JESUS DESCENDED INTO HELL
Jesus’ descent into hell is a profound mystery of our faith that reveals the depths of God’s love and the extent of Christ’s redemptive mission.
In the Apostles’ Creed, we profess that after His death on the cross, Jesus “descended into hell.” This does not mean the hell of the damned, but rather what Scripture calls Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek – the realm of the dead where souls awaited redemption. As the Catechism explains, “Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, ‘hell’ – Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek – because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God” (CCC 633).
The Letter to the Ephesians tells us that Christ “descended into the lower parts of the earth” (Eph 4:9). And in his first letter, St. Peter writes that Jesus “went and preached to the spirits in prison” (1 Pet 3:19). These passages point to Christ’s descent among the dead to proclaim the Good News of salvation.
Why did Jesus descend to this realm? The Catechism teaches that “Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him” (CCC 633). These were the righteous souls who had died before Christ opened the gates of heaven – figures like Adam, Eve, Abraham, Moses, and David. They were not suffering eternal punishment but were in a state of waiting, unable to attain the beatific vision until Christ’s redeeming work was complete.
We see this state of waiting depicted in Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man, where the righteous poor man rests in “Abraham’s bosom” after death (Lk 16:22). It was to these holy souls that Christ descended to preach the Gospel and lead them to heaven.
The Catechism beautifully summarizes the meaning of Christ’s descent: “The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places” (CCC 634).
This mystery is powerfully depicted in Eastern Christian iconography of the Anastasis (Resurrection), which shows Christ breaking down the gates of hell and raising Adam and Eve from their tombs. It is a striking image of Christ’s victory over death and his liberation of humanity.
REFLECTION
For us as Christians today, Christ’s descent into hell offers profound hope and consolation. It reminds us that there is no depth of human suffering or darkness that is beyond the reach of God’s love and mercy. Even in our darkest moments, Christ is there, bringing light and salvation.
Moreover, it calls us to trust in God’s plan of salvation, which extends beyond what we can see or understand in this life. Just as the righteous dead had to wait in hope for Christ’s coming, we too are called to persevere in faith, trusting that God is working out his purposes even when we cannot perceive it.
Finally, Christ’s descent challenges us to bring His light and hope to the “hells” of our world today – to those places of despair, suffering, and darkness where people feel abandoned or forgotten. As Christ descended to the depths to bring salvation, we are called to reach out to those on the margins, bringing the Good News of God’s love to all.
May we, like Christ, be willing to descend into the depths of human experience, trusting that God’s love can transform even the darkest situations and bring new life where all seemed lost.