The Apostles Creed
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 1 Peter 3:18-19
As the newspaper gradually slips into disuse and disappears, an entire generation will arise that doesn’t know the fun of a comic strip. Like many people, I personally enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts,. I also enjoyed BC by Johnny Hart, which pictured prehistoric individuals. Mr. Hart was also a Christian and it showed in many of his comic strips.
He once did a comic strip about Jesus’ descent into hell. It was depicted as a victory tour and the comment is made that Jesus “has the keys to the place”’ Scripture declares that Jesus suffered and died. It also declares that He was made alive and went and preached to the spirits in prison. Jesus went on a victory tour and announced to the Devil and his host and those in hell that He had won the victory, having made atonement for sin and having defeated death.
In point of fact, Jesus’ descent into hell is part of His exaltation, not His humiliation. It’s an event that proves that He is the victorious Christ! Maybe we should make a point of pausing after the word ‘buried’ and then speak with joyful voice, “He descended into hell” because Jesus’ burial marks the end of the humiliation and the descent into hell the beginning of His exaltation!
By Pontius Pilate crucified,
He suffered on the Tree and died;
To show of Satan’s reign the end,
He did into hell descend.
The Lutheran Hymnal 253:3
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