1 Peter 3.18-22

Last week we stood on the mountain top and saw the glory of God revealed in Jesus. From there Jesus set off towards Jerusalem and we too now turn our thoughts to his journey there and the darkness that is to come.

Jesus was driven into the wilderness after his baptism to prepare for his life and ministry. We too may now be entering a wilderness where we struggle to understand the suffering of the righteous for the unrighteous.

Perhaps our wilderness is that of the world’s suffering, oppression and injustice. Perhaps it is the wilderness of the pain and suffering in our own lives.

Maybe we feel that our spirits are in prison, captive to our own failures and weaknesses and our lack of sense of self-worth, crushed by our anger and inability to forgive others.

Christ, the righteous, died in the flesh says Peter, but he was made alive in the spirit. In that living spirit Christ can come to us and proclaim the good news of forgiveness and freedom to our captive spirits.

The light shines in the darkness. The darkness can never overcome that light. Instead the light shines with angels in heaven. It triumphs over all the dirt in our lives which is washed away as we believe in and claim he freedom that is offered to us in Christ Jesus.