Psalm 27:14 says: “Wait for theLord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
We wait in stillness for the resurrection. We stand in awe of what our Lord and Savior did for us. This is the day we remember his body lying in the tomb. Yet his soul descended to the depths of hell. It is just as we proclaim in our Creed.
For those Jesus left behind that day, they mourned. They hid in fear. They rested for it was the Sabbath. It must have been so surreal. Just a few short days before there had been such a triumphant entry into Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna! Jesus was king. What happened?
Then, Jesus ate his last meal with his friends and told them again about his death. There must have been a lot of denial in that room. How could his fans become his accusers overnight?
God intervened. Think about it. If the eyes of the religious leaders had not been blinded to who was standing in front of them, there would be no sacrificial death. Jesus’ mission was to save us by dying for us. If the chief priests and teachers of the law, not to mention the people, had been totally confident he was the Son of God, wouldn’t they have been bowing at his feet? How would Jesus have become the Savior of the world, the Lamb of God?
But why did Jesus have to descend into Hell? It was his final stretch. First off, correct me if I’m wrong, but the “hell” we refer to here is not the place of the damned or where Satan resides. You know we all have the picture of the red devil with his pitchfork, right? Instead, hell was to mean the place of the dead. Jesus shows up there to announce his victory over sin, death and the devil. The door is now open to eternal life in him. There was a promise of eternity for the dead, too. They were not penalized because they hadn’t lived during or after Jesus did, to have been given knowledge of the way to salvation. Jesus had to deliver the message himself. Does that make sense? I may not be totally right in my theology, but that’s my belief.
We are alive and well today. We know what Jesus has done for us. It is a truth we may have known most of our lives and may even take for granted. It’s good that we know, but we should keep the truth alive because it shapes us and how we live.
Isaiah 40:31 says, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Where are you placing your hope?
As his body lay in the tomb we, too, should mourn the losses in our life. We should reflect on the joys of abundance as well. We should be asking the question, “how does Jesus fit into my life?” Take time today to spend with your Savior. Wrestle with the painful things you are facing. It’s time we leave those at the cross so we can live the life God intends for us.
Let’s pray. Lord, again I stand in awe of you. I am amazed at how much you loved me. Your mission on earth was completed, and now we patiently wait for your return. Help me to be the best me I can be. Help me look past m shortcomings and my limitations and rise above. Help me shut out the noise of the world and focus only on you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
