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. 1 Peter 3:18-20

The Apostle Peter today gives us deep lessons that could only be revealed by the Holy Spirit. First we see the gospel message, Christ the sinless lamb of God, died for the sins of the world, so that we can be reconciled back to God. As the Apostle Paul said “ He who knew no sin, to be our sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him (Christ) ( 2 Corinthians 5:21) We need to understand that we are saved only by Christ alone and not of anything we have done

The next thing I want to point out is that statement Peter makes “But quickened or made alive by the Spirit” Many people will use this verse to disprove a physically bodily resurrection of Christ. I believe Peter is saying exactly what Paul said in Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in You” We worship the Triune God, and the Holy Spirit has also raised Jesus from the dead, as well as the Father and Son. The Apostles are not saying Jesus Christ became a spirit, but that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead

Now there is alot of questions about where did Jesus go when he died on the cross? The Apostle Peter reveals Jesus went and preached “unto the spirits in prison”. Now many theologians go into different directions when interpreting this text. Did Jesus descend to Hell and preach to those who rejected Noah’s preaching? Is this referring to the Holy Spirit being in Noah while he preached? Is the text referring to the Nephilim , the fallen angels of Genesis 6? I think there is definitely some mystery that we don’t know all the details until we go home, however I think the core of the message is many rejected Noah’s warning of judgment coming, Jesus Christ descended into the realm of the dead and revealed what he accomplished at the cross, the gospel message

Lastly Peter brings up the “Days of Noah” a term Jesus Christ used himself that his return would be like the Days of Noah (Matthew 24:37) The event of Noah was not only a historic event, but it was also a foreshadow of what is to come, when Christ returns , judgment is coming for the whole Earth. Jesus Christ is the Ark, the only means of salvation that anyone can be saved.

Notice what the Apostle Peter emphasizes “eight souls were saved by water” The Bible calls Noah a preacher of righteousness (Hebrews 11:7) despite all his preaching and being led by the Holy Spirit, only 8 people were saved, his family. Let’s remember Noah during our ministries, as we can become weary and frustrated from lack of fruit, its only Christ who can save, not us. We are just vessels for God doing his work, but only God can save!

Just as in the days of Noah, the world will continue to go about their business rejecting the gospel message and warning, however one day the trumpet will sound and The Lord will descend, Lord come quickly! Amen!