jesus, we run across some events that we certainly can’t repeat and can hardly even imitate. For example, we read about Jesus telling people precisely what they we’re thinking in their own minds. Despite what our children may think from time to time, we all know that we can’t read other people’s thoughts! We also read about an event like the Transfiguration, when the glory of Jesus’ divine nature began to shine through him and make his body glow. We certainly have no way of imitating Jesus in that.
            But when we look at the Lord’s baptism, we discover that we can imitate him in this through our own baptisms – not in all the details of course, but certainly in the spirit of why Jesus was baptized. So today, we’re going to take a look at the baptism of Jesus to see how we might be able to follow his example.
 
Setting the Stage
            To understand part of the significance of Jesus’ baptism, we have to place it in the overall story of his life. As you all know, Jesus was born into this world with tremendous fanfare and a number of supernatural events. The angels were working overtime, we remember, as angelic visitors came to speak with Mary, Joseph, and Zechariah, and then a whole choir of them appeared in the sky to announce the Lord’s birth to the shepherds. A supernatural light led some Wise Men from the East to the place where Jesus was, and they referred to him as the King of the Jews!
            And after all of those incredible events, we read about – well, we read about not much of anything until Jesus was around 30 years old! Apart from one story of Jesus demonstrating his knowledge in the Temple when he was 12 years old, the Bible doesn’t record any details about Jesus’ childhood. Apparently, he just lived a quiet and normal life for all those years!
            I have to think that the fact that Jesus lived such an ordinary life for so long must’ve been very confusing and frustrating for all of the people who knew about his incredible birth. Surely for so many years they were on pins and needles, just waiting for amazing things to happen through him, yet here he was, growing up just like a normal Jewish boy.
            Jesus’ baptism was the event that began to change all of that. From that day forward, Jesus’ life was anything but ordinary. It was extraordinary in every way, so the Lord’s baptism marked a major turning point in his life.
            This moment began to take shape when Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, began to baptize some of their fellow Jewish countrymen in the Jordan River. John likely earned his nickname “the Baptist” because what he was doing was so unusual to the Jewish people. You see, the Jews did not use the ritual of baptism for themselves – they used it exclusively for Gentiles who wanted to convert to their religion.
            The Jews thought of the Gentiles as needing a fresh start – a whole new beginning, which is part of what baptism symbolizes. They didn’t see themselves in the same light, however. Sure – they were aware that they committed sins now and then, but they believed their connection to Abraham put them on good terms with God from the moment they were born.
            But John came along and warned the Jewish people that that was not true. If they wanted to be on good terms with God, they needed a fresh start, too – just the same as the Gentiles did. They had to realize that your family tree does not make you right with God – your faith does, so they needed to repent of their sins and express their faith in God.
            So John’s call for the Jewish people to undergo baptism was very unusual. His ministry drew a lot of attention, and the fact that the public was focused on John seems to have been at least part of the reason why Jesus came to him to be baptized as well. Jesus’ baptism served as his coming-out party. This was his big entrance onto the public stage, and with the supernatural events that took place, it made for quite an entrance!
            Baptism is supposed to serve a similar role for us. It serves as our entrance onto the public stage as followers of Christ. When you place your faith in Jesus, that decision begins to transform you, but nevertheless, other people will not know that you have made that decision unless you tell them. Your baptism is meant to serve as your formal declaration that you are a follower of Jesus and that you want to be identified with him.
 
Matthew 3:13-17
            Let’s take a closer look at what happened when Jesus came to be baptized by John [READ vv. 13-14]. Notice how John initially resisted Jesus’ request to be baptized. After all, John’s baptism was designed for people to express repentance, and he knew full well that Jesus had nothing to repent of!
            But Jesus persuaded him with this reply [READ v. 15]. Jesus knew that it was God the Father’s will for him to be baptized, and this statement is just one of many that highlight the care and concern that Jesus had at all times to carry out His Father’s will. In John 4:33, Jesus described obedience as the very food that sustained his soul: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
            In his eagerness to do the Father’s will, Jesus has given us precisely the example that we should follow. We must also have a careful concern to obey God’s will in everything. Before the Lord Jesus returned to Heaven, he spoke these words to his disciples in Matthew 28:18-20: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit (here is another reason why we baptize – because Jesus commanded it for his followers), teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
            It’s almost as if Jesus could have said, “Teach them to follow my example. Just as I obeyed the Father in everything, teach my disciples to obey all that I have commanded you.” For us, choosing to be baptized is an expression of our commitment to do all that Jesus has commanded us. And with such a public expression should come a new level of accountability with your brothers and sisters in Christ. We should celebrate with this young lady today and affirm the decision that she has made to follow Jesus. We should renew and recommit to our efforts to encourage her and help her learn as a child of God.
            Jesus was very careful to carry out the Father’s will, and on this occasion of his baptism, the Father wanted to make his opinion of Jesus publicly known so that everyone who witnessed this event might begin to understand exactly who Jesus was. Notice what took place after Jesus came up from the water [READ vv. 16-17].
            The Jewish people in this crowd who witnessed these things and who knew the Old Testament well may have had their thoughts turn toward Isaiah 42:1-2, which says, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.”
            For everyone who witnessed Jesus’ baptism that day, the man that they saw go down into the water may have just seemed like a young man from Galilee. But when he came up from the water, they had unmistakable signs that this man was unique and special. From this moment on, Jesus’ life would never be quiet or private ever again. These people had heard from heaven that Jesus is the Son of God, and if they followed his life, they would start to learn exactly what that meant.
            God the Father’s declaration from heaven is filled with such love and compassion. It would be a terrible oversight for me not to remind you today that when you accept Christ as your Savior, you enjoy what we might call the “spillover effect” of the pleasure that God the Father has in God the Son. When you are born again, on the spiritual level your life becomes hidden in Christ, so that the deep pleasure that God the Father has in Jesus spills over onto you as well.
            Just because of your new status as a child of God, He takes great delight in you as well. This fact that we are joined together with Christ is also part of what we symbolize through baptism. The act of going under the water and coming back out again symbolizes that we have been joined together with Jesus in his death, his burial, and his resurrection so that now our destiny is tied up in his destiny. Because of what he has accomplished, we are a new creation – dead to ourselves and our old passions and desires and alive to God as his own children.
            May we rejoice today in all that Jesus has accomplished for us, and in how the act of baptism reminds us of that and symbolizes it for us. May we rejoice and celebrate with this young girl who is taking such a great step of obedience and setting a great example for us all!
           
​

            On this day when we celebrate a young man’s baptism, it may seem odd that we are about to take a look at a passage on dealing with persecution. But there is a connection between these things – allow me to explain.
            For many people throughout history and around the world today, their baptism is a moment that invites persecution from their friends and family. When people convert to Christianity out of some other religion, their baptism is often seen as the moment when they are making their break from their former religion official. They have trusted in Christ prior to that, of course, but their friends and family might be willing to tolerate their faith as just some quirky opinions. But when these brothers and sisters are baptized, they often find themselves facing the brunt of hostility from their friends and family.
            The attitude that one expresses in baptism – this desire to be known as a follower of Christ – is an attitude that will bring persecution to each one of us at some point in time. It may be the loss of a friendship, or it may be insults and slander, but as the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
            We all must be prepared, then, to face persecution. In 1 Peter 4:12-19, we find a condensed version of Peter’s teaching in this book about how to handle persecution. In this passage, we can break down his plan into four phases.
 
Phase 1—Expect persecution (v. 12)
            This is not to say that we need to live in constant fear or dread, but we just need to keep ahold of the realization that at some point, someone is not going to like a decision that you make on the basis of your faith, and they’re going to let you know about it—perhaps in subtle ways, like avoiding you, or perhaps in obvious ways, like insulting you or making life hard for you. Notice what Peter writes in v. 12 [READ v. 12].
            The point is that we simply need to remember that persecution will come our way in this world that is in rebellion against God. If we don’t remember that, then we might be caught off guard by it and be ill-prepared to handle it. But by keeping the possibility in mind, we won’t be taken by surprise.
 
Phase 2—Rejoice during persecution (vv. 13-14)
            This commandment always seems at least a little bit counterintuitive, but Peter gives us three solid reasons as to why we should rejoice when we face persecution.
 
1. You’re being associated with Christ
            [READ v. 13a] That’s a very interesting way for Peter to word this thought. Obviously, you and I are the ones who are here physically on earth enduring the suffering, but notice how Peter states that the sufferings really belong to Christ. When people persecute you, even though they don’t understand this, their real target is not you but Christ who is in you.
            Jesus takes it personally when we are persecuted for being known by his name. When he appeared to the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, the first thing that the Lord said was, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Now, Saul hadn’t been chasing Jesus all over the countryside because Jesus was no longer on the earth – he had already returned to heaven. But as Saul persecuted Christians, Jesus took it so personally that he could say, “Why are you persecuting me?”
            So when you are persecuted, not only are your persecutors associating you with Christ, but Christ himself is as well! He identifies with you; he is on your side and in your corner.
 
2. You will be rewarded for facing persecution
            Let’s finish verse 13 now [READ v. 13]. Our rejoicing at the revelation of Christ’s glory is not only from the fact that we will see Christ, but also because we will receive the rewards that he has promised to those who are faithful despite persecution.
            As Peter penned these words, I have to think that he had Matthew 5:11-12 in his mind: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
            If God chooses to let you face persecution in this life, He will more than make up for it in the life to come. Because you have been associated with Christ in persecution, you will also be associated with him in his glorious reign, and you will be given a position of honor and authority in his future Millennial Kingdom on Earth.
 
3. It is confirmation of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life
            Jesus noted in Matthew 5 that if you are persecuted, you are just like the Old Testament prophets – men through whom the Holy Spirit spoke. If you are persecuted today, it is confirmation that the Holy Spirit is upon you as well [READ v. 14].
            And so, as strange as it might sound, we can rejoice in persecution for these reasons. The whole experience reminds us that we are in good company – the company of none other than Jesus Christ himself – and we will be his trusted companions in his future kingdom as well.
 
Phase 3—Evaluate the cause of your troubles (vv. 15-18)
            Sometimes we might face anger and rejection from other people simply because we’ve brought it on ourselves – not because they’re lashing out at the Spirit of Christ within us. For example, when the members of the Westboro Baptist Church face insults and anger for displaying their hateful signs, I really don’t think they could call that persecution. It seems that they themselves are acting in hatred, so when they face hatred and return, they are simply reaping what they themselves have sown.
            So we should consider whether we have brought this trouble upon ourselves through our own behavior. Look at verses 15 and 16 [READ vv. 15-16]. This is one of the only times in the New Testament where we find this word “Christian.” That title has an interesting origin, because it was actually coined by unbelievers who used it as an insult toward followers of Christ. Eventually, that title became a badge of honor to our brothers and sisters for the reasons we just mentioned – it reminded them that they were being lumped together with Christ! So today, it has become the most common title that we use to identify ourselves as followers of Jesus.
            So if you can look at your trouble with others and say that it truly is coming because of your Christian faith, then you can conclude that it is part of the testing and assessing that God is putting us through. Peter reminds us of this process in the first part of verse 17 [READ v. 17a].
            When you hear the word judgment here, don’t think of the words “condemnation” or “punishment.” Remember, a judgment is only a bad thing if you’re on the wrong side of it! In verse 12, Peter reminded us that these fiery trials come upon us to test us, and all the way back in chapter 1, Peter argued that the tested genuineness of our faith is even more precious than pure gold, and it will bring us praise, glory, and honor when Christ returns.
            So God allows us to face persecution to test us so that he might reward us later on. And so his testing and assessing of us has a positive motivation – to make us fit to win the prize of future rewards. But for those who do not believe, God’s judgment of them will have a much different outcome [READ vv. 17-18].
            Verse 18 is not meant to make us question our salvation or something like that. Rather, it’s an argument that if we are saved in spite of what we actually deserve, what will become of those who actually get what they deserve because they refused to accept salvation through Christ. It is a very sobering thought!
 
Phase 4—Entrust yourself to God and do good (v. 19)
            I’ve said before that verse 19 could be seen as Peter’s entire message in a nutshell [READ v. 19]. It is sometimes God’s plan for us to face persecution, because when we respond to it well, we end up with something that is even more valuable than pure gold – a refined faith, for which we will be rewarded.
            So when we find ourselves in those moments, we can remember that God has it all under control. He knows what he’s up to, and he is seeking to give us something that is more valuable than we will probably even realize in this lifetime. So we don’t have to take matters into our own hands when we are persecuted. We can entrust ourselves to him and simply focus on continuing to do good – even to those who are doing evil to us!
            We can entrust ourselves to God in this way because he is exactly as this verse describes him. First of all, he is faithful. He will always keep his word, so if he says he will reward us for facing persecution, you can take it to the bank! If he says that tested faith is more valuable than pure gold, you can believe that and safely act that way.
            Second, he is the Creator. Among other things, this fact means that he is in charge. He is in charge of my life and of your life and of the lives of those who may persecute us. Even if they seem to have some power to make life miserable for us, they still are not in control. God is in control, so he is the one whom we must respect and obey more than any man.
 
            God is so kind to give us all that we need to know in order to handle persecution. He has warned us about it ahead of time so that we are not caught off-guard by it. He has told us what he seeks to accomplish through it, so we know that it is part of his plan. He has told us that he will reward us for enduring it faithfully, so we have that incentive among others to drive us toward obedience in those moments. And he reminds us in so many ways that he is in control over all. So let us entrust all of this to him, and on our part, let us simply continue to focus on doing what is good.
​

            Our neighbors to the east over in Missouri live in what’s called “The Show-Me State.” The idea behind that nickname is that Missourians are not gullible people – if you want to make a point to them, you’ll have to prove it; you’ll have to “Show Me” that what you’re saying is true.
            We all have at least a little bit of that Missouri attitude in us, don’t we? When a claim sounds too good to be true or it’s different than what we expected, we say, “You’re going to have to show me. You’re going to have to prove it!”
            In the previous passage of 1 Peter, the apostle has just called us to continue to do good even to those who have done evil to us. He said that we should even view such times as opportunities to share the Gospel. Now, Peter may have sensed that even though his readers lived in what is now Turkey, they were really Missourians at heart. He knew that the call to do good even to those who do us evil is a tough pill for all of us to swallow. So in our passage for today, he’s going to point us once again to the example of Christ to show us that God truly does honor those who do good despite suffering for it.
 
1. Jesus was willing to suffer for doing good (v. 18)
            In verse 18, Peter reminds us that Jesus was willing to suffer for doing good. We should be very thankful that he was willing to do so, because his suffering has resulted in our salvation! [READ v. 18]
            Notice how Peter makes it a point to emphasize that when Jesus suffered for our sins, it was the righteous one suffering in behalf of all of us unrighteous people. Jesus had never done a single thing wrong! Remember that back in 2:22, Peter had written of Jesus, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
            You’ll recall that after Jesus called Peter to become his disciple, Peter lived with Jesus night and day virtually every day for the next three years, and yet Peter says, “It’s true! He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” Now, my wife and kids live with me night and day, and I can tell you that they won’t have to wait three years to spot me doing something sinful! During that amount of time, my sinfulness will be obvious, yet Peter was able to say of Jesus, “He was a righteous man.” He did not deserve a sentence of death in the least, yet he was willing to accept it and endure it that he might bring us to God. He did it for our well-being! He did it for you and for me.
           
But let us focus again on how Jesus is our example. In the next part of this passage, Peter will reveal how Jesus set an example for proclaiming an offer of forgiveness even to those who were doing evil.
 
2. Jesus was willing to proclaim good news to those who were doing evil (vv. 19-21)
            As we come into the next part of this passage, we encounter some statements that have proven to be some of the most difficult statements to interpret in all of Scripture. Let me read verses 19 and 20, then I’ll explain a bit of the difficulty and describe for you the two most likely interpretations of these statements [READ vv. 19-20].
            The difficulty of interpreting these verses comes in attempting to answer some basic questions about them. Who are “the spirits in prison,” and what connection do they have to the days of Noah? What did Jesus proclaim to them, and when did he do it? Let me ever-so-briefly lay out for you the two most likely interpretations of this passage.
 
#1—Between his crucifixion and his resurrection, Jesus spoke to demons who are confined in Hell to announce their ultimate doom.
            Some of you have perhaps worshiped before in a church tradition that frequently recited some of the ancient creeds of the Christian faith. One of those creeds says of Jesus that he “descended into Hell.” If you’ve ever heard that before and you wondered where that statement came from, it comes from this interpretation of this passage, as well as a small handful of other verses.
            Some people believe that this is the best interpretation primarily for three reasons. First, the statement in verse 18 that Jesus was “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” could seem to refer to a time when his flesh was still dead. Obviously, that was only true in the short time between his death and his resurrection, and so those who take this interpretation say that the proclamation must’ve happened during that time.
            Second, the word “spirits” is often used in the New Testament to refer to demons. Furthermore, when Peter is clearly referring to human beings in verse 20, he uses a different word – the word that is translated in the ESV as “persons.”
            Third, the word “prison” is used in the Book of Revelation to describe a place where demons are apparently being kept under arrest – so to speak – until the end times.
 
This is one possible interpretation. The second is…
 
#2—Jesus inspired Noah to proclaim an offer of forgiveness to the sinful people of his day while he was building the ark.
            What is the support for this interpretation? First, there’s a possible translation of v. 20 that would place the timing of the proclamation squarely within the days when Noah was building the ark. The word “because” at the beginning of v. 20 could also be translated “when,” which would make this passage read, “he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, when they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah.”
            Second, Jewish tradition outside of the Bible states that as Noah was building the ark, he called others to repent and join him inside of it. Now, in 2 Peter 2:5, Peter calls Noah a “herald of righteousness,” which indicates that Peter may have had those stories about Noah in mind as he writes about him.
            Third, the picture of Jesus inspiring Noah to proclaim hope and forgiveness fits much better with the previous passage, because that’s precisely what Peter called us to do in vv. 16-17.
 
            All in all, I think this second interpretation is best. This means, then, that Peter is calling us to reflect on Christ’s willingness to proclaim an offer of forgiveness even to wicked people. Even after God had announced to Noah that judgment was on the way—that it was going to wipe out mankind—even still he apparently moved Noah to call people to repentance and offer them room on the ark. God desires for us to proclaim the Gospel far and wide, even to people whom we think may not deserve it, because no one lies beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness—if they will only accept it.
            Recently, I read a biography of one of the Army chaplains who served in Nuremberg, Germany after World War II as captured Nazi war criminals were being tried for war crimes.1 Many people don’t realize this, but the United States provided chaplains to minister not only to our own soldiers who were stationed there, but also to the Nazis who were on trial for war crimes. This book recounts how several of these Nazi officers repented of their sins and asked God for forgiveness. The man who wrote this biography had some of his theology a bit mixed up, but the story does remind us how all people can find forgiveness through Christ. If Jesus led Noah to preach forgiveness even to the people who mocked him for his faith, then the Lord would want us to do the same thing.
 
            Now notice that in verse 21, this mention of Noah and his family being brought safely through water brought the subject of baptism to Peter’s mind. I believe he may have thought of baptism because of the possibility that some people in his audience were shying away from being baptized in order to minimize the opposition they were facing. Remember that most of the people in the churches that first received this letter were apparently from a Jewish background. For their Jewish friends and family, baptism would have been the clear declaration that these believers were leaving behind Judaism to embrace Christianity.
            Some of these believers, then, may have been dragging their feet on baptism. But Peter has something important to say about this step of obedience [READ v. 21]. Let’s clarify what Peter is telling us when he says “baptism…saves you.” Is he saying that being baptized is what brings us forgiveness of sins and a home in heaven? Would Peter say, then, that we will not go to heaven unless we are baptized?
            In the context, Peter doesn’t seem to have the thought of going to heaven in mind at all. Recall that when we studied James 2, I told you that when we see words like “saves” or “saved” in the Bible, we have to ask ourselves the question, “Saved from what?” The word “saved” simply means “delivered from danger,” so we have to allow the immediate context of the passage to tell us what the danger is in that case.
            In this passage, the danger that Peter has in mind is losing out on the blessings that we will receive if we respond properly when evil is done to us. If we respond in a sinful way in those moments, we could lose the blessing of living at peace with the people around us, we will lose the reward in heaven that comes from suffering for righteousness sake, and we will lose out on the opportunity to have a bold witness for Christ. Now if those don’t sound like things that we really don’t want to miss out on, then we need to reassess what we cherish and value in our hearts.
            The act of baptism puts us in the right frame of mind to receive the blessings that come from responding properly to suffering. When you choose to be baptized, you are making a public declaration that you are a follower of Christ, come what may! You are declaring that your confidence is in him, and that you want to obey all that he commands his followers to do. And notice that just like with all of the spiritual benefits and blessings that we have, the benefits of baptism are based on what Jesus has accomplished, not on anything that we accomplish. Notice that Peter says that baptism saves us from these dangers “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” All of the glory goes to him, whether we’re talking about baptism or anything else. It is his power that accomplishes good in our lives, whether we’re talking about the good of becoming a child of God or growing in maturity as children of God. It all comes through his resurrection power.
 
Christ’s destiny after his resurrection also reminds us of the honor that we stand to receive for responding to suffering and evil in a godly way.
 
3. Jesus was honored for His willingness to suffer (v. 22)
            In verse 22, Peter writes of Jesus [READ v. 22]. The fact that Jesus is at the right hand of God means that he is in a position of great honor and authority. We may sometimes talk about a person being “my right hand man,” and this means that we highly value that person; we trust them and rely upon them greatly. So Jesus is in a position of great honor and glory ruling at the right hand of God.
            We can see this honor as well from the end of the verse. Angels, authorities, powers – these are all terms that refer to various ranks of angelic beings, and Peter says that Jesus has been placed in authority over them all. That has always been true of Jesus as God, but now it is also true of him as the God-man. Through his life and death and resurrection as a man, Jesus has now restored humanity to an honored and exalted position among all created things.
            Just as Jesus was honored for his willingness to do good despite suffering evil, we too will be honored if we choose to have the same response. The story of Jesus teaches us this important lesson, that choosing to do good in the face of injustice will bring us glory and honor down the road. Yes, we may experience injustice from other people right now. We can’t control how other people might treat us, but we can control how we choose to respond, and if we will choose to respond with continued obedience to God, we will inherit blessing and honor – perhaps even the blessing of peaceful living with others right now, but certainly the honor of eternal reward from our God when we get to heaven.
 
 
Notes:
1. The book is “Mission at Nuremberg,” by Tim Townsend.
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