The Passion: Jesus Descended to Hell
Study The Word
Psalm 16:9–10
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
There is a messianic psalm that reveals something about the burial of Jesus Christ that most people never think about. Psalm 16 is a prophecy of the burial, and it is also a prophecy of the resurrection. And tucked inside this psalm is one of the most staggering truths of the gospel: Jesus Christ went to hell. He descended to Sheol. He went to hell in my place. He went to hell for me so that I will never have to go to hell. Hey! Oh, thank you, Lord Jesus!
שׁאול she’ol hell – the underworld, the abode of the dead, the grave, the pit; the realm of departed spirits
Think about this: every person who had sin, every sinner, had to go to hell. That was the law. The soul that sins shall die. And Jesus Christ had been made sin for us. God put all the sin of the whole world on Him. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin. So Jesus went to hell legally. He was there because He had been made sin. All of the sin of the whole world was on Jesus. And so He descended to the lower parts of the earth. He went to Sheol.
But here is the declaration of faith in the psalm: “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” God was not going to leave Him there! Jesus went to hell, but hell could not keep Him. He went there for a purpose, for a mission, for three days and three nights. And then God brought Him out. God did not allow His Holy One to see corruption. His body did not decay. His soul was not permanently consigned to Sheol. He went in with purpose and He came out with power! Glory to God!
שׁחת shachath corruption – a pit, destruction, corruption, decay; the process of decomposition in the grave
And here’s the beauty of it: the psalm says, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” Even while His body was in the tomb, even while His soul was in Sheol, there was hope. There was faith. There was a confident expectation that God was going to bring Him out. His flesh rested in hope. His heart was glad. Why? Because He knew that the Father would not leave Him there. He knew that the resurrection was coming. He knew that corruption could not touch Him.
καταβαίνω katabaino descended – to go down, to descend, to come down from a higher to a lower place
And because Jesus went to hell in my place, I never have to go there. He took my punishment. He bore my sentence. He went where I should have gone so that I could go where He is going. He descended so that I could ascend. He was buried so that I could be raised. He entered Sheol so that I could enter the presence of God. Ayaa! That is what the burial of Jesus Christ accomplished. He didn’t just die for me. He didn’t just bleed for me. He went to hell for me! And He came out so that I could come out with Him. That is the gospel! That is the power of the resurrection!
Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Jesus descended to Sheol in my place. I thank You that You did not leave His soul in hell, and You did not allow Your Holy One to see corruption. Because He went to hell for me, I never have to go there. My eternal destiny is secured by His sacrifice, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Speak The Word
Jesus Christ went to hell in my place! He bore my sentence and took my punishment so that I never have to face eternal separation from God. His soul was not left in Sheol. His body did not see corruption. He came out of the grave in resurrection power, and because He lives, I live also. Hell has no claim on me. Death has no power over me. I am free because of Jesus Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ!