Highway Out of Hell

What was Jesus doing on Holy Saturday? Was he really in or spiritually out of the tomb? Among all the legends surrounding Jesus, my favorite is the Harrowing of Hell. Jesus is busy for the time in the tomb. He is bringing people out of Hell. Many enigmatic passages in the New Testament give credence to an early belief in this story. The atonement theory of Christus Victor is based in the belief. Even though it is not a completely coherent theory, it is still a logical one.

Out of Weird Texts

“Then Jesus cried with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs were also opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and were seen by many.” (Matthew 27:50-53, emphasis added)

The tombs of the saints open, but the saints do not come out of them until after the Resurrection. I wonder what Matthew had in mind. The raised saints are waiting rescue it seems.

The next weird passage is in 1 Peter. “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous and the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive again in the spirit, in which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison,” (3:18-19 emphasis added) 1 Peter goes on to talk about God’s patience in the days of Noah in order to discuss baptism. Jesus’ body may have been in the tomb but he was alive among the dead.

Descended to the Dead

The Apostle’s creed comes in two versions in the United Methodist Hymnal. The longer version contains the sentence, “He descended to the dead.” Another version of the sentence say, “He descended to Hell.” What does it mean?

We don’t know for certain. The idea of Christ alive among the dead appears to soften the idea that he died. After all, where did he say he was taking the Thief on the Cross? And who else left with him?

The harrowing of hell paradoxically leaves us either empty or fills us with joy. Are only a chosen few are taken out? That leaves as bad a taste in my mouth as the Good Friday Lie does for Keith Giles. Did Jesus enter the realm of the dead with a list?

The universalist understanding fits better into Luke’s narrative of the crucifixion of Jesus. And it gives a more complete view of Christ’s victory.

Christ The Victor

Christus Victor has only one pitfall. It is easily mistaken for the “Warrior Jesus” myth perpetuated by many evangelicals. Such a misuse misses the point.

Jesus brings people with him in his Resurrection. The grace and mercy given to us is be given to everyone. Divine love is boundless. Recently I told a confirmation class, “Give me an example of grace.”

One student said, “When your friend forgives you by understanding you are having a bad day.” The other answers were similar. Grace was about family, parents, and friends forgiving us.

There is a common quality involved in their examples. Grace did not enter the relationship after a confrontation. Grace is there before. A friend, family member, or parent forgives a person because the relationship already exists. We often fail to recognize grace until we need mercy and forgiveness. Grace arises from love. In friendship it is a mutual love.

Christ is victor through love. He does not overcome evil by being sinless. Jesus overcomes evil and death through love.

Out of Love

Evangelicals and other “traditionalists” believe God is god because of divine power. Jesus indicates that divine power is greater than any human power. But understanding divine power as force is a mistake. Being a “force for good” merely equates the power with that of evil.

The power of God is in love not in divine strength or force. Salvation is in a relationship that already exists. The harrowing of hell is a good legend that reminds us of that.