Jesus Himself Descended Into Hell

So far we've examined the false teaching of purgatory as a place of cleansing and the fact that hell, like heaven, is eternal and without end. We've been reminded that only in Jesus Christ, God's Son, does God's mercy and justice meet. Jesus himself proclaimed this by his descent into hell itself after his death upon the cross and before his resurrection. The Apostle Peter describes that great event in his words of encouragement to those believers who were being persecuted, slandered and reviled because of their godly lives and good behavior in Christ.

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. - 1Pe 3:17-22 ESV

What is he saying? He is telling us that the residents of hell will forever continue to reject God's mercy and choose their own delusions, despair and darkness instead. But we have our Baptism to cling to.

1. Christ suffered at the hands of evil men in order that he might return us to God. His death was for us. The righteous One suffered the sorrows of hell and death so that we may never be forsaken, but may forever be the forgiven and reconciled children of God (Matt. 27:46).   
2. When he had completed his sacrificial work upon the cross, he committed his spirit into the hands of his heavenly Father (Luke 23:46). Joseph of Arimathea then placed Jesus' lifeless body into Joseph's previously unused tomb (Luke 23:50-53). 
3. While his body lay in Joseph's tomb, Jesus, "made alive in the spirit," went "in spirit" to the spirits in prison (Acts 22:4; 26:10). Why were they locked up, imprisoned? And who were they? They were the millions who lived before the great flood in the days of Noah (Gen. 6:3-13). They all had rejected the LORD God in spite of the fact that the LORD gave them a hundred years to repent (Gen. 5:32; 7:6) while Noah built the ark. 
4. What did Jesus proclaim? He proclaimed his victory over judgment, sin and hell. The people of Noah's day had all rejected God's mercy. In this hellish prison there was no change of heart on their part when Christ appeared among them. Like the demons who forever continue to be chained to gloomy darkness (2 Pe 2:4), these millions of deluded souls continued to reject their rightful LORD and God, just as  they had while living on the earth. 

There is a lesson for us all, writes Peter. Remember that Noah and his family, eight in all, were indeed saved by the ark that Noah obediently built during the hundred years that the LORD waited before the flood. We too have such an ark. It is called Baptism. In our Baptism we have a boat that delivers us from the fast approaching flood of God's judgment upon the rebellious world of this day. In our Baptism God comes to us with the Good News of Christ. He proclaims to us that when Christ died upon the cross, we died with him. When Christ rose on the third day, we rose with him. And now Christ sits at God's right hand. He is the Hand of God, with all authority in heaven and earth (Rom. 6:1-11). And now, since death no longer rules Christ, it no longer has mastery or dominion over us either. It has lost its power. We will never die. We will never be forsaken. We shall ever be with our Lord in that new creation that awaits us (Rom. 8:18-25). 

Rebel Son And Grieving Father

We're looking stories from Holy Scripture that tell us about the grieving of parents over the death of children. One such is the story of Absalom, son of King David, born in Hebron of Maacah the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur (2 Samuel 3-18 and 1 Chronicles 3:2). Maacah was one of David's six wives, women he married while at war with the house of Saul, Israel's first king. David married most of those women so he might establish political alliances. The anonymous writer of that history makes no direct judgments upon this practice. The history tells it all.

David's family history is filled with hate, war, murder, adultery, lies, intrigue, rebellion and political maneuvering. What amazes me each time I look at it is the patience, mercy and forgiveness of the LORD God who chose David to lead these people. Ultimately, the story brings us to an out and out rebellion against David, led by Absalom and Absalom's death during the final battle (2 Samuel 18:1-19:15). Absalom's pillar (2 Sam. 18:18) can be found in the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem to this day.

Lets look at a few details.

Absalom had himself crowned king. He mounted an army of thousands from the north to overthrow David. David's thousands met them in the oak and fir forest of Ephraim, east of the Jordan river, on the north bank of the river Jabbok and near the city of Mahanaim (two camps in Hebrew) in Gilead. It was here that Jacob had a vision of angels (Genesis 32:2) and gave the place its name. Here also was where David had set up temporary headquarters after Absalom's army had driven him from Jerusalem.

David's men defeated the Israelite army that day. Some 20,000 are reported to have died. ". . . and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword" (2 Sam. 18:8). Absalom, known for his beautiful long hair, fled on his mule. But as he rode through the woods his hair became tangled, trapping him in the branches of a great oak. Acting against David's direct command, Joab, David's commander, together with ten of his armor-bearers, caught up to Absalom and killed him. They threw his body into a pit and covered it with stones. At the news of his death Absalom's army scattered and fled.

A Cushite messenger made it to David with the terrible news. David asked, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man." At that, David was overwhelmed with grief. How often have parents made similar laments upon hearing of their child's death. David cried over and over, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

David continued to lament his son's death so strongly that his victorious army returned to camp as if they had been defeated. Finally Joab, fearing a worse rebellion, forced David to show himself to his people and resume his leadership. We hear no more in this history about David's grieving for Absalom.

There was more to David's grief than the death of his son. Through his own lust and folly David had earlier lost an illegitimate son after his affair with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). Though that son had died shortly after birth, David was assured that the LORD had taken the baby to Himself in heaven. But Absalom—for him only hell awaited. David was the LORD's anointed king and in rebelling Absalom had rejected the LORD. Little wonder that David sobbed and cried at the news of his son's death.

Not only had Absalom gone to hell, David must bear great guilt for leading him in that direction. Contrary to God's clear plan for marriage, David had taken many wives and concubines. Absalom's mother was one such. David had played the game of thrones with Saul—and won. Besides all that, David was a murderer. He had arranged for the death of Bathsheba's husband and then taken her for yet another of his many wives. What a model for his children! David had failed as a father.

It is bitter indeed when parents learn that a child has died while rebelling against them, their life styles and their religious beliefs. For instance, you may know, as do I, of children caught up in the drug culture who committed suicide or were murdered by their peers or killed in an automobile accident. Bitter and unending is the pain when a parent realizes that this child will never be with them again, even in heaven. Bitter and unending is their pain when they realize that their parenting contributed to this rebellion and eternal death. 

What remains for such grieving parents? Only the confession of sins given to us by David in Psalm 51:1-12.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

As David, this notorious sinner, was forgiven, so also may parents caught up in such grief. To them Jesus also says, " I have borne your grief and carried your sorrows. I was afflicted by God and pierced upon the cross for your transgressions, crushed for your iniquities. And now I bring you peace. With My wounds—and only with my wounds—are you healed. But you are and so rest in my peace, for I plead for you and all your family before the throne of my Father in heaven" (Isaiah 53:1-12). 

Christ's Secret Marriage Plan

These days we're exploring the mystery of marriage. Earlier I pointed you to the Genesis text (Gen. 2:24):

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh

Today I begin to unravel what the Apostle means when he says that this is a profound mystery and he is saying that it refers to Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32). Paul frequently refers to mysteries. Earlier in Ephesians he writes:

• how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. ⁴When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit (Ephesians 3:3-5).
   
• To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in^[a] God who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:8-10).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a mystery revealed and made known to Paul and through him to us all.  

• Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages (Romans 16:25). 

Above all, the Apostle emphasizes that this mystery was not something he discovered by his research or science. It is a mystery unknown to mankind in all other generations. It was kept secret for long ages. All of Adam's descendants, like Adam in the garden at the beginning, were alone. However, this was not the same kind of loneliness as Adam experienced at the beginning when he was still secure within the Garden and spoke with God each evening. No indeed. This was a loneliness brought on by Adam's disobedience. From that time forward he and his kind were separated from God and excluded from the Garden. Moses writes, 

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
   and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
   ‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
   in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
¹⁸ thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
   and you shall eat the plants of the field.
¹⁹ By the sweat of your face
   you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
   for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:17-19)

And then the loneliness and separation began. 

"Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” ²³ therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life" (Genesis 3:22-24).

What did the LORD God mean when He said, "the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil?" Surely He did not mean that Adam and his kind were not to develop moral judgments, the ability to distinguish good from evil. What then? We know that God knows good and evil. And we see that Adam did not have this knowledge until after his act of rebellion. As a result of gaining this knowledge the entire planet has been infected with suffering, pain and death. Adam and Eve now realize they are dust, earth and their bodies will now decay and return to the earth from whence they have come. 


Why this judgment? Because in claiming the right to decide what is good or evil, Adam has declared his autonomy. He has claimed to be God. Adam now makes the rules. Adam now decides what is good and what is evil. In so doing he has grievously erred. He is not God. He is Adam, created by God and made from the dust of the earth. He must learn this—and he will, at the cost of his life! 

"Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—"

The phrase, knowing good and evil, is used one more time in the Bible. 

"And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it" (Deuteronomy 1:39).  

The children of Israel had disobeyed the LORD God in the wilderness by refusing to go in when He commanded them. They allowed their fear to hold them back. They said that the Nephilim, giants, ruled there. Before them they were but grasshoppers. It was not possible. Consequently these disobedient people were excluded from entering the land (Numbers 13:25-14:45). Their children, who had not been part of the rebellion, were innocent. They had "no knowledge of good or evil"; consequently they were allowed to possess the land after 40 years when their parents had all died off.


Perhaps you can see where this is leading. The mystery revealed in Christ is that we, the children of Adam, are now reunited to our rightful husband, master and LORD in Christ. Through His innocent suffering, death and resurrection, we have been declared innocent and forgiven. We are no longer the disobedient sons of the first Adam. In baptism we are now united by faith to the second Adam (Romans 6:3-11; 1 Cor.15:21-22) We have become bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh, so that we say with Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). This is the long-hidden, secret marriage plan. 


More on this next time. 

 

A Dark Prince Enters The Story

In previous posts I discussed the back story of the mystery of marriage as recorded in Genesis 2:15-25. But that is not the entire back story. In the very next chapter someone dark and foreboding enters and everything starts to go wrong. Suddenly we see that the story is not being played out as originally planned by the Author of Life (Acts 3:15; John 1:4, 11:25-26). This someone was there when Adam and Eve were created. Now he steps into the story and twists it to his own purposes. We will not understand the back story without this part of it. Let's look at it.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and  pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves (Genesis 3:1-6). 

Without this part of the back story we cannot understand human history as it has unfolded from the Garden of Eden to the present. Unless we accept the reality of spiritual forces under the leadership of a dark prince dedicated to pulling us into  disobedience and rebellion all of our social sciences are pointless and useless. The Apostles of Christ emphasized this. Paul wrote,

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:10-12).

With our laws about marriage, our legal definitions of the institution, our social services, our courts, our therapies and our drugs we do bring a certain order to human life. However, all of it is but temporary and transient. The Apostles remind us again and again that we are merely dealing with surface issues. A darkness has descended upon this world. Unseen, highly organized and very powerful spirits are at work behind the scenes in that spiritual darkness. And they are led by a prince with a ravenous appetite for power and glory (Revelation 12:9; Ephesians 2:2).

In further discussions of marriage we must always be conscious of this part of the story. This is and was the beginning of the great conflict. There is, however, hope for God's children. There is another Prince in this tale (Isaiah 9:2; John 1:1-14). In this Christmas/Epiphany season we celebrate His coming.