Did Jesus go to hell after he died on the cross?
King David, Peter and the Apostle Paul confirm he did. King David prophesied about it, Peter clarified those prophecies and Paul addressed it in his teachings.
Let me clarify what I mean by “hell.”
Jesus did not go into the Lake of Fire, he went into a place called Hades, which is typically translated as “hell.” The place or realm these three men referred to is called several things in scripture.
Hades (Greek) - Acts 2:27 - Hades is translated as “hell” in the KJV
Sheol (Hebrew) - Psalm 116 - Also translated as “hell” in the KJV
The lower parts of the earth (the grave) - Ephesians 4:9
Other references include “the grave,” “the pit” and “places desolate of old.”
All of these are the same place/realm. Hades, Sheol, the grave and the lower parts of the earth are all words and descriptions for the “realm of the dead” or the holding place for the wicked that are awaiting judgment.
The Lake of Fire is something different. Again, Jesus did NOT go into the Lake of Fire. The eternal lake of fire was created for fallen angels but will also be the place where unsaved souls perish at the final judgment. Death, Hades and the grave are all cast into the Lake of Fire at the final judgment, so they can’t be the same place.
What Did Jesus Experience In Hades?
There are two different perspectives on Jesus’ experience in the grave.
One says Jesus went into the grave to take the keys of death and hell away from the devil. “Take the keys” means to take authority over.
The other perspective acknowledges the first perspective as true but acknowledges a period of suffering in the grave, before his resurrection. “Did the Messiah suffer in the grave” is the big question. To some it’s not important but I believe it to be an important part of theology to get right.
Both perspectives understand the messiah overcame the enemy and stripped him/them of any and all authority. Every Christian believes Jesus died and passed through the grave, the only debate is whether or not he suffered in the grave. I submit that he did, and here’s why.
I’ll use Psalm 16 and Acts 2 as my text.
In Acts 2, Peter explains that the Holy Spirit has been poured out as Joel prophesied. He then goes on to quote Psalm 16 and explain its context. Peter explains that King David prophesied about the Messiah in Psalm 16. Peter explains that David is still dead, so the words he’s prophesying are not ABOUT the Messiah but are indeed the words OF the Messiah.
Peter clarifies that Psalm 16 are the words of the Messiah, not just words about the Messiah.
So if Psalm 16 are the words of the Messiah, he is describing first hand what he experienced at his death. Not just what he experienced but where he experienced it. The point I’m making is not just that Jesus passed into the grave, but he passed into the grave after becoming sin and experiencing the death that you, as a wicked person, should have experienced.
Jesus didn’t just die and then go and take the authority over hades away from the enemy and gain victory over death, he first suffered what you would have suffered in the grave without salvation. Jesus, as a human, had to face and conquer everything a human would have experienced, including suffering in the grave.
Read Psalm for context:
1 {Michtam of David.} Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
The locational context is in the grave, not on the cross. Some say these are the words of the Messiah while he was on the cross, but the grammar doesn’t support that. This is post death but pre resurrection.
Why is this important?
It’s first important to properly exegete these passages for the integrity of theology. Secondly it’s important because you see the depths to which from your God went to remove anything that could ever possibly separate you from him. There is not one thing remaining that exists which can rear it’s head and separate you from him if you trust in Christ as your righteousness.
It’s as if Jesus not only went into prison, but he also took the authority of the guards that would have held you there and he served your sentence for you so there is no longer a judgment against you that would have sent you to prison to begin with.
Jesus as Jesus had to become your sin so you could become righteous, and just as Jesus had to be cursed so you could be blessed with eternal life, Jesus had to go into the grave as that sin and curse to experience that realm’s punishment as well.
Even though Jesus passed into the grave as your wicked self, he still trusted God’s promise to him that he would rule and reign forever from his right hand, that he would be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek and that he would sit at God’s right hand as God made every enemy his footstool. Those promises couldn’t be fulfilled if Jesus was dead, Jesus had to believe God in order to receive and inherit those eternal promises, that was the calling and mandate of the Messiah. To become sin, to be cursed and experience the full penalty, even eternal separation from God in hades, but he trusted his father until death, hades, the grave and the enemy could no longer hold him. The faith if Jesus, in his father’s promises, was indeed stronger than death.
Praise the living God!
I actually feel like I explain these powerful truths in this sermon better than in this article. Watch the video above, starting around 14:00 for a more thorough explanation of these passages.
