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Peter is writing to Messianic Jews living outside of the land of Israel in Asia Minor – modern‑day Turkey. They are facing trials and opposition because of their faith in Yeshua. Gentiles around them mock their devotion to the God of Israel, while fellow Jews who have not yet embraced Yeshua as the promised Messiah, view them as traitors. They are experiencing rejection and divisions in their families, loss of reputation and honor, economic hardship, and possibly persecution by local authorities. Continuing with the theme of suffering:

Messiah suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

Peter’s divinely inspired words remind us of the heart of the Good News. Yeshua’s suffering was not meaningless, accidental, or the tragic end of a righteous man’s life. His suffering was purposeful, redemptive and victorious.

Unlike all the rest of us, Messiah never sinned – not even once. He was perfectly righteous, perfectly obedient, perfectly holy. Yet He willingly chose to suffer and die in the place of sinners, so that those who know Him and are loyal to Him can be forgiven, reconciled, and brought home to God.

Yeshua willingly died to accomplish these wonderful things, but death could not hold Him. He was raised to life in the Spirit. His resurrection was not simply a return to mortal life, but the beginning of a new kind of life – eternal, immortal, imperishable, Spirit-filled, Spirit‑empowered.

Yeshua’s resurrection is the proof that His sacrifice was accepted, that sin’s power was overcome, and that eternal life is now available to everyone who becomes a loyal follower.

After reminding us of Messiah’s death and resurrection, and our great atonement, Peter informs us about a mysterious event that took place after Yeshua’s death but before His resurrection. Messiah went to a prison and made a proclamation to spirits who were confined there. So he went and preached to the spirits in prison – those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah.

He went and preached to the spirits in prison – those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Who are these spirits and what is the prison they were in? And what’s the connection to the days of Noah and the Flood?

Moses informs us that in those days “the sons of God” took human wives, and the Nephilim, which means the “fallen ones” – were the result. An ancient Jewish interpretation, held by many early Jewish and Christian teachers, understood these “sons of God” to be fallen angels who crossed boundaries God set for them and committed an unnatural union with human women. This is supported in writings such as Targum Jonathan and the Jewish historian Josephus, Peter’s second letter (2 Peter 2:4–5) and Jude.

What is this “prison” where these spirits are being held? Peter uses a rare Greek word in 2 Peter 2 – Tartarus – which refers to a deep place of confinement, which aligns with what Luke, Paul and John call the Abyss. It’s not Sheol/Hades, where human souls go after death, and it’s not the final Lake of Fire/Gehenna/Hell. It’s a special prison where certain fallen angels – the ones who sinned in an especially corrupt way in the days of Noah – are restrained until the final judgment. This prison is like a “supermax” facility for the worst of the fallen angels.

What did Messiah proclaim to these imprisoned spirits? Not an offer of salvation. The Word of God gives no hint of grace or repentance or salvation for fallen angels. Rather, the word preach or proclaim refers to a declaration or announcement.

Yeshua announced His victory to these fallen angels, His triumph over sin, death, and all the powers of darkness. If their plan was to join themselves to human women to corrupt humanity, to prevent the arrival of the promised Seed of the Woman, that plan had failed. Messiah had come and accomplished everlasting redemption!

Peter then brings us back to Noah. While those wicked, rebellious angels were active, God was also at work. Righteous Noah faithfully obeyed God by building the ark – which took a long time to complete. During that time, God patiently waited, giving humanity opportunity to repent. But people mocked Noah, ignored his warnings, and refused to turn from their evil ways. In the end, only eight people entered the ark and were saved from the worldwide Flood.

Peter has a lesson from this for us. The Flood is a picture of baptism. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience.

Baptism is not about outward physical cleansing. It’s not removing dirt from your body. It’s about inward spiritual cleansing. Baptism is the outward expression of an inward reality. It’s a response to God that comes from a clean conscience.

Our conscience is the moral compass God has placed within us. It’s an inner witness that helps us discern right from wrong. A clean conscience is the inner confidence that comes from knowing that we are new creatures, that we have been given new life and brought into a new relationship with God. A clean conscience knows that all our sins have been forgiven and that the guilt, shame, and spiritual uncleanness caused by our sins have been removed.

How do we get a clean conscience? When God enables us to understand that Yeshua is the Messiah and the Son of God, and we respond by making a serious commitment to become loyal to Him, God forgives all our sins and gives us a new spirit, a new heart, and a new nature. A clean conscience is the result of God’s forgiveness and His renewing power. We maintain a clean conscience by obeying God, and when we sin, confessing our sin, and turning back to the Lord and being filled with His Spirit once again.

This inner cleansing and renewal happen at the moment of salvation. Baptism is the outward expression of that inward reality that has already taken place. Baptism does not wash away dirt from the body or magically remove sin. It’s an outward expression of the inward cleaning that has already taken place because of our faith.

A response to God from a clean conscience, in other words, salvation, is effective because of the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. Without His resurrection, salvation would be impossible and baptism would be meaningless. But because Messiah lives, those who belong to Him are united with Him and are new and clean and forever saved. Thanks be to God for Messiah’s resurrection!

There must have been millions of people alive in the days of Noah. But only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. The fact that only eight people survived the Flood should sadden us but also encourage us. It teaches us that God always has a faithful remnant, and that the faithful remnant is usually small and mistreated. Noah and his family were vastly outnumbered and mocked – yet they were the ones God saved. Today we are the faithful remnant, the minority that stand with God, travel the difficult road and enter through the narrow gate that leads to eternal life, while the majority walk along the broad road and enter through the wide gate that leads to destruction.

Peter’s message is full of hope: if we remain faithful to God, like Noah and his family, we too will be saved from the coming judgment. Our suffering for believing what is right and standing for what is right will not be wasted.

Peter not only informs us about what happened after Yeshua’s death and before His resurrection, he also informs us about what happened after His resurrection – His ascension. Now Messiah has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

Yeshua was not just resurrected. After His resurrection, He ascended to Heaven and is seated at the place of highest honor – at the right hand of God.

He is seated – not standing and working – seated, resting – showing that His work of salvation is complete.

Yeshua is seated at the place of highest honor. King Yeshua, the Son of the High King of Heaven, rules next to His Father. Every angelic being, every authority, and every power – whether loyal or rebellious – has been placed under Yeshua’s rule.

This means that if we suffer, we aren’t suffering because our side is weak and our enemies are stronger. No, we serve King Yeshua who reigns from the place of greatest authority – but He allows us to suffer. Suffering is part of His plan for us.

And that brings us to chapter 4. Suffering is part of the normal life for followers of Messiah. It is to be expected. And with God’s help and the right attitude, we can endure suffering and come out better than ever.

1 Peter 4 Part 1

So then, since Messiah suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Messiah, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy – their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

Since Messiah suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.

We are to arm ourselves to suffer and be ready to suffer. Why? Because in this fallen world, suffering can’t be avoided – by anyone – especially by Yeshua followers who are hated by the world. If we know suffering is inevitable, and if we are ready to suffer, we won’t be confused or discouraged or lose faith when suffering happens.

Peter tells us we are to arm ourselves to suffer with the same attitude Messiah had when He suffered. What was Messiah’s attitude toward the suffering He experienced?

He didn’t resent God. He didn’t lose faith. He didn’t panic. He didn’t become paralyzed by fear. He didn’t strike back at those who were causing Him to suffer. No, He submitted to His Father’s will with faith and patience and courage. If God called Him to suffer, He trusted God that His suffering was necessary.

How do we arm ourselves with the same attitude Messiah had when He suffered? How do we prepare ourselves for suffering?

By remembering Messiah’s example.

By preparing our minds with God’s Word. Suffering is harder when our minds are not prepared. When our minds are prepared by the Word of God, when trials come, truths about God’s faithfulness, His sovereignty and His love come to our minds and act like spiritual armor.

We prepare ourselves for suffering by building a life of prayer. Prayer creates strength and resilience. A praying man, a praying woman is already depending on God, and is already receiving strength from God. So, when suffering comes, that resilience, that dependence, that strength is already there.

We prepare ourselves for suffering by understanding that the purpose of life is not seeking comfort, but serving God by carrying on Messiah’s mission of evangelism and building His Community. When we understand this, suffering becomes easier.

We prepare ourselves for suffering by knowing that God uses suffering to refine us and detach us from the sins and desires that once controlled us. For if you have suffered physically for Messiah, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. When we suffer with a good attitude, we become less interested in sin and our old desires. In their place, God gives us a new desire to do His will.

Picture silver being refined. The fire needed is intense, but its purpose is not to destroy the metal – it’s to purify it. As the heat rises and the silver melts, the impurities rise to the surface where they can be removed. Trials work the same way. When God allows us to suffer, the sin we’ve tolerated is exposed. Sinful habits and worldly desires lose their grip on us. What once attracted us now disgusts us.

Or think of a grapevine. A branch that’s never pruned produces inferior grapes. But when the gardener cuts it back, it becomes healthier and more fruitful. Suffering removes the things in our lives that drain spiritual strength. And the result is new desire and new energy for God’s purposes.

God uses suffering, not to harm us but to transform us, to break the power of sin and worldly attachments and redirect us toward the will of God. When we understand that God brings good things out of suffering, the suffering becomes easier to endure.

You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy – their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. Peter reminds us that we’ve had enough of corrupt desires and false religion. Now that we’ve been born again, it’s time to live with new purpose: to live to serve God with a clean conscience, a pure heart and a willing spirit.

Let’s pray: Father in Heaven, thank You for Your Son, who suffered once for all to bring us safely home to You. Thank You for His perfect obedience, His victorious resurrection, and His exalted rule over every power and authority. Help us arm ourselves with His attitude toward suffering. Use every trial to purify us, detach us from sin, and awaken a deeper desire to do Your will. Amen.