He Descended To Hades

On the Descent of Christ

Holy Saturday.

Today, the Son of God descended into Hades — The underworld.

His descent to the underworld is alluded to in the New Testament in 1 Peter 4:6, which states that the "good tidings were proclaimed to the dead". Ephesians 4:9 also states that "[Christ] descended into the lower parts of the earth.”

This teaching is also enshrined in the ecumenical creeds of the church. It is found in The Apostles Creed, which states:

“I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate. He was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to Hades. On the third day he rose again from the dead. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.”

The Athanasian Creed says it this way:

“Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance [Essence] of the Father; begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance [Essence] of his mother, born in the world. Perfect God; and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood. Who although he is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God. One altogether; not by confusion of Substance [Essence]; but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man; so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living and the dead.”

This raises the question, why did Christ descend into the underworld?

There are certainly biblical reasons. As noted above, He proclaimed good tidings to the dead — Harrowing hell. There’s also another line of thought found in the work of Dr. Michael Heiser stating that He declared judgment upon the watchers — the angels from the Genesis 6 narrative who are kept in gloomy chains in the underworld until the day of judgment (2 Peter 2:4).

I think another reason, though, is because humanity East of Eden has a certain knack for sinking to the lowest of lows. We have a proclivity to take strolls through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, which usually ends with us being stuck in the very pit of hell.

The message of Good Saturday is that there is no depth we can go that He’s not willing to go, and there is no price she’s not willing to pay for His children.

This is echoed by the Particular Baptist, Hercules Collins in his “Orthodox Catechism.” In Q&A 44, he asks why Jesus descended. His answer was:

“To assure me in times of personal crisis and temptation that Christ my Lord, by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul, especially on the cross but also earlier, has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell.”

Today, you may be struggling with torment, unspeakable anguish, pain, terror of the soul, crippling depression, anxiety, or addiction. You may be in your own personal journey through your own person underworld.

Whatever it is: Jesus Christ is there, in the pit, and He says “come to me all you who are weary and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.”

Blessed Holy Saturday to you and yours.