Introduction The Apostles’ Creed summarizes Jesus’ path of humiliation in three step: “He suffered, died, and was buried;” then it adds: “he descended into hell.” This statement raises questions. When did this happen? Where exactly did Jesus go? These are not easy questions. The “descent into hell” is the most puzzling article in the Apostle’s … Continue reading Jesus went down into hell (LD 16, q&a 44)
Tag: Jesus' death
The death of death
Introduction The last two lessons were about the humiliation of the Son of God. He gave up his heavenly glory and became a man; as the Bible says, he “took the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:7). He suffered, not unintentionally, but deliberately. The way of humiliation went very deep, to being condemned as if … Continue reading The death of death
Jesus’ burial
In our Western culture, the dead are customarily buried or cremated. It does not surprise us that Jesus’ body was buried. But it was surprising, giving the culture and customs of that time. The Romans did not usually allow crucified criminals to be buried. Crucifixion was meant to be horrific and shameful until the very … Continue reading Jesus’ burial