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Session 6

The Apostles Creed Study



1.      he descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again;

“7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." 9 (Now this, "He ascended"  — what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)” (Ephesians 4:7-10 NKJV)



            What happened during the 3 days Jesus was in the tomb?  Did Jesus sleep and prepare for resurrection like a butterfly?  Most people probably don’t even think about what happened.  As humans we skip the story and go straight to the end.  We peek and miss the full story.

            Because we are linear (time flows steadily in one direction) we often miss the fullness of God’s work which is outside of time and not limited by time!

            The death and resurrection of Jesus like the arms of the cross reaches back as well as forward in time.  Jesus would have descended to hell to offer the cross and resurrection which was available to all.  In Revelation 9:1 and 20:1 we are told about a key to the bottomless pit.  It is part of Christian teaching that Jesus took the keys of hell from Satan so anyone who wanted could be set free and now we see the Angel with the key of the bottomless pit. 

            Jesus came to fulfill the promise to Adam and Eve that Satan’s head or power would be destroyed and the promise of Isaiah that Jesus would “proclaim liberty to the captives” and that the prison doors would be opened!



“"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1 NKJV)



Why do you think Jesus descended to the dead?







Why did Jesus lie in the grave three days?











Why does it say Jesus rose again?










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