“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
being put to death in the flesh
The Romans put Jesus to death. Death was an experience that the Lord Jesus never knew from eternity. He constantly related to the other two members of the trinity until this point. At his death, he represented every member of the human race in his death. Even in his death, he brought good news.
“In the flesh” – the physical death of Christ on the cross. This defines that his death was physical. Here Peter transports us to the foot of the cross. It was the humanity of Christ that died on the cross, not his deity.
but made alive by the Spirit
“Made alive” comes from two words: to make and alive. This does not mean that Jesus was energized with a dynamic personality. It means his human spirit returned to his body. He became alive in his human spirit and body (Mt. 27:46). At the resurrection, the Father restored Jesus to fellowship. Jesus’ resurrection conquered death by his human spirit, returning to his body lying in the tomb. Christ received resurrection. Jesus was in the grave for three days, and then the Holy Spirit raised him from the dead.
Ac 2:24, “Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”
“Made alive” means to restore physical life. God restored Jesus’ physical life at the resurrection. Jesus restores our physical life for eternity when we come to him for salvation.
Ro 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Note the contrast between “death in the flesh” and “alive by the Spirit.” We should not capitalize the word “Spirit” here. This refers to the human spirit of the Lord Jesus.
The resurrection of Christ is a major foundational fact upon which Christianity is built (1 Cor 15:17). Five different times Jesus declared that he would die and rise again (Mt. 12:39-40; 20:17-19; 26:30-32; Lk 18:31-32; Jn 2:19-22).
PRINCIPLE:
The resurrection is the foundation fact upon which Christianity stands.
APPLICATION:
The gospel consists of three parts: the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
1 Cor. 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Without the resurrection, there would be no gospel.
Ro 1:4, “And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
Do you believe that 1) Jesus died for your sins (took your hell), 2) was buried to confirm his death, and 3) rose again to give you eternal life?
Dr. Grant,
My version says "made alive in the spirit", not "by the spirit". Does this make any difference, or is the meaning still that his (Jesus') spirit was restored to physical life? Thanks!
Jakob, there is no explicit Greek word for "in" or "by" in the Greek text of this verse. The translation comes from the case which can be dative, locative, or instrumental. if the word "spirit" should be taken in the instrumental "by" then it would mean that Jesus raised himself by His human spirit. That obviously is not true. Remaining options are "in reference to His spirit" or "in His spirit." Theologically, it is the Father who raises Jesus from the dead although there are some references that show the Holy Spirit has a subordinate role in the resurrection of Jesus.