Jesus was in hell taking our place

JESUS WAS IN HELL TAKING OUR PLACE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
INTRODUCTION
There is much debate on this issue of Jesus going to
hell, and you will read much of it here. My point is
that Jesus experienced hell on the cross when He was
forsakenby His Father. He was God-forsaken, and
that is hell-especiallyfor the Son of God. It was the
price He was willing to pay for our salvation. I do not
know what happened to Jesus after His death, but
while He was still alivehe experienced hell on the
cross, and it was for us.
GLENN PEASE
TO HELL AND BACK Basedon Matt. 27:45-54
One of the greatestparadoxes ofhistory is the story of the young English
sailorby the name of Noble. His job was to deliver a large cannon from
Portsmouth, England to Bostonin the Colonies in the mid 1700's. Aftertwo
days on the ship HMS INTREPID, they encountered heavy weather. Ensign
Noble hurriedly securedthe cannon thinking these ropes should hold it, for it

doesn't look like that much of a storm. But he was wrong. It was so intense
that the cannon broke loose andbegan to rumble across the deck, and they
could hear the sound of wood splintering below. Ensign Noble came on deck
just as the loose weaponwas rolling toward two sailors who were busy trying
to untangle some sails. He threw himself in front of the cannonand stopped it
before it hit its shipmates, but both his legs were brokenby the weight of the
cannon. This is where the saying "Under the gun" came from.
The next day, the entire crew assembledfor a specialceremonyas the
captain of the ship bestowedonensign Noble his countries highest awardfor
heroism. He was in greatpain as the cheers wentup, and the captain pinned
on the metal. But then the captain calledfor silence, for he had a more
solemn duty to perform. Since the young ensignwas the cause for the
problem in the first place for not securing the cannon properly, the captain
pronounced him guilty of derelictionof duty and sentencedhim to die before a
firing squad; the sentence to be carried out immediately. He had just become
a hero for saving lives, and then was shot for being guilty of endangering lives.
What a paradox! He was a hero and a condemned criminal at the same time.
This same perplexing paradox confronts us as we look at the cross. Is
Jesus dying as our hero saving us from the consequencesofsin? Yes he is,
and that is why we glory in the cross. Onthe other hand, is he dying because
he deserved to die, and was actuallyguilty? Look at the circumstantial
evidence againstJesus.
1. He was betrayed by one of his closestcompanions. It is suspicious when
one of your own inner circle betrays you. It hints at something being known
that is not available to the public. 2. The rest of his disciples fled and did not
fight to release their master. There seems to be greatdoubt about his claims
when he is so treated by his core group. 3. The highestcourt in the land
convictedhim of blasphemy. These were the most godly and learnedleaders
of Israel. If they can't be trusted, who can? 4. The mob of common people
chose a known murderer to be releasedinsteadof Jesus. Theywanted
Barabbas setfree and clamored for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Now this circumstantial evidence does not convince us because we know
they were all blind, and Satanwas pulling their strings. They were mere
puppets for the forces of evil in their sinisterplot to kill the only truly
innocent man whoeverlived. But then we come to the fourth word of Jesus on
the cross, andwe are shockedfor it seems that God, the ultimate judge, has
reviewedall of this evidence and agrees with the sentence. The supreme court
of the universe let's the lower court's judgment stand.
When Jesus cries out, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsakenme!"
He admits he has been forsakenby the one Personwe expectedto be his
supporter to the end. But God casthis vote with the restand says, guilty.
How could his sinless Sonbe so godlesslyguilty that he
was worthy of the cross? How canour Saviorhero be abandoned as a guilty
criminal? The answeris, Jesus became our substitute. He took our place and
became as guilty as the sinners he died for. Paul put it clearlyin II Cor. 5:21,
"Godmade him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might
become the righteousness ofGod."
What a paradox! The sinless one becomes the very embodiment of sin, and
thus, is worthy of all the judgment that sin deserves. Jesuswas, in fact, guilty
of the sin of the whole world. He was God-forsakenbecausehe was the object
of all God's wrath on sin. He was worthy of all that sin deserved, and this
means hell and total separationfrom God. The greatestpunishment of
history was inflicted on Jesus becausehe was guilty. He was as guilty as the
sin he bore, and he bore the sins of the world. You may never have owed
anybody a dime in your life, but if you take on my debts and the debts of
others, you are responsible to pay them. Jesus neversinned, but when he took
on your sin and mine, he was responsible to pay the penalty. Innocent? Yes!
But still as guilty as sin. In the cross we have the perfect paradox, for we have
two complete opposites, but both are true at the same time. He was innocent
and guilty.
All of this backgroundexplains the most mysterious words ever uttered by
Jesus, whichis the fourth word from the cross about being forsakenby God.
God forsakenby God! The Son abandoned by the Father! It can only make

sense in the light of Jesus being made sin and becoming guilty for all the sin of
the world. Spurgeonsaid, "At that moment the finite soulof the man Christ
Jesus came into awful contactwith the infinite justice of God." It was like two
incompatible chemicals coming togetherthat cause anexplosion, and when
the holiness of God confronted the soul bearing all the sin of the world, he was
repulsed and abandoned that soul eventhough it was the soulof his own Son.
Had Jesus not suffered this abandonment he would not have paid for our
sin, for that was the just penalty. He had to drink the full cup of judgment,
and drink it dry to the lastdrop or man would still have hell to pay. Jesus
could not atone for sin half way. He had to go all the way or there was no
point in going any of the way. If you are going to build a bridge only half way
across a river, you just as well not bother, for half a bridge is not an
improvement overno bridge at all. Half an atonement for sin would be
equally worthless. Had Jesus neverbeen forsakenby God to endure hell for
us, he never could have said the words, "It is finished." What goodwould it
be had he said, "It is half done?"
So this horrible word out of the heart of a terrorized Savior is, in fact, good
news. It is a paradox that such an awful experience can be the foundation for
goodnews, but it is. Because Jesus was forsakenwe can count on his promise,
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." He took all the forsakenness
necessary, and now canassure all who come to him that they will never need
to taste of hell and be God forsaken. There is no need, for that penalty has
been fully paid. Because ofJesus, manowes nothing to the kingdom of
darkness. Hellis paid off, and man is debt free in Christ.
The fact that there was three hours of darkness before Jesus spoke this
word reveals he had been in the darkness ofhell, and the fact that his next
word was, "I thirst" is symbolic of this as well. The one request of the rich
man in hell was for a drink of water, or even one drop. Darkness andthirst
are the two experiences ofJesus as he spoke these words. He was
God-forsakenin darkness, and He was thirsty. Jesus was in hell for you and
me.

Why did they nail him to Calvary's tree? Why? Tellme, why was he there?
Jesus the Helper, the Healer, the Friend, Why? Tell me, why was he there?
All my iniquities on him were laid, He nailed them all to the tree; Jesus the
debt of my sin fully paid, He paid the ransom for me.
And what was the price? It was hell. Is there hell on earth? There was for
Jesus, forin those three agonizing hours of darkness Jesus experiencedliteral
hell, which is separationfrom God that leaves one absolutelyalone. This
word is Jesus'Et tu Brute! as the Father joins all the others in forsaking him,
leaving him to pay the penalty for the world's sin alone.
Hundreds of thousands of sermons have been preachedon these words of
despair, but no one pretends to be able to explain their depths fully, for we
would have to go through hell ourselves to grasp them, and Jesus did this so
we would never have to know or experience this depth of separationfrom
God. Spurgeonsays it for all the greatpreachers of history, "Well may I tell
you that this unutterable darkness, this hiding of the Divine face, expresses
more of the woes ofJesus than words can evertell."
These three hours were the longestthree hours of all history, for in them
Jesus endured the eternal judgment on all sin. If time goes fastwhen you are
having fun, how slow it must go to getthrough three hours of God
forsakenness. But keepin mind that before the cross experience was over,
and before Jesus died, he was back in the light of fellowship with God. He died
saying, "Fatherinto thy hands I commend my spirit." He was only forsaken
for three hours, but it had to seeman eternity to Jesus who had never been
out of fellowshipwith his Father for all eternity. There had never been a time
like this in the infinite past, nor will there ever be in the infinite future. Here,
and here only, for three hours we see the most momentous event in all the
history of the universe. God was enduring hell to make it possible for man to
escape hell.
This was the cup Jesus so dreaded drinking, but he yielded, for there was
no other wayto save man. Jesus wentto hell and back to save us. The
magnitude of God's love is here revealedto be so far beyond our
comprehensionthat all we cando is stand in awe. The full answerto why God

forsook Jesusis incomprehensible, but the essenceofit is this: He forsook his
Son that He might forgive fallen mankind, and have many sons and daughters
in his eternalkingdom.
I do not know, I cannottell What pains he had to bear. I only know, it was
for me He hung and suffered there.
The way to heaven was through hell, not for us, but for Jesus who had to
endure our hell that we might enter heaven.
Martin Luther wrote, "So then gaze at the heavenly picture of Christ who
descendedinto hell for your sake andwas forsakenby God as one eternally
damned.....In that picture your hell is defeated..." Youcan be assuredthat
after paying such a price Jesus will fight to redeem as many as possible. That
is why his final words were to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.
Jesus is not willing that any should perish and suffer their own hell, when he
has alreadysuffered it for them.
Evangelismis not a top priority with those who have not paid anything for
men to be saved. Jesus paid three hours of hell, and for the infinite and
innocent Son of God that was a price beyond calculation. No wonderit is a
top priority with him. Only as we begin to graspsomething of the costthat
Jesus paid can we begin to see why it is so important that we care to win those
for whom he died. "There is now no condemnationto them which are in
Christ," says Paul. But what about those not in Christ? They shall face the
judgment of God. His lightning of judgment will not strike twice in the same
place, and so all who are in Christ are safe forever. In him there will never be
another drop of the cup to drink. He drank it all. But outside of Christ
people face judgment.
Imagine bombs falling on the city and you know where there is a safe
bomb shelter where all who are there are safe. Would you not share that good
news with those in danger as they hear the sirens screaming? So we need to
sense the urgency of telling people of what Jesus provided for them: a shelter
in the time of storm-a storm that can sweepthem into the abyss of judgment.
Sure it is hard and inconvenient, and there is a price to pay, but what is all
this in the light of what Christ paid? To complain after what we have

receivedin Christ by his sacrifice is like winning the lottery, and then
complaining that you had to go out and feedthe meter to collectit.
We should be embarrassedto ever complain that it is hard to obey Christ.
In light of this fourth word from the cross, the only response canbe, so what if
it is hard! If he suffered hell for us, we can suffer hard for him. In this word
we see the powerof love as nowhere else. God so loved the world, and here is
the measure of that word so. How much is so? He so loved that he gave his
only begottenSon. But even that greattext of John 3:16 does not tell us how
fully he gave, and how completelythe Son gave. Only in this fourth word do
we get to see how measureless washis love. God could have blown up the
whole universe in a mega-explosionthat would make a super movie seemlike
a lady finger firecracker, and it would not have saveda single soul. Power
was not the answerto the sin problem. Only love could do the job, and Jesus
did it. He so loved that he bore the hell of what all sinners were worthy of,
and this made it possible for all sinners to be setfree from condemnation.
Even though this was the greatestactof love ever, and the greatestshow on
earth, there will be no Jesus II, or a series ofsequels, for what he did he did
once and for all, and there is nothing more to do to accomplishwhat is
necessaryfor all men to be saved. Thatis why he could say before he died, "It
is finished." Hell has no claim on those in Christ, for all penalty has been paid
in full. This is the only one of the seven lastwords that is recordedtwice in
the Gospels. BothMatthew and Mark record it. None of the other six are
recordedtwice. This
is the centralword of the seven. There are three before and three after. Even
these trivial details support the view that this is the most profound sentence
ever uttered. Herbert Lockyer, author of dozens of books on the Bible, says of
these words, "The most appalling utterance that has ever fallen upon human
ears." Yet when we see the depth of love that led to this being uttered, we can
add they are also the most appealing that has ever fallen upon human ears.
Becausehe uttered them no one else ever has too.
Paul makes it clearin Gal. 3:13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the
law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is

hung on a cross."Whata perplexing complex paradox. The only sinless one
ever to live, and yet he was made sin for us. The only perfect one ever to live,
and yet he is cursedfor us. This fourth word is the cry of the cursed, and the
despair of the damned. To compare the death of Jesus with any other, as if he
was just anothermartyr, is to reduce the sun by comparing it with a candle,
or to reduce the sequoia by comparing it with a twig. To put Jesus in the
same categorywith any other death is to totally miss the significance ofthe
cross.
This word reveals the ultimate identification with man. In the incarnation
Jesus took on the nature and the body and the mind of man. But now he takes
upon himself even the depravity of man, and he becomes sinand, therefore,
liable for all the penalty that sin deserves. He was in this state fit to be
forsakenby God, for he representedall that God hated.
The scourge, the thorns, the deep disgrace, Thesethou couldst bear nor once
repine, But when Jehovahveiled his face, Unutterable pangs were thine.
Jesus was now feeling the full costof the incarnation and his identification
with man. When he was born in the night the skywas filled with holy light,
but when he died in mid-day the heavens turn to horrible night. Being born
was indeed a radical step down for the Son of God, but it was a mere step in
comparisonto the plunge he now takes into the very pit of hell. The principle
God follows is, the lowerwe go in humility the higher we rise in God's eyes.
This explains why Jesus was exaltedto the highest place and given the name
above all names, for he plunged to the lowestdepth conceivable.
What a contrastbetweenthe biography of the Saviorand Satan. Satanwas
among the highest and in pride sought to go higher to take the place of God,
and he was plunged to the pit of hell in judgment. Jesus was the highestbut
was willing to go to the lowestlevelof hell to fulfill God's plan, and the result
is he ends up the highest in the universe. The paradox is that Jesus has the
record at both ends. We know his is the highest name, and he is equal with
God, and there is none higher. But seldom do we think about it that Jesus was
also the lowest. There will never be anyone lowerin hell than Jesus was, for
no matter how awful they were, they bear judgment for their ownawfulness

only. Jesus bore the awfulness of the world, and, therefore, takes the record
of being the worstto everenter hell, for he entered it with the sin of the world
on him. The lowestplace in hell will be ever held by our redeemer, and
because ofthat price he will hold forever the highest place in heaven.
Jesus knows whatit is to be on the bottom of the pile, and the lowestman
on the totem pole. He also knows whatit is to be number one, and king of the
mountain. He holds all records and they will never be broken. What is
startling is that Jesus knows by experience what it is to be lost, and not just
lost in the woods, but to be cursedand damned, and God forsaken, and
literally lost as a rejectedsoul. These three hours of darkness were not just
the dark ages forJesus, they were the doomed ages. He experiencedlostness
first hand, and he did it that we might never have to experience it. We can
experience savedness andnever lostness becausehe took our lostness forus.
Robert M'Cheyne wrote,
When I stand before the throne Dressedin beauty not my own. When I see
Thee as Thou art; Love Thee with unsinning heart, Then, Lord, shall I fully
know;Not till then, how much I owe.
How much do we owe to someone who savedus by going to hell and back?
GLENN PEASE
THREE HOURS IN HELL Basedon Matt. 27:45-56
People die all the time just to advance our knowledge. Have you ever
wondered how doctors knew the precise steps in the development of the fetus
before there was any means of seeing inside the mother? It came from a team
of Harvard doctors who askeda group of women who were scheduledfor
hysterectomies to stop practicing birth controlbefore their surgery. This was
long before all of the presentcontroversyconcerning when life begins, and the
abortion issue. They did not see it as abortion, but simply as a removing of
the female organs. But in doing so they were able to study 30 embryos and see

the actualdevelopment of the fetus. Thirty babies had to die to give man this
knowledge.
DoctorLawrence Altman in his book Who Goes Firsttells numerous
stories of doctors who have died in trying to get information on various
diseases. Iwill share just one. In Lima, Peru there stands what may be the
only statue in the world of a medical student. It memorializes Daniel Carrion
who in 1885 decidedto solve the mystery of a strange disease thatwas killing
many of his people. He took some of the blood of an infected person and
tried to inject it into his own arm. He failed at first, and so a fellow medical
student helped him. He got the disease as expected, but his case was farmore
severe than expected. Thirty-nine days later he died. Some calledit a
horrible act and a disgrace to his profession. They young man who helped him
was chargedwith murder. It was quite a scandal, but three professors came
forward and sighted the many doctors in history who riskedtheir lives in self-
experimenting. The charge was dropped and Carrion became a hero. The
medical students sing a balled to his memory, and enoughwas learned about
the disease to bring it under control. Others live because he died.
This is not an isolatedincident. Every new medicine, every new test, and
every new therapy has to be performed on a human being before it can be
approved. If a doctorhad not first put a tube into his own heart, which could
have killed him, we would not have many of the heart surgeries we have
today. Somebodyhas to go first, and that somebodyoften has to die to enable
others to follow and not die, but be savedby the procedure. We are looking at
Jesus as our Great Physicianwho was also the Pioneerof our faith. He went
first into the hell of God forsakennessthatyou and I, and all who trust in
Him, might never have to endure it.
Those few hours of history in which Jesus laid down His life for the world
of sinners were the most unusual hours in all of history. Nothing was normal.
It was the CreatorHimself putting Himself through the greatestself-
experimentation of all time. As the author of life He would experience death,
and in so doing all of reality is being altered, for He was turning the world of

both nature and super nature upside down. The hours of His death were
hours of complex confusion. Let's look at these strange phenomena.
I. THE CONFUSION OF NATURE.
Verse 45 says that from the 6th hour until the 9th hour darkness came
over all the land. Mark and Luke recordthis same thing. Dr. Luke gives us
one other word, and he says that the sun stopped shining. We are not talking
about a cloudy day or an eclipse. We are talking about an event in creation
that has never happened but this one time in all of history. The sun took a
break, and for the only time in its existence it ceasedto shine for 3 hours. This
is one of the greatestmiracles ofall time, and Herbert Lockyerin his All The
Miracles Of The Bible includes this one, which most of us would miss as a
miracle.
Jesus was born in the darkness ofnight, but it was a natural night. He
died in the darkness, whichwas a supernatural night because it came just
when the day was brightest. It was from noon to 3 in the afternoon. That is
the leastlikely time to have darkness, and so the whole thing is being timed by
God to give the world a message. Godneverturned the sun off before, and He
has never done it again. From God's perspective this was an event without
parallel. It was a once in a history, and a once in a universe, time and space
event. When you add the most unusual earthquake of all time to this
darkness, it is no wonderthe Centurion and the others were terrified and
exclaimed, "Surely this was the Son of God!"
They were observing what was very frightening in nature. Nobody had
ever seenanything like this before, and they knew they were in the presence of
the supernatural. It makes sense why God the Fatherwould turn off the sun
for 3 hours while His Son died.
What greaterstatement could God make concerning the significance of this
event. Isaac Watts wrote,
Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut His glories in, When Christ the
mighty Maker, died, Forman the creature's sin.

It was God's way of wearing black for His Son's death, and thereby
symbolizing the sadness ofheavenat the price that had to be paid for man's
salvation. It was a dark and heavy load He had to bear to see His Sonendure
separationfrom Him that man might be reconciled. There is no symbol great
enough to convey how dark and heavy it was other than the sun. It is the
source of light and life for all the world. For3 hours it ceasedto function as a
symbol of the 3 days in which the light of life would ceaseto function, because
Jesus enteredthe realm of death.
This confusionof nature createdconfusionin the minds of men as well.
When Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why has thou forsakenme," the
people misunderstood the words of Jesus, andthey thought He was calling for
Elijah. The Aramaic word eloi, eloi sounds like Elijah, and so they are
confusedand hear a messageJesus did not give. In their confusionthey say
let's see if Elijah comes to rescue Him. There is total chaos around the cross
as both nature and man are confused, and they are not functioning with the
capacitythey normally have. Disharmony reigns, and in all this confusion as
the earth shakes thateverything is backwards. People are coming out of the
tombs instead of staying dead like dead people always do. The whole world is
wired wrong, and nothing seems to be working right. The veil in the temple is
ripped from top to bottom, and everything is out of whack from what is
normal.
You get the unmistakable feeling that God is trying to say something that
has never been said before. One of the things He is saying is that the cross
and the death of His Sonis the most awesome eventof human history. It is in
a class by itself. It is not one of the many martyr stories of greatmen dying
for a cross. Itis not a Socrateslaying down his life for a principle, or a soldier
laying down his life for his country. These are noble and praiseworthy
sacrifices,but they do not qualify to be in the same categoryas Calvary. Here
is an event that covers heavenand earth, all of creation, and all of mankind.
The sun shuts off for no man but the God-Man, and even then only in the
hours of His dying for all men. More miracles happen at the cross than
anywhere else in the Bible. The veil is rent, the earthquake shakes dead
people into life, people are converted, the trinity is separatedonly this once in
all eternity, and the sun goes offfor 3 hours.

Some see the darkness as the Father's mourning and sympathy for His Son.
Jesus was stripped naked when he was nailed to the cross, and God in mercy
lessenedhis shame by the coverof darkness. We know that from 9 in the
morning until noon the leaders of the people mockedJesus unmercifully, but
when the darkness the mocking ceased, and then there was three hours of
silence. The darkness veiled Jesus and halted the cruel mocking.
The darkness markeda turning point in the atmosphere around the cross.
Nature's
expressionof sympathy led even cruel men to follow and begin to feel
sympathy for Jesus. The compassionofpeople was born in the darkness and
silence of those hours. One man ran to fill a sponge and give Jesus a drink.
Others watchto see if Elijah will come and rescue him. Many felt with the
Centurion that this was no ordinary man, and the Centurion said he was the
Son of God. Dr. Luke tells us that the crowds of people who were so cruel
beganto doubt their dogmatic stand, and they beganto smite their breasts as
if to say, "Whatfools we have been." The darkness revealedto them that
Jesus was no mere criminal, but someone uniquely different from anyone else.
In His dying hours nature shockedman into seeing the cross for what it
really was. It was the greatestactof folly and sin the world has ever seen. Man
in his sinful blindness and rebellion was actually killing the light of the world,
which was God's greatestgiftever given to man. The darkness made men see
what they never saw in the light, and there were people convertedin those
dark hours. The Centurion was the most prominent. Matthew Mark and
Luke all end this strange period of darkness with a focus on the gentle women
who stoodafar off. There were many women Mark says who followedand
ministered to Jesus. Theybeheld this awesome scene atthe cross. The male
disciples were all hiding but the females were there watching through the
dark to see what would happen. It was a violent death in the midst of violent
acts of nature, but in the presence ofit all were the women disciples who
added a touch of gentleness to a terribly confusing scene. Eventhe presence
of the women is part of the confusion, for everything around the cross is not
normal. This is where the men should be strong, and the womenoff crying in
despair, but it is the opposite.

There is nothing about the cross that is normal. Not only did God
withdraw His power from the sun in the skyso that it ceasedto shine, but He
withdrew His presence from His Son on the cross, andfor the first time in His
eternal existence He felt forsakenby His Father. This is what Jesus most
dreaded about the price He had to pay to save man. He dreaded the darkness
of being deprived of His Father's light. Not only was the external world thrust
into darkness, but His internal world was darkened and Jesus cried out with
the feeling of one forsaken. There was a powershortage in the solarsystem,
and it was symbolic of what man cannotsee, and that was the powershortage
in the very triune nature of God as the Fatherand the Sonwere cut off from
communication. Jesus had to experience hell, which is the darkness of being
cut off from God's light and presence. Those three hours of darkness were
literally hell for Jesus.
Jesus died what is calledthe seconddeath, which is the death, not just of
the body, but of the body and soul in hell. Many have died for our bodies, and
we have Memorial Day to remember them and honor them. Many have died
that we might have freedom and the right to health and a hostof other
blessings, but nobody ever died that we might escape helland spiritual death
of separationfrom God. Nobody everdid this, but Jesus, for he alone could do
so as the perfect Lamb of God worthy of being the sacrifice for all sin. We
need never die this death for Jesus died it for us. No wonderthe cross is the
central symbol of our faith. What happened there is a once for all
unrepeatable event. That is why the whole creationwas involved. It was a time
of un-paralleled confusion.
Even God the Sonwas asking why on the cross, andthis gives us a hint as
to the costof
saving man from sin. If the sun in the skycould feelwhat it is like to be
turned off and not shine it would feel what it is like to be forsakenby God.
The sun could not feel it, but Jesus the Son of God could, and He felt the inner
darkness of being cut off from the power source of the universe. It had to be
the most painful experience ever endured in this universe. It was not the
nails, the crown of thorns, nor the whip lashes onHis back, for these physical
pains have been endured by millions, but it was the eclipse of His very being,

and the abandonment of His relationship to the Father, which was the greatest
pain every endured. That is the price Jesus paid for our salvation. He was
abandoned by God and man, and He was in hell for 3 hours.
Three hours did not seemlong, but try laying your hand on a red hot
stove for 3 hours and you will get an idea of just how seeminglyeternal 3
hours can be. We just cannot imagine what 3 hours of separationfrom the
Father means. It is in the realm of the infinite where we cannot even think or
imagine. We do not know what Jesus experiencedin the 3 days and 3 nights
in the tomb, but these 3 hours of God forsakenness were the 3 most painful
hours ever experiencedin this universe. And Jesus did it for you and me.
Spurgeonsaw in this the greatestcrisis in history, and the greatestcomfortfor
sinners. He wrote, "As to my sin, I hear its harsh accusing no more when I
hear Jesus say, Why hastthou forsakenme? I know I deserve the deepesthell
and the hand of God's vengeance, but I am not afraid. He will never forsake
me, for He forsook His Sonon my behalf."
To graspeven a fraction of what the cross means is to be filled with
gratitude to the Father and to the Son, who togetherpaid such a price for our
salvation. And out of the gratitude of heart comes the cross carrying life. The
life that is willing to sacrifice to advance the kingdom of God. Paul saidthat
he dies daily. He died to self and gave up a self-centeredlife every day for
Christ. Someone askeda missionary to Africa if he liked his work and he
said, "No! We do not like dirt and crowding into vile huts through goat
refuse. We do not like associationwith ignorant, brutish people. But is a man
to do nothing for Christ which he does not like?"
We revealjust how much we grasp the message ofthe cross, the 3 hours
of darkness, and the cry of forsakennessby how much we are willing to do
what we do not like for the sake of our Savior. I am sure Jesus did not like
His 3 hours in hell. It was the worstexperience of His existence, but He did it
for us so that we might never need to experience hell. May God help us to be
always filled with thankfulness because Jesus took ourplace in those 3 hours
in hell.

What Did Jesus Do In Hell?
By Jack Kelley Monday October28th, 2019 About 9 Minutes to Read
Home » TopicalStudies » What Did Jesus Do In Hell?
Commentary by Jack Kelley
“I believe in God the FatherAlmighty Creator of Heaven and Earth and in
Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord; Who was conceivedby the Holy Ghost, born
of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and
buried; He descendedinto hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; He
ascendedinto heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the FatherAlmighty”
—Excerpt from the Apostle’s Creed
Recentlya woman wrote with the following question. She said, “I have just
discoveredthat some of my friends believe when Jesus became sin He took on
the nature of Satan and went to hell where Satanand his demons tormented
him until God calledfrom heaven and said ‘enough’ and then the Holy Spirit
entered Him againand Jesus became the 1st born-again man. I don’t believe
this is true and have been looking for Biblical answers forthem can you
help?”
I’ve heard this teaching severaltimes, and I’m convinced there are several
problems with it. The verse her friends were referring to is 2 Cor. 5:21, “God
made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the
righteousness ofGod.” Jesus bore the penalty for every sin humanity ever had
or ever would commit as if He Himself was guilty of them all. This took place
on the cross during the last three hours of His suffering that ended with His
death. Becoming sin for us is what made God turn awayfrom Him, taking the
light from the world, and it’s what causedHim to say, My God, My God why
have you forsakenme? (Matt. 27:45-46).
Taking on the sin of the world causeda separationbetweenthe Father and the
Son that had never occurredbefore, and while Jesus had steeledHimself

againstthe physical abuse He was suffering, He was not prepared for that. It’s
the only part of the whole ordealHe couldn’t bear in silence.
At the end of that time, knowing that all was completedand so the Scripture
would be fulfilled, He askedfor a drink. Then He said, “It is finished,” and
died (John 19:28-30). This was the end of His suffering. He had done what He
came to do, and that’s to die for the sins of the world (John 1:29). There
would be no more suffering on our account. This is confirmed in the Greek
word John used in the Lord’s statement. It’s tetelestai, a form of the Greek
verb teleo, which means to accomplishor complete. It also means to discharge
a debt, and in the Lord’s day, it was an accounting term that meant nothing
further was owing. The debt we owedto God was paid in full. There would
have been no reasonfor the Lord to endure further torment.
Here’s Another Problem
The Gospelof Luke refers to a brief conversationJesus had with one of the
two men being crucified with Him that gives rise to another problem. While
one of the men hurled insults at Him, the other one declaredthe Lord’s
innocence and said, “Jesus,remember me when you come into your
kingdom.”
Jesus answeredhim, “I tell you the truth; today you will be with me in
paradise” (Luke 23:39-43)
Jesus saidHe was going to Paradise, andyet the Apostle’s CreedI quoted
from above said He descendedinto Hell. Which was it? Forthe answer, let’s
go to the Bible’s most detailed description of the afterlife experience as it was
before the cross. It’s the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus, and it’s found in
Luke 16:19-31.
Tell Us A Story
“There was a rich man who was dressedin purple and fine linen and lived in
luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggarnamed Lazarus, coveredwith
sores and longing to eatwhat fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs
came and lickedhis sores.

“The time came when the beggardied and the angels carriedhim to
Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was
in torment, he lookedup and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his
side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus
to dip the tip of his finger in water and coolmy tongue, because I am in agony
in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received
your goodthings, while Lazarus receivedbad things, but now he is comforted
here and you are in agony. And besides all this, betweenus and you a great
chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot,
nor cananyone cross overfrom there to us.’
“He answered, ‘ThenI beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for
I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this
place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Mosesand the Prophets; let them listen to
them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them,
they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses andthe Prophets, they will not
be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Some call this story a parable, but I think it was the accountof something that
really happened. The Lord’s parables generallyweren’t about actualpeople
but were hypothetical in nature. In this story, we see realpeople in a real
situation. It’s almostas if He expectedHis audience to know who He was
talking about.
I think the Lord was pointing to His ownfuture by saying that God gave us
His word as a guide for life and death, but if people don’t believe it, they
won’t be persuadedeven if someone (Himself for instance)comes back from
the dead. Because of this, I’m skepticalofthe popular stories aboutpeople
who claim to have been to heavenor hell and have been allowedto return and
tell us about what it’s like. If God refused to let Lazarus come back to warn

the rich man’s five brothers, why would He suddenly let all kinds of people
come back to warn people now?
Back To Our Subject
But our topic here is what Jesus did after He died and the story of the rich
man and Lazarus canhelp us understand that as well.
The spiritual condition of these two men is not revealedin so many words. But
by their destinations, we cantell what it was. Upon his death, angels carried
Lazarus to Abraham’s side. This term was the Jewishexpressionfor a place
of comfort in Sheol, the abode of the dead, that was also calledParadise. It’s
the place Jesus saidHe was going to in Luke 23:43. It was where all believers
from the time before the cross wentuntil the resurrection took them to
heaven. In the early church, some believed that Paradise was the actual
Garden of Eden and was neither in Heaven nor on Earth. Being takenthere
indicates Lazarus had died believing in a coming redeemer who would pay the
penalty for His sins and qualify him for the resurrectionto eternallife.
When the rich man died, he was takento hell. The Greek word for hell is
Hades. It’s equivalent to the Hebrew word Sheol which, as I said, is the abode
of the dead. That means it’s the same place where Lazarus went, but while
Lazarus enjoyed a place of comfort, the rich man’s lot was agonyin the fire.
This tells us he was not a believer. He could see Lazarus, but he couldn’t join
him. The time for choosing his eternal destiny ended at his death, just like it
does for us. Hebrews 9:27 tells us humans are destined to die but once and
after that to face judgment.
Paradise was only a temporary place for believers, who could not enter
heaven until Jesus sprinkledHis blood on the altar there (Hebrews 9:11-12).
Since then, all believers who die go directly to Heaven (Phil 1:21-23, 2 Cor.
5:6-8).
The part of Hades where the rich man went is also a temporary place. Rev.
20:13 tells us that at the GreatWhite throne judgment, Hades will give up the
dead that are in it and eachpersonwill face their final judgment before being
castinto the lake of fire.

So although it wasn’tthis way at the beginning, somewhere along the way
Hades, or hell as we call it, came to be known as the place where unbelievers
spend eternity in suffering and torment. I think this misunderstanding is at
leastpartially responsible for the false teaching that Jesus was tormented by
Satanthere.
When Jesus went into Hades, He went as a conqueror, not as a victim. In the
Bible, there are only two references to the time between His death and His
resurrectionand both support this position. As we saw in Luke 23:43, He said
He was going to Paradise immediately after He died and He was taking one of
the men dying next to him along. And in 1 Peter3:18-20 we’re told that by the
powerof the Holy Spirit He preachedto the disobedient spirits imprisoned
there, so He must have visited the other side of Hades as well. But it was not
for suffering. It was to remind them that their punishment was just and well
deserved.
But Wait, There’s More
Finally, our writer mentioned that her friends believe Jesus became the first
born-again man after God put a stop to His suffering and the Holy Spirit
entered Him again. But as we’ve just seen, the Holy Spirit was with the Lord
when He preachedto the disobedient spirits. More importantly, being born
againis the result of accepting the Lord’s death as payment for all our sins.
Jesus neversinned, and He didn’t have a sin nature. True, He became sin for
us, but He did not need to be born again. On the contrary, He’s the one who
made it possible for us to be born again.
In summary, there’s no Biblical support for the belief that the Lord’s
suffering on our behalf continued after His death. Selah09-01-12
Christ in the Grave Three Days and Three Nights.

Jesus Himself made the statementthat He would be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40 - For as Jonas was three days
and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days
and three nights in the heart of the earth.) According to "tradition and
practice" the church holds that Christ was crucified on Friday and then
raisedfrom the grave early Sunday morning. This would make Him in the
grave only two nights. The JewishSabbath beganFriday at sunsetand ended
at sunset on the Sabbath (Saturday). Because ofthis Sabbath, the church has
supposedour Lord was crucified on Friday. However, we learn from the Old
Testamentthat there were other JewishSabbaths - Sabbaths of feasts and
Sabbaths of years.
John 19:14 - And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth
hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Beholdyour King! This verse indicates that
the Jews, during the week of Christ's crucifixion, were observing a Passover
Sabbath, which, no doubt, fell on Friday of that week.
Mark 15:42 - And now when the even was come, because it was the
preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, this tells us that Christ's
crucifixion took place on the day before the Sabbath. This was not Friday -
the day before the weeklySabbath, but Thursday - the day before the
PassoverSabbath.
Just as Christ predicted, He was in the grave three days and three nights!
He DescendedInto Hell
If Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, this would have included not only His
tasting death for every man (Hebrews 2:9 - But we see Jesus,who was made a
little lowerthan the angels for the suffering of death, crownedwith glory and
honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.), for

the wagesofsin is death, but it would have included His descending into hell,
the place where all sinners deserve to go. The Apostles'Creed states it this
way: "He descendedinto hell." Scripture gives us some hints to show that in
hell Christ was conscious afterHis death on the cross and that His
performance in hell was an important part of His earthly ministry. Peter,
mentions the crucified Christ in Acts 2:24 - Whom God hath raised up, having
loosedthe pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden
of it. Two things are implied in this verse:
that death exerted "pains"
that something called "death" tried so hard to hold Him that God Himself
had to intervene.
Clearly there was a titanic struggle going on those three days and three nights
in the grave. During this awful battle, severalthings took place. There was
punishment for our sins. Christ took on Himself the guilt of the human race,
including its worstcrimes. In God's sight, Christ was "made sin." His whole
being reekedwith our sin. That sin had to be punished. Punishment for sin
required more than physical death. If punishment consistedmerely of
separating spirit from body, which physical death does, then Christ could
have almost instantly revived after three o'clock thatawful afternoonand
sped back to His Father. Punishment for sin follows physical death.
I Peter3:18,19 - For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preachedunto the spirits

in prison; This verse indicates He carried on activities which show He was
alive and fully aware ofHis mission there. And, as He predicted, He was
"three days and three nights in the heart of the earth," not just in the garden
tomb (Matthew 12:40).
If punishment for sin is not mere physical death, what is it? Christ received
the same type of punishment the rich man in Luke 16 experienced, cut off
from God and godly men, abandoned to the torments of bell fire, and gloated
over by Satan. It is the horror awaiting every Christ rejecter. When Jesus said
in the garden, "if it be possible for this cup to pass . . . " (Mark 14:35,36 -And
he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were
possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things
are possible unto thee; take awaythis cup from me: nevertheless not what I
will, but what thou wilt. Thus it was the prospectof what went beyond his
unspeakable death - the spikes, the nakedness,the sun's heat, the flies, the
spitting, the jeering, the wracking of His body in hideous pain. It was the
horrible, black anguish of the coming guilt of our sins and the fear of His
Father's rejection. Surely this was the bitterest drop in the cup. He who had
seenfrom before the foundation of the world what awaitedany spirit
delivered to "him who has the powerof death, that is the devil," knew full
well the horror that lurked for Him the moment He passedthrough "the gates
of Hades."
Something of the gloating spirit that animated all Hades as Jesus descended
may be guessedatfrom His parable of the vineyard where wickedservants,
having killed a successionofprophets, said to eachother, "This is the heir.
Come, let us kill Him and take His inheritance" (Matthew 21:38 - But when
the husbandmen saw the son, they saidamong themselves, This is the heir;
come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.). Surely this is what
Satanhad in mind. If somehow he could incarcerate Jesus,then the earth's
inheritance would be his. Every sinner is Satan's prey; here is Christ - with all
our sins, and in Satan's sight the greatestsinnerof all, forsakenby God and

assignedto "taste of death for every man." Satandetermined His punishment
would be full measure.
Scripture does not tell us what "the pains of death" were like, but it does say
that God "loosed"them. Hell's handcuffs were snapped on Christ, its gates
clangedshut behind Him. For over four thousand years no sinful human soul
had ever escapedthatprison. The "gulf" was "fixed" too deep and wide for
any transition (Luke 16:25,26 -But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou
in thy lifetime receivedstthy goodthings, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but
now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, betweenus
and you there is a greatgulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence
to you cannot; neither canthey pass to us, that would come from thence.).
Try to imagine what this time in Hell would be like. How like all eternity it
would seem! Perhaps in the spiritual realm time loses allmeaning, for "one
day is with the Lord as a thousand years." What would three days be like?
Here was Christ - all alone. "I looked, and there was none to help, and I
wondered that there was none to uphold" (Isaiah63:5 - And I looked, and
there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold:
therefore mine own arm brought salvationunto me; and my fury, it upheld
me.). No angelwas there, except hell's angels. Forthe first time in all eternity
the Sonof Godwas alone. Yet not entirely.
The Holy Spirit was still with Him. It was "through the eternal Spirit" that
He "offered Himself without blemish unto God" (Hebrews 9:14 - How much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without spot to God, purge your consciencefrom dead works to serve the
living God?) It was this faithful Companion who plumbed with Christ the
depths of Hell. He empoweredthe Savior's arm for combat, and the outcome
is described as follows in Colossians 2:14,15 - Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was againstus, which was contraryto us, and took it out of

the way, nailing it to his cross;And having spoiled principalities and powers,
he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. These
principalities are infernal, not heavenly. They represent Satan's most potent
warriors. Christ took them on in their own den and despoiled them-He
stripped them, threw them down, and left them impotent. These evil beings
are immobilized, not annihilated. Christ subjected them with His God-given
power. Philippians 2:9,10 - Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under
the earth.
Christ also bruised Satan's head. The promise given in Eden was fulfilled
(Genesis 3:15 - And I will put enmity betweenthee and the woman, and
betweenthy seedand her seed;it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise
his heel.)The "serpent" that bruised Christ's "heel" was crushed by the heel.
I John 3:8 - He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from
the beginning. Forthis purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil. Hebrews 2:14 - Forasmuchthen as the children
are partakers offlesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the
same;that through death he might destroy him that had the powerof death,
that is, the devil. It was the three days and nights of invisible combat in hell
that "brought to nought" Satan's powerover humanity. Satanmust live to
witness the absolute triumph of Christ over all creation.
Hell's bars and gates had defied the ages, taking alland releasing none. Job
had knowntheir awful impregnability - Job10:21 - Before I go whence I shall
not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death. But now
these gates, whichChrist declaredwould be no obstacle to His church, gave
way to the One who is mentioned in Psalm 107:16 - For he hath broken the
gates ofbrass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. Christ also seizedthe keys of
death and of hell. Revelation1:18 - I am he that liveth, and was dead; and,
behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Having descendedinto the lowerparts of the earth and becoming the Victor,
Christ now begins to make His exit "leading captivity captive" (Ephesians
4:8-11 - Wherefore he saith, When he ascendedup on high, he led captivity
captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, whatis it but that he
also descendedfirst into the lowerparts of the earth? He that descendedis the
same also that ascendedup far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles;and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;and
some, pastors and teachers.)
What does the expression"captivity captive" mean? The keyto our
understanding this expressionis the phrase "wherefore he saith" (vs. 8).
Whenever an expressionsuch as this occurs, it has reference to something said
in the Old Testament. It is used in connectionwith an enemy capturing a
people. When Jaban, king of Canaan, and Sisera, his captain, oppressedIsrael
for twenty years, Jaban and Sisera became "captivity" and Israelbecame
"captive." Deborah, as judge of Israel, led Israel to victory, and Jabanand
Sisera-"captivity," were led "captive." The enemy is "captivity." ReadJudges
4:1-5:12. When Christ defeatedthe devil and spoiled principalities, He led
"captivity" (the devil) "captive!" He is now the Victor - "captivity."
Some would suggestthatHades (hell - Sheol)was in two compartments. One
for those who died in their sins, and the other for the Old Testamentsaints
who had died in faith (Luke 16:22-26 - And it came to pass, that the beggar
died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also
died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and
seethAbraham afaroff, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said,
Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the
tip of his finger in water, and coolmy tongue; for I am tormented in this
flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst
thy goodthings, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted,
and thou art tormented. And beside all this, betweenus and you there is a

greatgulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot;
neither canthey pass to us, that would come from thence.)The compartment
for saints is sometimes referred to as "Abraham's bosom." When Christ
ascendedup on high (Ephesians 4:8 - Wherefore he saith, When he ascended
up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.), the "captivity"
He led, so they say, were these Old Testamentsaints who were then takento
heaven to be with Himself - their faith being rewarded with the same victory
that is ours (Hebrews 11:39,40 - And these all, having obtained a goodreport
through faith, receivednot the promise: God having provided some better
thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.)
What do you think?
Do you now have a greaterappreciationof the "work" that Jesus Christhas
done for us?
Isn't He worthy of all Praise and Glory? Amen!
Sing the hymn below. Think of what you have just read - it is pure scripture!
Robert Lowry must have known his Bible pretty well!
Up from the Grave He Arose

1. Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Refrain:
Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose!He arose!Hallelujah! Christ arose!
2. Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior,
vainly they sealthe dead, Jesus my Lord!
(Refrain)
3. Deathcannot keepits prey, Jesus my Savior;
he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!
(Refrain)
Words by: Robert Lowry
Question:"Did Jesus go to hell betweenHis death and resurrection?"

Answer: There is a greatdeal of confusionin regards to this question. The
conceptthat Jesus wentto hell after His death on the cross comes primarily
from the Apostles’Creed, which states, “He descendedinto hell.” There are
also a few Scriptures which, depending on how they are translated, describe
Jesus going to “hell.” In studying this issue, it is important to first understand
what the Bible teaches aboutthe realm of the dead.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is
sheol. It simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed
souls/spirits.” The New TestamentGreek equivalent of sheolis hades, which
also refers to “the place of the dead.” Other Scriptures in the New Testament
indicate that sheol/hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they
awaitthe final resurrectionand judgment. Revelation20:11–15gives a clear
distinction betweenhades and the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the
permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades, then, is a
temporary place. Many people refer to both hades and the lake of fire as
“hell,” and this causesconfusion. Jesus did not go to a place of torment after
His death, but He did go to hades.
Sheol/hades was a realm with two divisions—a place of blessing and a place of
judgment (Matthew 11:23;16:18; Luke 10:15;16:23; Acts 2:27–31). The
abodes of the saved and the lost are both generally called“hades” in the Bible.
The abode of the savedis also called “Abraham’s bosom” (KJV) or
“Abraham’s side” (NIV) in Luke 16:22 and “paradise” in Luke 23:43. The
abode of the unsaved is called “hell” (KJV) or “Hades” (NIV) in Luke 16:23.
The abodes of the saved and the lost are separatedby a “greatchasm” (Luke
16:26). When Jesus died, He went to the blessedside of sheol and, from there,
took the believers with Him to heaven (Ephesians 4:8–10). The judgment side
of sheol/hades has remained unchanged. All unbelieving dead go there
awaiting their final judgment in the future. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes,
according to Ephesians 4:8–10 and 1 Peter3:18–20.

Some of the confusionhas arisen from such passagesas Psalm16:10–11as
translated in the King James Version:“Forthou wilt not leave my soul in hell;
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. . . . Thou wilt show
me the path of life.” “Hell” is not a correcttranslation in this verse. A correct
reading would be “the grave” or“sheol.” Jesus saidto the thief beside Him,
“Todayyou will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); He did not say, “I will
see you in hell.” Jesus’body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to be with
the blessedin sheol/hades. Unfortunately, in many versions of the Bible,
translators are not consistent, orcorrect, in how they translate the Hebrew
and Greek words for “sheol,” “hades,” and“hell.”
Some have the viewpoint that Jesus wentto “hell” or the suffering side of
sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is
completely unbiblical. It was the death of Jesus on the cross that sufficiently
provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effectedour own
cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7–9). As He hung there on the cross, He took the
sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us:
“Godmade him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might
become the righteousness ofGod” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This imputation of sin
helps us understand Christ’s struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the
cup of sin which would be poured out upon Him on the cross.
As Jesus neareddeath, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His suffering in
our place was completed. His soul/spirit went to hades (the place of the dead).
Jesus did not go to “hell” or the suffering side of hades;He went to
“Abraham’s side” or the blessedside of hades. Jesus’suffering ended the
moment He died. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaitedthe
resurrectionof His body and His return to glory in His ascension. DidJesus
go to hell? No. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes.

Where in the Bible does Jesus go to hell and take the keys of death?
Question: Where in the Bible does it speak of Jesus going to hell and taking
the keys of death?
Answer: We know that Jesus ascendedinto heaven; Acts 1:9, “…..he was
takenup; and a cloud receivedhim out of their sight.” Before he ascended
into heaven, he also descendeddowninto hell; Eph. 4:9-10, “…..he also
descendedfirst into the lowerparts of the earth…..he that descendedis the
same also that ascended…..” It is confirmed againthat Jesus wentto hell;
Acts 2:31, “…..spake ofthe resurrectionof Christ, that his soul was not left in
hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.” The reasonJesus wentto hell was
because, he had to receive the same punishment as mortal man. He also went
there to offer salvation to all the righteous people who died before his death
on the cross;1 Pet. 4:6, “…..forthis cause was the gospelpreachedalso to
them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh,
but live according to God…..” Jesus wentto hell but was resurrected;
therefore he conquereddeath; 1 Cor.15:26, “the lastenemy that shall be
destroyedis death.” BecauseJesus conquereddeath, he now holds the keys of
death; Rev. 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive
for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
http://epistleofchrist.org/?page_id=686
Did Jesus Go to Hell?
Dec 9, 2017
Article ID: JAP374 | By: Hank Hanegraaff

This article first appeared in the PracticalHermeneutics column of the
CHRISTIAN RESEARCHJOURNAL, volume 37, number 04 (2014). The full
text of this article in PDF format can be obtained by clicking here. For further
information or to subscribe to the CHRISTIAN RESEARCHJOURNAL go
to: http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/
“There is no textual basis in the New Testamentfor claiming that between
GoodFriday and EasterChrist was preaching to souls imprisoned in hell or
Hades. There is textual basis for saying that he would be with the repentant
thief in Paradise ‘today’ (Luke 23:43), and one does not getthe impression
that he means a defective place from which the thief must then be delivered by
more preaching.”1—JohnPiper
For many the question of whether Jesus wentto hell may seemodd. Yet it is a
question in desperate need of an answer. Not only because millions invoke the
phrase “He descendedinto hell” as they recite the Apostles’Creed, but
because millions more have been caught up in the notion that their
redemption was securedin an epic battle betweenSatan and the Savior in the
cauldron of hell. In the words of popular prosperity preacher, JoelOsteen:
The Bible indicates that for three days, Jesus went into the very depths of hell.
Right into the enemy’s own territory. And He did battle with Satanface to
face. Canyou imagine what a show down that was? It was goodvs. evil. Right
vs. wrong. Holiness vs. filth. Here the two most powerful forces in the universe
have come togetherto do battle for the first time in history. But thank God.
The Bible says Satanwas no match for our Champion. This was no contest.
Jesus crushedSatan’s head with His foot. He bruised his head. And He once
and for all, forever defeatedand dethroned and demoralized our enemy.2
While the notion that Jesus descendedinto hell is not itself heretical, the
notion positedby Osteenand others that in hell Jesus engagedSatanin an
epic battle to complete the work of atonementmost certainly is.3 Three
biblical texts in particular are invoked to buttress the notion that Jesus was in
hell betweenHis death and resurrection.

The first is 1 Peter3:19–20. Here Peterwrites that Jesus “wentand preached
to the spirits in prison who disobeyedlong ago when God waited patiently in
the days of Noahwhile the ark was being built.”4 Does this mean that Jesus
descendedinto hell? I think not. What Petercommunicates here is that just as
the Spirit of Jesus preachedthrough Noahto the people of his day— who
were then in the flesh, but at the writing of Peter’s epistles were disembodied
spirits incarceratedin the prison house of hades—so too in the days preceding
the fall of Jerusalem, the Spirit of Jesus was preaching through Peter and the
persecutedto a paganworld drowning in a flood of dissipation.
The parallels betweenthe day of Noah and Peter’s day are striking. Like
Noahand his family, the faithful were an insignificant minority in the midst of
a wickedand perverse generation.5 Moreover, as Noahbuilt the ark believing
that he would see God’s judgment befall the wickedwithin his ownlifetime, so
Peterproclaimed that scoffers wouldwitness the destructionof Jerusalem
within their very own generation. As the world was deluged and destroyedin
the days of Noah, so Jerusalemand its glorious temple were “reservedfor
fire” in the day of a fledgling first-century church.6 As Noah “condemnedthe
world and became heir of the righteousnessthat comes by faith,”7 and as the
persecutedin Peter’s day were “being built into a spiritual house to be a holy
priesthood,”8 so too we are exhorted to look forward in faith to an ultimate
“day of the Lord” in which “the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the
earth and everything in it will be laid bare. . . . But in keeping with his
promise . . . a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness,”will
gloriously emerge out of the ashes ofdevastation.9
In sum, 1 Peter3:19 has nothing whatsoeverto do with Jesus going to hell
during the days betweenHis death and resurrectionto preach to demonic
spirits or to disobedient scoffers who disobeyedwhile the ark was being built.
Instead, the disobedient who died in Noah’s day, in Peter’s day, and who die
in our day comprise “the spirits in prison” (souls in hades) who await a final
Day of Judgment in which they will be summarily sentencedand sent to an
eternal prison designatedin Scripture as hell.
Furthermore, as with the words of Peter, so too the words of Paul written in
his epistle to Ephesian Christians are frequently takento communicate that

Jesus descendedinto hell: “Whatdoes ‘he ascended’mean exceptthat he also
descendedto the lower, earthly regions? He who descendedis the very one
who ascendedhigher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole
universe.”10 The question is, do the phrases, “he also descendedto the lower
earthly regions” and “He descendedinto hell,” have equivalent meanings?
The unequivocal answeris—no!Far from demonstrating that our Lord went
to hell, this passage contains anidiomatic expression(an expressionunique to
the Greek), referring to Christ’s incarnation on earth. In evidence, David uses
the same expression(“lowerparts” or “depths of the earth”)in exclaiming,
“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secretplace.
When I was woven togetherin the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my
unformed body.”11 Surely no one rightly supposes that David was born in the
dungeons of hell! Indeed, far from crying out something like, “Sataninto thy
hellish clutches I submit my being,” as Word of Faith teachers would like to
have it, Christ cried from the cross, “Fatherinto your hands I commit my
spirit.”12 As such, He did not spend three days betweendeath and
resurrectionexperiencing the horror of hell; rather, absent from the body, He
was immediately present with the Father in heaven.
Finally, the words of Jesus—“As Jonahwas three days and three nights in the
belly of a huge fish, so the Sonof Man will be three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth”13—have beentwisted in an attempt to shore up the
notion that betweendeath and resurrection, Jesus “descendedinto hell.”
While the phrase “heartof the earth” has been takento mean the cauldron of
hell, in reality Christ was speaking ofHis death and burial in the tomb of
Josephof Arimathea. Jonah’s entombment in the stomachof a fish was the
type; Jesus’entombment in the sepulchre of a friend, the antitype. Moreover,
there is not even a hint in Matthew’s gospel, orfor that matter in the rest of
Scripture, that Jesus experiencedthree days and three nights in mortal
combat with the forces of darkness. Noris there any warrant for supposing
that hades is locatedin the heart or the core of the earth.
“He Descendedinto Hell.” I would be remiss at this point if I failed to mention
that it is often wrongly argued that the belief that Christ suffered under the

demonic hosts in hell is consistentwith early apostolic teaching. In doing so,
they invoke the phrase “He descendedinto hell” from the oldestrule of
faith—the Apostles’Creed.14
This, however, is hardly a convincing argument. Prior to its crystallization as
a confession, the creedwas used in rudimentary permutations as a rite of
baptism—but without the phrase in question. The creedbeganto take on
permanency as a rule of faith because ofGnostic heresies thatarose in the
early Christian church prior to the middle of the secondcentury—but still
without the phrase “He descendedinto hell.”
Even in form of the Old Roman Creed, codified by Bishop Marcellus of
Ancyra in the late fourth century, the confessiondid not contain the phrase
“He descendedinto hell.” Indeed, not until standardization as the Received
Creedlong after the fourth century was the clause appended to the
confession—andperhaps not officially so until the eighth century. Moreover,
we should note that even had the clause been invoked by the early Christian
church, the intent would not have been to communicate that Jesus finished the
work of redemption in hell.
If church history tells us anything, it is that the early Christians celebratedthe
broken body and shed blood of Christ on the cross forthe complete remission
of their sins.15 —Hank Hanegraaff
Hank Hanegraaffis president of the Christian ResearchInstitute and host of
the daily Bible Answer Man broadcast(equip.org). Hank has authored many
books, including Christianity in Crisis:21stCentury (Thomas Nelson, 2009)
and The OsteenificationofAmerican Christianity (CRI, 2014).
NOTES
John Piper, “Did Jesus Spend Saturday in Hell?” April 7, 2012,
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/did-jesus-spend-saturday-in-hell—2.

JoelOsteen, Easterservice message atLakewoodChurch, Sermon #CS_002 –
4-23-00, April 23, 2000, transcriptformerly online at
http://www.lakewood.cc/sermons/cs_002.htm, transcript archived online at
http://web.archive.org/web/20040408215244/http://www.lakewood.cc/sermons
/cs_002.htm, retrieved February 5, 2014;cf. JoelOsteen, Easterservice
message2004onDiscoverthe Champion in You program, Trinity
Broadcasting Network, April 26, 2004).
In light of Christ’s most precious sacrifice, itis almostinconceivable that
anyone— particularly someone who takes the sacredname of Jesus upon his
lips—would so blatantly reconstructthe centrality of Christ’s atonement upon
the cross. Yetin the face of Scripture, which plainly tells us that “by his
death” Jesus destroyedhim “who holds the power of death—that is the devil”
(Heb. 2:14), Osteenhas Christ in the cauldron of hell finishing the work of
redemption.
All Scripture quotations are from the NIV1984.
See Gen. 6:5–8.
2 Pet. 3:7; cf. Matt. 24:34.
Heb. 11:7.
1 Pet. 2:5.
2 Pet. 3:10, 13.
Eph. 4:9–10.
Ps. 139:15–16.
Luke 23:46; cf. John 19:30.
Matt. 12:40.
The Apostles’Creed: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Makerof
heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was
conceivedby the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descendedinto hell. The third day

He arose againfrom the dead; He ascendedinto heaven, and sitteth on the
right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge
the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;the forgiveness ofsins; the resurrectionof the body;
and the life everlasting. Amen.”
Article adapted with modification from Hank Hanegraaff, AfterLife: What
You Needto Know about Heaven, the Hereafter, and Near-DeathExperiences
(Brentwood, TN: Worthy, 2013), 121–26.
QUESTION:Did Jesus Go to Hell?
ANSWER:
More specifically, did Jesus go to hell betweenHis death on GoodFriday and
His resurrectionon EasterSunday? The Apostles'Creed states that Jesus,
"was crucified, dead, and buried. He descendedinto hell. The third day he
rose againfrom the dead." The Athanasian Creed, speaking ofJesus, asserts,
"Who suffered for our salvation, descendedinto hell, rose again the third day
from the dead." Therefore, two of the three great ancientcreeds affirm that
Jesus "descendedinto hell" sometime between His crucifixion and
resurrection. But is that what the Bible teaches?
The short answerto this question is: "No." The biblical authors were more
accurate in their use of words than some of our Bible translators or creed
writers. There are two Greek words for the abode of the dead. (Greek is the
language in which the New Testamentof the Bible was originally written.)
Hell (Geenna in Greek, also calledthe lake of fire and the eternal fire) was

made for the Devil and his minions (Matthew 25:41) and will be occupiedby
all the unrighteous after the lastjudgement (Revelation19:20-21 and 20:10-
15). There is no biblical evidence that anyone has gone there or will go there
until after Jesus'SecondComing (Revelation19:11-16). This includes Jesus
Himself.
The other Greek word is Hadas (from which we get the English word Hades).
This is the regionof the dead. Before Jesus'ascension, the spirits of all people
went to Hades. After His ascension, onlythe spirits of unbelievers go to Hades,
while the spirits of believers go directly to be with the Lord (2 Corinthians
5:1-8). It is into this regionthat Jesus enteredafter His crucifixion (Acts 2:25-
31 in which Peterquotes from Psalm16:9-10). Ephesians 4:8-10 says that
Jesus, "haddescendedinto the lowerparts of the earth." This may also speak
of Jesus'visit to Hades before His ascension. Finally, Romans 10:7 refers to
Jesus in "the abyss" while He was among the dead. After the final judgment,
Hades will be castinto Hell (Revelation20:14). Therefore, the longeranswer
is: "Yes, Jesus descendedinto Hades but not into Hell."
So, how did the idea of Jesus descending into Hell get incorporatedinto the
church creeds? The earlychurch taught that Jesus descendedinto Hades. The
Old Roman form of the Apostles' Creed(about A.D. 140)did not have the
phrase, "He descendedinto Hell", and it did not appearin the Nicene Creed
(A.D. 325). It seems to have been a late addition (perhaps around A.D. 390).
The phrase first appeared in the Creed of Aquileia, (4th century, in the Latin
words descendit in inferna - descendedinto Hades). In addition, the
Athanasian Creed, which does contain the phrase, may not have been written
until the time of Charlemagne (8th century). So, why the addition? One
possible explanation is that at the end of the fourth century (around A.D. 381)
the church was battling the teachings ofApollinaris. He taught that Jesus was
not fully human - He had a human body and soul, but a divine spirit. The
church, on the other hand, taught that Jesus had to be fully human for His
death to be a true death and an effective sacrifice for sin. To demonstrate that

Jesus was fully human, with a human spirit, the church may have added the
Latin phrase from the Creedof Aquileia to the more popular Apostles'Creed.
By the time of the Middle Ages, the words Hell and Hades had become
confusedand Jesus was thought to have descendedinto Hell.
Did Jesus ReallyDescendinto Hell?
ZA Blog
April 14, 2017
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It is sometimes argued that Christ descendedinto hell after he died.
The widely used Apostles’ Creedreads, “was crucified, dead, and buried, he
descendedinto hell; the third day he rose againfrom the dead.”
But the phrase “he descendedinto hell” does not occurin the Bible.

Did Jesus reallydescendinto hell?
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Wayne Grudem on the origins of the phrase
and what the Bible says about it.
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Where did the phrase come from?
A murky backgroundlies behind much of the history of the phrase itself. Its
origins, where they canbe found, are far from praiseworthy.
It is surprising to find that the phrase “he descendedinto hell” was not found
in any of the early versions of the Creed(in the versions used in Rome, in the
rest of Italy, and in Africa) until it appeared in one of two versions from
Rufinus in A.D. 390.
Then it was not included againin any version of the Creeduntil A.D. 650.
Moreover, Rufinus, the only person who included it before A.D. 650, did not
think that it meant that Christ descendedinto hell, but understood the phrase
simply to mean that Christ was “buried.” In other words, he took it to mean
that Christ “descendedinto the grave.” (The Greek form has hadēs, which
can mean just “grave,” notgeenna, “hell, place of punishment.”).
We should also note that the phrase only appears in one of the two versions of
the Creedthat we have from Rufinus: it was not in the Roman form of the
Creedthat he preserved.
This means, therefore, that until A.D. 650 no version of the Creedincluded
this phrase with the intention of saying that Christ “descendedinto hell”—
and the only version to include the phrase before A.D. 650 gives it a different
meaning.
Later when the phrase was incorporatedinto different versions of the Creed
that already had the phrase “and buried,” some other explanation had to be
given to it.
There have been three possible meanings proposedthroughout church
history:
Some take this phrase to mean that Christ suffered the pains of hell while on
the cross. Calvintakes this approach, as does the Heidelberg Catechism.
Others have understood it to mean that Christ continued in the “state of
death” until his resurrection. The WestminsterLarger Catechism, Question

50 takes this approach: “Christ’s humiliation after his death consistedin his
being buried, and continuing in the state of the dead, and under the power of
death till the third day; which hath been otherwise expressedin these words,
He descendedinto hell.”
Finally, some have arguedthat the phrase means just what it appears to mean
on first reading: that Christ actually did descendinto hell after his death on
the cross.
Learn more about the life of Jesus:
Four Portraits, One Jesus
What does the Bible say? 5 passagesusedto support the descentinto hell
There are five Bible passagesusedto support the idea that Christ really did
descendinto hell between his death and resurrection.
1. Acts 2:27
This is part of Peter’s sermon on the Dayof Pentecost, where he quotes Psalm
16:10:“because youwill not abandon me to the realm of the dead [KJV:
“leave my soul in hell”], nor will you let your faithful one see decay.”
Does this mean Jesus enteredhell? Not necessarily. Peteris using David’s
psalm to show that Christ’s body did not decay—he is therefore unlike David,
who “died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day”
2. Romans 10:6–7
These verses containtwo rhetorical questions, againOld Testament
quotations (from Deut. 30:13):“Do not sayin your heart, ‘Who will ascend
into heaven?’(that is, to bring Christ down) or ‘Who will descendinto the
abyss?’(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
But this passage hardly teaches that Christ descendedinto hell. The point of
the passage is that Paul is telling people not to ask these questions, because
Christ is not far away—he is near—and faith in him is as near as confessing
with our mouth and believing in our heart (v. 9).

3. Ephesians 4:8–9
Here Paul writes, “In saying, ‘He ascended,’whatdoes it mean but that he
had also descendedinto the lowerparts of the earth?”
Does this mean that Christ “descended” to hell?
It is at first unclear what is meant by “the lowerparts of the earth,” but
another translation seems to give the best sense:“What does ‘he ascended’
mean except that he also descendedto the lower, earthly regions?” (NIV).
Here the NIV takes “descended”to refer to Christ’s coming to earth as a baby
(the Incarnation). The lastfour words are an acceptable understanding of the
Greek text, taking the phrase “the lower regions of the earth” to mean “lower
regions which are the earth.”
Paul is saying that the Christ who went up to heaven (in his ascension)is the
same one who earliercame down from heaven(v. 10). That “descent” from
heaven occurred, of course, whenChrist came to be born as a man. So the
verse speaks ofthe incarnation, not of a descentinto hell.
4. 1 Peter3:18–20
This passagesays:“ForChrist also sufferedonce for sins, the righteous for
the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but
made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made
proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long
ago when God waitedpatiently in the days of Noahwhile the ark was being
built.”
For many people this is the most puzzling passageonthis entire subject. Let’s
unpack severalquestions surrounding this text:
Does 1 Peter3:18–20 referto Christ preaching in hell?
Some have taken “he went and preachedto the spirits in prison” to mean that
Christ went into hell and preachedto the spirits who were there—either
proclaiming the gospeland offering a secondchance to repent, or just
proclaiming that he had triumphed over them and that they were eternally
condemned.

But these interpretations fail to explain adequately either the passageitselfor
its setting in this context. Peterdoes not say that Christ preachedto spirits
generally, but only to those “who formerly did not obey...during the building
of the ark.” Such a limited audience—those who disobeyedduring the
building of the ark—wouldbe a strange group for Christ to travel to hell and
preach to.
If Christ proclaimed his triumph, why only to these sinners and not to all?
And if he offered a secondchance for salvation, why only to these sinners and
not to all? Even more difficult for this view is the factthat Scripture elsewhere
indicates that there is no opportunity for repentance after death (Luke 16:26;
Heb. 10:26–27).
Moreover, the contextof 1 Peter3 makes “preaching in hell” unlikely. Peteris
encouraging his readers to witness boldly to hostile unbelievers around them.
He just told them to “always be prepared to give an answerto everyone who
asks you” (1 Peter3:15 NIV). This evangelistic motif would lose its urgency if
Peterwere teaching a secondchance for salvationafter death. And it would
not fit at all with a “preaching” of condemnation.
Does 1 Peter3:18–20 referto Christ preaching to fallen angels?
To give a better explanation for these difficulties, severalcommentators have
proposedtaking “spirits in prison” to mean demonic spirits, the spirits of
fallen angels, and have said that Christ proclaimed condemnation to these
demons. This (it is claimed) would comfortPeter’s readers by showing them
that the demonic forces oppressing them would also be defeatedby Christ.
However, Peter’s readers would have to go through an incredibly complicated
reasoning process to draw this conclusionwhen Peter does not explicitly teach
it. They would have to reasonfrom (1) some demons who sinned long ago
were condemned, to (2) other demons are now inciting your human
persecutors, to (3) those demons will likewise be condemned someday, to (4)
therefore your persecutors will finally be judged as well. Finally Peter’s
readers would get to Peter’s point: (5) Therefore don’t fear your persecutors.

Does it not seemtoo farfetched to say that Peterknew his readers would read
all this into the text?
Moreover, Peteremphasizes hostile persons, not demons, in the context (1
Peter3:14, 16). And where would Peter’s readers getthe idea that angels
sinned “during the building of the ark”? There is nothing of that in the
Genesis storyabout the building of the ark. And (in spite of what some have
claimed), if we look at all the traditions of Jewishinterpretation of the flood
story, we find no mention of angels sinning specifically“during the building of
the ark.” Therefore the view that Peteris speaking of Christ’s proclamation of
judgment to fallen angels is really not persuasive either.
Does 1 Peter3:18–20 referto Christ’s proclaiming release to Old Testament
saints?
Another explanation is that Christ, after his death, went and proclaimed
release to Old Testamentbelievers who had been unable to enter heaven until
the completionof Christ’s redemptive work.
But againwe may question whether this view adequately accounts for what
the text actually says. It does not saythat Christ preached to those who were
believers or faithful to God, but to those “who formerly did not obey”—the
emphasis is on their disobedience. Moreover, Peterdoes not specifyOld
Testamentbelievers generally, but only those who were disobedient “in the
days of Noah, during the building of the ark” (1 Peter 3:20).
Finally, Scripture gives us no clearevidence to make us think that full access
to the blessings ofbeing in God’s presence in heavenwere withheld from Old
Testamentbelievers when they died—indeed, severalpassagessuggestthat
believers who died before Christ’s death did enter into the presence ofGod at
once because their sins were forgiven by trusting in the Messiahwho was to
come (Gen. 5:24; 2 Sam. 12:23;Pss. 16:11;17:15;23:6; Eccl. 12:7; Matt.
22:31–32;Luke 16:22;Rom. 4:1–8;Heb. 11:5).
A more satisfying explanation of 1 Peter3:18–20
The most satisfactoryexplanationof 1 Peter3:18–20 seems ratherto be one
proposed(but not really defended) long ago by Augustine: the passagerefers

not to something Christ did betweenhis death and resurrection, but to what
he did “in the spiritual realm of existence” (or“through the Spirit”) at the
time of Noah. When Noah was building the ark, Christ “in spirit” was
preaching through Noahto the hostile unbelievers around him.
This interpretation is very appropriate to the largercontext of 1 Peter3:13–
22. The parallel betweenthe situation of Noahand the situation of Peter’s
readers is clearat severalpoints:
Both were a religious minority
Both were surrounded by hostile unbelievers
Both were facing the possibility of imminent judgment
Both were to witness
Both were finally saved
Such an understanding of 1 Peter3:18–20 seemsto be by far the most likely
solution to a puzzling passage.
5. 1 Peter4:6
This fifth and final passagethatsupports Jesus’descentinto hell says, “For
this is why the gospelwas preachedeven to the dead, that though judged in
the flesh like men, they might live in the spirit like God.”
Does this verse mean that Christ went to hell and preached the gospelto those
who had died? If so, it would be the only passage in the Bible that taught a
“secondchance”forsalvation after death and would contradict passagessuch
as Luke 16:19–31 andHebrews 9:27, which clearlyseemto deny this
possibility.
Moreover, the passagedoes not explicitly say that Christ preached to people
after they had died, and could rather mean that the gospelin generalwas
preached(this verse does not even say that Christ preached)to people who are

now dead, but that it was preachedto them while they were still alive on
earth.
This is a common explanation, and it seems to fit this verse much better. It
finds support in the secondword of the verse, “this,” which refers back to the
final judgment mentioned at the end of verse 5. Peteris saying that it was
because ofthe final judgment that the gospelwas preachedto the dead.
Thus, “the dead” are people who have died and are now dead, even though
they were alive and on earth when the gospelwas preachedto them.
We conclude, therefore, that this last passage, whenviewedin its context,
turns out to provide no convincing support for the doctrine of a descentof
Christ into hell.
Learn more in the
Systematic Theologyonline course, taughtby Wayne Grudem
3 passagesthat indicate Jesus did not descendto hell
In addition to the fact that there is little if any biblical support for a descentof
Christ into hell, there are some New Testamenttexts that argue againstthe
possibility of Christ’s going to hell after his death.
1. Luke 23:43
Jesus’words to the thief on the cross, “Todayyou will be with me in
Paradise” (Luke 23:43), imply that after Jesus died his soul (or spirit) went
immediately to the presence ofthe Father in heaven, even though his body
remained on earth and was buried.
Some people deny this by arguing that “Paradise”is a place distinct from
heaven, but in both of the other New Testamentuses the word clearly means
“heaven”:in 2 Corinthians 12:4 it is the place to which Paul was caught up in
his revelationof heaven, and in Revelation2:7 it is the place where we find the
tree of life–which is clearlyheaven in Revelation22:2 and 14.
2. John 19:30

In addition, the cry of Jesus, “It is finished” (John 19:30)strongly suggests
that Christ’s suffering was finished at that moment and so was his alienation
from the Fatherbecause ofbearing our sin. This implies that he would not
descendinto hell, but would go at once into the Father’s presence.
3. Luke 23:46
Finally, the cry, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46),
also suggeststhat Christ expected(correctly) the immediate end of his
suffering and estrangementand the welcoming of his spirit into heaven by
God the Father (note Stephen’s similar cry in Acts 7:59).
If Jesus didn’t descendinto hell, then what happened when he died?
These texts indicate, then, that Christ in his death experiencedthe same things
believers in this present age experience when they die: his dead body
remained on earth and was buried (as ours will be), but his spirit (or soul)
passedimmediately into the presence of Godin heaven(just as ours will).
Then on the first Eastermorning, Christ’s spirit was reunited with his body
and he was raisedfrom the dead—just as Christians who have died will (when
Christ returns) be reunited to their bodies and raisedin their perfect
resurrectionbodies to new life.
This fact has pastoralencouragementfor us: we need not feardeath, not only
because eternallife lies on the other side, but also because we know that our
Savior himself has gone through exactly the same experience we will go
through—he has prepared, even sanctifiedthe way, and we follow him with
confidence eachstep of that way.
Learn more about the death and resurrectionof Jesus
Learn more about the death of Jesus, the atonement, the resurrection—and
why it all matters. Sign up for Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theologyonline
course.

Did Jesus Go to Hell? - Where was Christ betweenthe Cross and
Resurrection
Dr. RogerBarrier
PreachIt, TeachIt
2017
23 Mar
COMMENTS
1
Editor's Note:PastorRogerBarrier's "Ask Roger" columnregularly appears
at PreachIt, TeachIt. Every week at Crosswalk,Dr. Barrier puts nearly 40
years of experience in the pastorate to work answering questions of doctrine
or practice for laypeople, or giving advice on church leadership issues. Email
him your questions at roger@preachitteachit.org.
DearRoger,
Where did Jesus go for the three days and three nights after dying on the
cross? DidHe go to hell and take my sins? I shudder to think that would have
happened. Being without His Father on the cross with my sins laid on Him is
so painfully, I just can't comprehend He had to spend that time in hell to save
me as well. Or did He spend this time in Heaven with God to get Him ready
for the 40 days on earth? I have heard it explained both ways.
Sincerely,
Victor
DearVictor,
No one knows for certain where Jesus was the entire time during the three
days betweenHis crucifixion and resurrection. We know for certain where he

was part of the time––in Paradise. Butan enigmatic verse in 1 Peter about,
“preaching to the spirits in prison” opens up other possibilities.
First, what we know for certain: Jesus spenttime in Paradise.
Jesus was crucifiedbetweentwo criminals. One of them mockedhim. The
other one askedJesus to include him in his kingdom.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults him: “Aren’t you the
Messiah? Save yourselfand us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fearGod,” he said, “since
you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting
what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, rememberme when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus answeredhim, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”
(Luke 23:39-43).
Where and what was Paradise?
I believe that we can safelyassume that the word “Paradise”refers to Heaven.
However, since the word is used only three times in Scripture, need to take a
closerlook.
In Revelation2:7, addressing the church at Ephesus, Jesus described
Christians in Paradise as eating from the Tree Of Life. In contextwith the
other church letters in Revelation2-3, the Tree Of Life is obviously locatedin
Heaven.
“To the one who is victorious, will give the right to eatfrom the Tree Of Life,
which is in the paradise of God.”

In 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Paul mentioned being takenup to the third heaven,
which he identified as Paradise. The third was known as the place where God
lived.
“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caughtup to the third
heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God
knows. And I know that this man was caughtup to paradise and heard
inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.”
So, we know that Jesus spentsome time in Heaven during those three days.
However, Jesus also spenttime with spirits in prison.
Second, now we speculate aboutJesus preaching to the spirits in prison.
A rather enigmatic passagein 1 Peter3:18-20 gives a confusing and
convoluted insight:
"ForChrist died for sins once for all... to bring you to God. He was put to
death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went
and preachedto the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God
waited patiently in the days of Noahwhile the ark was being built..."
Preaching to "the spirits in prison" intimates that the people who died before
the crucifixion (especiallythe people who lived in the days of Noah) were
given a secondchance to repent!
Another verse or two in the Bible corroborating and expounding upon Peter’s
statementwould be nice. But, since Peteris the only one who refers to this
idea, I don't believe a definitive declarationis possible.
The earliestreference outside of the Bible regarding what Jesus might have
been doing during those three days and nights was formulated in the 4th

century A.D. when the Apostles'Creedwas agreedupon by the church
leaders. The Apostles'Creed attempted to simplify the basic truths of the
Christian faith. I have shared below a copy of the Apostles'Creed so you can
be aware of its existence. Notice the reference to "He descendedinto hell."
This obviously comes from 1 Peterbut leaves much to the imagination.
"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creatorof heavenand earth and
in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
"Who was conceivedof the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered
under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
"He descendedinto hell.
"The third day He arose againfrom the dead. He ascendedinto heaven and
sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to
judge the living and the dead.
"I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of
saints, the forgiveness ofsins, the resurrectionof the body, and life
everlasting."
By the way, thank you Victor, I have never heard the idea that Jesus spentthe
three days and nights in Heavengetting ready for His next assignmentof 40
days on earth before His ascension.
By the way, if Petertruly means that some receiveda secondchance then
Hebrews 9:27-28 will need some explaining: "Justas man is destined to die
once, and after that to face judgment..."
Incidentally, a carefulreading of Romans 2 is interpreted by some to mean
that Paul is describing the way to Heaven for people who die without ever
hearing of the gospelofChrist.

The idea in Romans 2 seems to be that some will be judged according to how
well they have lived up to the "Light" that they did have.
Finally, I grieved with you as you describedyour personalfeelings about the
suffering of Christ for our sins. The pain He suffered in that divine
transactionis incomprehensible. While we grieve for Him, we also feel a deep-
seatedsense ofgratitude for His work on the cross and for whateverelse He
was accomplishing during those three days.
He Descendedinto Hell?
Article by Joe Rigney
Professor, BethlehemCollege & Seminary
Josephbought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen
shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he
rolled a stone againstthe entrance of the tomb. (Mark 15:46)
We all know that Jesus died. “‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’
And having saidthis he breathed his last” (Luke 23:46). But what happened
after he died? We know that his body was laid in Joseph’s tomb, but what
about his human soul?
Reflecting on this question not only sheds light on the Bible’s teaching about
death and the afterlife, but it also is a greatencouragementto us, who must
face death and seek to do so without fear.
What Is Death?

First of all, what exactly is death? Deathis separation, a dividing of things
that ought to be united. Fundamentally, it is separationfrom God. Paul
suggestsas much in Ephesians 2:1–2, “You were dead in the trespassesand
sins in which you once walked.” To walk in sin is to be dead, to be enslavedto
dark powers, to be separatedfrom God, to be children of his wrath. This type
of separationis an estrangement, a hostility, an alienationfrom the life and
hope of the living God. In this sense, allof us, by nature, are born dead, and it
is this death that Jesus endured in his suffering on the cross.
But of course, deathis more than just separationfrom God. Deathalso marks
the separationofthe soul from the body. God made human beings to be
embodied souls and ensouled bodies, and death rips this union asunder. But
what happens to these two parts after they’re separated? Psalm16:10 gives us
a window into the biblical teaching.
You will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
“Godmade human beings to be embodied souls and ensouledbodies. Death
rips this union asunder.”
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This passagedirects us to the normal accountof what happened when a
human being died prior to the death and resurrectionof Jesus. The soul was
abandoned “to Sheol,” and the body saw corruption or decayed.
In Acts 2:29–31, Petertells us that David, in writing this psalm, foresaw the
resurrectionof Christ, “that he was not abandoned to Hades [that is, his soul
wasn’t], nor did his flesh see corruption” (notice that Peter reads the second
line as a reference to Jesus’s bodyor flesh). Thus, prior to Jesus, atdeath,
souls normally went to Sheol(or Hades), and bodies (flesh) decayed. We’re all

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