What saith the scriptures? Many argue that when Jesus died, He went to hell and suffered until His resurrection. But the great gulf fixed prevents passage out of hell, Luke 16:26. Consider: Since Christ made full atonement for sin by His shed blood and God accepted it, why would He then have to go to hell? If He had to go to hell, it would mean His shed blood did not fully pay for sin.
“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9:12) This does not sound like he went to hell.
The Bible tells us where he didn’t go: “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell” (Acts 2:27) God would not permit Christ’s soul to go to hell after He had made an acceptable offering for sin. The only ones who go to hell are those who have not been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Christ’s own soul was not under condemnation, causing His death. Jesus had no sin, no condemnation of His own. But God laid the sins of others upon Him, for which He died. It was His death, the shedding of His innocent blood, that wrought the atonement, the just for the unjust. God’s wrath against sinners was fully appeased by Christ’s offering of Himself as our sin substitute. This is what happened on Calvary, the shedding of His blood that purchased us, made the atonement once and for all. There is no other payment or suffering that happened beyond Calvary that atones for sin.
Though our sins were laid upon the person of Christ, His soul retained its Divine righteousness, whereby we have an offering acceptable unto God for our justification – Isaiah 53:10-12, Galatians 2:16.
The Bible tells us where He did go: “…into the holy place”, “…into heaven itself” (Hebrews 9:12,24). He said beforehand where He was going when He would die: “And now I come to thee” (the Father) John 17:13; “I go to the Father” John 16:16. He told the thief as they were hanging on the cross: “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” When He died, He cried, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” Luke 23:43,46.
Christ could not have accomplished anything by going to hell. But by His shed blood, He entered into heaven itself, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Through Christ’s body which was broken for us, and through His blood which was shed for the remission of our sins, “He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2 His death willed us the promises, while His resurrection assures us of the victory.
“For by one offering (Calvary) he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” Hebrews 10:14. He never made another offering in hell.
SHARING
