What Does the Apostles’ Creed Mean by “He Descended to the Dead?”
The Apostle's Creed recites that Jesus "was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day, he rose again."
We correctly and consistently focus on Christ's death and resurrection as the pillars of the Christian faith. Still, what about that phrase in the middle, "he descended to the dead." Why do we often avoid teaching on Holy Saturday?
For me, it’s because I lacked knowledge about the day. But the moment came when I wanted to teach a series on Jesus's final days according to the Apostle's Creed, and I knew I could not skip over this.
Through research and study, I found that this "in-between" moment is a cause for celebration. Because Christ descended to the dead on the second day, his glorious resurrection on Sunday is all the more powerful because of his miraculous work in rescuing the waiting saints.
Where Did Jesus Go?
Maybe you're new to this discussion or have done some research, but the leading question in all of this is what does it mean that "he descended to the dead."
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40, ESV) To understand the context of Jesus's statement, we should catch up on the Hebrew understanding of the afterlife.
This chart is a good outline for the afterlife beliefs of ancient Israel.
Evidence is found throughout the Old Testament and the Gospels for a "place of the dead" that includes those righteous men and women used by God.[1] The best way to understand where Jesus went in the in-between is “the place of the dead.”
Two alternative options are that Jesus went to hell or heaven. There are only two reasons why one would end up in hell, either as an unrepentant sinner separated from God or as a rescuer to defeat the ruler of hell, Satan. Jesus as God, the Son, would not fit the first criteria and we know that Jesus's death on the Cross and resurrection from the grave did not lead Satan's permanent elimination. Revelation 20 points to a final battle that will happen between our Triune God, the angels, and Satan and his demons.
Jesus also only ascended once after his death, not twice. This means he did not go to heaven and then return to get his body. Believing Christ went to heaven means there would be two ascensions - one spiritual and another bodily (Acts 1:1-11).
Since these interpretations pose significant biblical-interpretive problems, I believe that Jesus descended to the dead. This argument is rooted in both biblical and historical understandings of the place of the dead and the biblical presentation about this. Helping teenager develop a better understanding of where Christ went after his death is the best place to start when teaching on Holy Saturday.
Why Jesus Went
"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…" 1 Peter 3:18-19 (ESV)
"For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does." 1 Peter 4:6 (ESV)
I believe that Jesus went to the dead to preach about his victory over sin and death and to rescue the faithful who had no previous, permanent rescue from sin. The cross, the descent, and the resurrection are all connected. In fact, they are all a fulfillment of the better Exodus. The Exodus story is a nation's journey from bondage into freedom through faith in God, who redeems.
Jesus paid the price for sin on the cross. He freed those who follow Him out of their slavery to sin. In the descent, Christ freed the faithful who had already died without the chance to trust in Christ. So, his descent is meant to proclaim victory to those righteous men and women who have patiently awaited the promised Messiah who would save them from their sin. [1]
By teaching on Holy Saturday to your students, you are exploring a swath of theological themes. It also addresses students’ common question about the link between salvation in the Old Testament and in the New.
Why it Matters to Students
Saturday is not just the day between the Cross and the Resurrection; Saturday is a day of victory and rescue. Saturday makes Sunday so much more glorious. Teaching about Holy Saturday presents more than just an opportunity to cover multiple theological themes. It also offers a chance to discuss the fulfilled promises of God and Christian Baptism.
Christ fulfilled what God had promised long ago by proclaiming victory to the dead. This is a helpful reminder to our students and us that what God promises, he will do. He will come again to proclaim victory over death and Satan and sin.
The descent of Christ points to the second coming of Christ as a foreshadowing of what will be. It gives us hope that those who follow Christ are not simply waiting in the grave. Christ has proclaimed victory to the dead and brought them up to heaven with him.
While teaching this does require a fair amount of research, approaching this subject in your student ministry will, at the very least, fascinate your students as a not-often-taught subject and may produce some excellent fruit that could lead to souls surrendered to Christ because of his miraculous work.
Suggestions for further reading:
"He Descended to the Dead": An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday by Matthew Emerson
“Crux, Mors, Inferi”: A Primer and Reader on Christ's Descent by Samuel D. Renihan
Christ's Descent to the Dead: Four Myths by Matthew Emerson
Christ’s Descent Into Hell? By John Calvin
[1] OT: Psalm 16:8-11, Psalm 62:10, Job 28:22, Jonah 2:2, Hosea 13:14.
NT: Luke 16:19-31, Luke 23:43, Acts 2:27
note: this article includes Amazon Affiliate links that financially benefits Youth Pastor Theologian. We use these rewards to purchase materials for study, which then benefits YPT readers.