Jesus Overcame

[Jesus] also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient. —1 Peter 3:19–20

For years the correct meaning of 1 Peter 3:19–20 has been debated. To what imprisoned spirits did Jesus preach?

Something I’ve learned is that we can’t read a text without putting it in context. Peter is writing a letter to encourage Christians who are being persecuted for their faith, so we need to put on those glasses to interpret these verses. The right question should be: how could this passage encourage me in the midst of suffering? How can 1 Peter help motivate believers to stand firm in the midst of a hostile society?

The answer is this: Jesus defeated death and His victory is over all power, on earth and under the earth. Because He has won, we can be sure that we will win too. We can be convinced that He has saved us from all judgment. And we can be thankful that the One who overcame sin and death is now sitting at the right hand of God, interceding on our behalf (Rom. 8:34).