There are some mysterious words in the Apostles' Creed between "He was crucified, died, and was buried," and "The third day He rose again from the dead."  Those in-between words are "He descended into hell."  What do those words mean?  What are we confessing when we say them?

We are not saying that Jesus descended into hell to suffer.  For indeed Jesus' suffering ended on the cross, as He said, "It is finished."  There at Calvary He endured the full fury of hell in His body and soul in order to take away its torment from us.  When He died, the suffering was done.

Nor, when we say that Jesus descended into hell, are we merely saying that He went down to the place of the dead, that He was lowered into the tomb.  For His burial has already been confessed.

Rather, I Peter 3 tells us that after His death Jesus went and preached the victory of His cross–that hell had been vanquished, that its gates had been broken down, that its power was conquered by His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.  He descended into hell, then, to proclaim His triumph over Satan and His legion, to harrow His hellish enemies.  They were defeated.  The grave would not hold Him.  It is finished.  The victory is won.  Martin Luther wrote, Christians ought to "cling to the main point, that for us, through Christ, hell has been torn to pieces and the devil's kingdom and power utterly destroyed."

Tonight we celebrate this truth, a truth that will soon be revealed in the resurrection.  Because Jesus has conquered hell, we are set free.  Because our Lord descended there to proclaim His conquest, we also will pass with Him from death to life.  For if were buried with Christ in baptism, united with Him in His death, certainly we also will be united with Him in His resurrection.

Give ear now to the Scriptures which speak of our Lord.  He is the Light and Life of all men, who called light out of darkness, who makes all things new in His resurrection.

He is the ark that saved Noah and the representative creation in the Flood, whose opened side allowed them to enter into safety.  In Christ there is rebirth and new creation.

He is the pillar of cloud and of fire, leading the children of Israel through the baptismal water of the Sea, saving His people from their enemies.

He is our steadfast Daniel, going down to shut the mouth of Satan who prowls like a roaring lion, and coming forth from the pit victorious in the morning.

He is righteous Job, the faithful one who suffers terribly but who is vindicated in the end.

See Christ in these verses.  See yourself in Him.