What Happened in Hell

Key Text: “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” Acts 2:24

Most believers think the work of Jesus ended when He said, “It is finished” on the cross. But that statement was not Jesus saying, “I am done suffering.” It was Jesus saying, “The payment is complete.” The cross was the payment point, but the burial and descent into death was where the consequences of sin were fully entered into.

Jesus did not just die like a normal man. He entered into the realm of death, the place where sin was supposed to take man permanently. And this is where the gospel becomes deeper than emotion. Jesus did not avoid the punishment of sin. He stepped into it fully. That is why Isaiah 53 says the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Meaning He did not pay small small. He paid complete.

Now, let us be clear. The Bible shows that Jesus went into the realm of the dead. This is why Ephesians 4:9 says He descended into the lower parts of the earth. Also, Acts 2:27 says His soul was not left in hell, neither did His flesh see corruption. That means He truly went there, but He was not abandoned there. Many believers imagine hell like Jesus went there to wrestle Satan like WWE. That is not sound doctrine. Satan was not the one punishing Jesus. God was the one judging sin in Jesus. Hell was not Satan’s victory dance. It was the last bus stop of the sin problem. Jesus entered death, not as a defeated victim, but as the sin bearer. The real battle was not Jesus fighting Satan with punches. The real battle was Jesus bearing sin, absorbing its penalty, and exhausting its legal power.

You see, the believer has been legally delivered. So when you think about what happened in hell, understand this. Jesus entered the deepest consequence of sin so that you will never have to enter it again. That is why salvation is not a motivational offer. It is a rescue mission with legal evidence.

Prayers and Confession
Father, thank You because Jesus went into death and conquered it for me. I declare that death, hell, and the grave have no dominion over my life. I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Christ. I walk in resurrection victory. In Jesus name, Amen.

Reflection
Do you see salvation as just forgiveness, or as complete deliverance from death and darkness? What fear would disappear if you truly believed Christ has the keys?

Further Reading: Ephesians 4:8-10
Acts 2:27-32, Revelation 1:17-18, Colossians 2:13-15, Hebrews 2:14-15