On the Third Day Jesus Rose Again

past Kendall Ellis

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  Kendall Ellis

This semester I had the joy of guiding my staff through a weekly devotional inspired by the Apostles' Creed. Though Baptists have historically been a non-creedal people, my staff was an ecumenical grouping of believers, and nosotros found a renewed hope in God as we studied the creed and scriptures together. Below is an accommodation of 1 of these devotionals, and I pray that God uses it to renew and speak to your spirit as well.

I believe Jesus descended to the dead, and on the third day rose again.

Scripture: John eight:1-11

Dissimilar the poor disciples or Mary, nosotros accept the luxury of knowing that Jesus rose again three days afterwards his expiry. But this nevertheless means that nosotros're stuck with 3 "missing" days where nosotros don't exactly know what Jesus was up to.

We exercise, yet, have some interesting texts throughout the New Attestation letters that draw Jesus spending these iii days in Hell. Or, in other translations, "among the dead." 1 Peter 3 describes it as a time when Jesus was preaching to those who had gone before, sharing the skillful news of life first to those who are the deadest of the expressionless.

Of course, these New Testament passages are complicated. How literally should nosotros take them? What does information technology mean that God went to Hell? Does this mean that people can be saved from sin later death?

First-class questions! And I certainly don't know all the answers!

But there is something I practice know: Jesus' grace knows no limits. In the Apostles' Creed, to proclaim, "I believe Jesus descended to the dead," in essence, means that Jesus is willing to meet me anywhere.

In John, nosotros read a well-known story about Jesus being tested past the Pharisees. The Pharisees "defenseless" an unnamed adult female in the deed of adultery, dragged her unwilling to the heart of town, humiliated her in front of everyone, and tried to get her stoned to death. And what did Jesus practise? He bent downward in the dirt.

We don't know fully what Jesus was doing in the dirt. Nosotros don't know what words he was writing on the ground, or if Jesus was just buying some fourth dimension before responding to the Pharisees. We but know that earlier Jesus pardons this woman, he gets down in the dirt.

This imagery of Jesus getting in the clay has stuck with me since loftier school. My pastor at the time was preaching this text and I retrieve his saying, "Jesus isn't afraid of your dirt." Jesus isn't but going to forgive you lot—though he will. Jesus is going to get down on your level and make it your mess with y'all. And then he will clean the mess, considering Jesus' grace knows no bounds.

The sort of physical symbolism we see in this story tin can be traced throughout Jesus' life. Jesus descended from Sky to be in the messiness of the globe because his grace knows no limits. Jesus allowed himself to be humiliated and tortured in the messiness of the world because his grace knows no limits. Jesus died, even in death on the cross, considering his grace knows no limits. And yous know what? Jesus' grace didn't stop with death. Jesus descended as low as one could go, even into the messiness and darkness of hell, considering Jesus' grace knows no limits.

Simply glory be to God that Jesus' grace which knows no limits going down also knows no limits going up! For the creed doesn't say just that Jesus descended into hell. The creed as well proclaims, "I believe that Jesus rose once again three days later." The same grace that descended arose and, with that limitless grace, Jesus raises u.s. out of our messiness into glorious life.

Ben Myers said it like this in his book, The Apostles' Creed:

"Because Jesus shares our nature, he is able to fall with the states into death; because he is the Son of God he is able to fill up death with his presence so that the grave becomes a source of life. In Christ, the dead are united to God and are live in the strength of that union. The resurrection is not simply an isolated miracle that happens to Jesus. Information technology is something that happens to us—to Adam and Eve, to me, to the man family. As Jesus rises, the whole of humanity rises with him…Where others come across only defeat, Jesus' followers see a paradoxical victory. Where others come across only contamination, nosotros see the sanctification of human nature. Where others see only darkness and despair, nosotros come across cleaved gates. Where others see an cease, we see new beginnings. Decease is serious: simply non as serious as life. Information technology has been placed in a wider context of pregnant. We bury our dead nether the sign of the cross. We lay our bones to rest non in horror but in peace. The dominant audio at a Christian funeral is not mourning merely the singing of praise."

Or, put more than succinctly, Athanasius wrote, "Nosotros no longer die every bit those condemned, but as those who volition arise."

I may not know where in this messy life y'all find yourself. But I tin assure you lot that Jesus volition become in your dirt. Jesus' grace has extended all the style down into the pits of hell and is resurrected once more. How much more can Christ resurrect you lot?

This message of God'due south grace may non be "news" to you if you've been in the church for whatsoever corporeality of fourth dimension. And yet, if we are honest, Christians never cease struggling with the concept of grace, especially the mind-blowing grace of God that knows no limits. So friends, I invite you to be amazed past God'due south grace. May we proclaim with confidence, "I believe Jesus Christ descended into hell and rose from the dead in 3 days." May we proclaim this creed with organized religion, accepting this radical, limitless grace equally Jesus begins cleaning and sanctifying whatever mess we have found ourselves in today. Amen.

Kendall Ellis is current dual-degree Main of Divinity and Master of Social Piece of work student at Baylor University'southward George Westward. Truett Theological Seminary and the Diana R. Garland Schoolhouse of Social Piece of work in Waco, Texas. In addition to her studies, she serves as a Resident Chaplain to beginning-year Baylor students.

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Source: https://cbfblog.com/2021/07/23/i-believe-jesus-descended-to-the-dead-and-on-the-third-day-rose-again/

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