1 Peter 3:19 KJV
[19] “by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;”
Our verse today is fascinating. Who are these spirits? Why did Jesus go and preach to them? Why are these spirits in prison? These are all hard questions that come to mind when we read this verse. I’m not saying I have all the answers to these questions, but I can assure you that the One who preached to them does.
To begin with, we know that they are not the lost souls of men. Peter does not refer to men as spirits, but he refers to them as souls. In the New Testament, the word “spirits” is used to describe angels or demons, not human beings, and 1 Peter 3:22 seems to agree with this meaning. These are spirits imprisoned for crimes they committed before the flood. The Scriptures are not specific about what they had done, but there has been speculation about it.
The word “preach” means to herald or proclaim. It does not mean to preach the gospel. Jesus did not preach the gospel to these spirits, so he must have preached a message of victory over Satan and his host. What a sermon that must have been! He proclaimed to all of Hell that He was the victor over Satan and his army! Heaven had won, and Hell had lost! The Father’s will had been accomplished, salvation had been completed, and humanity could be saved by the blood of the cross.
Can you imagine what this scene must have been like as our Savior preached to the spirits? That would have been the hardest crowd to preach to, but our Savior fears no man or demon. He proclaimed the message of victory in the face of Hell itself. Friend, that is our mandate today. We must march forward with the message of the cross and proclaim the message of victory even in an ungodly hour. We must tell the world that Jesus is mighty to save. No matter how hard the place or the crowd may seem, we are to proclaim the message of the cross.
Dear preacher, I want to encourage you to stay true to the message of the cross. Preachers need to keep preaching in these last days of compromise. It may seem as if the host of Hell is staring you in the face, but take courage and preach with resurrection power. Preach the victorious message regardless of the response you receive, and be true to the God who called you to proclaim it. Child of God, witness to the lost, and remind this evil world that there is a heaven to gain and a Hell to shun!