What did Jesus do While His Body was in the Grave?

Easter is coming in a few days and we, just like millions around the world, plan to celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in a literal death, burial, and resurrection unlike many that have fallen away, departed from, the faith. Look at the title of this blog. What did Jesus do while his body was in the grave? I Peter 3:19 declares that, “He went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” When did he preach and who are these spirits? The previous verse (v. 3:18) sheds a great deal of light on the when part of our question. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh (when he died on the cross), but quickened by the Spirit.” The ‘when’ is just after the crucifixion and burial. Remember this, his body died, but his spirit never died. Luke 23:46 gives us one of the last sayings of Jesus on the cross. “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.”

Look back at v. 19. The word “preached” is in the text and needs to be defined. What does the word mean in the original writing which was Greek? It simply means “to herald a message or make a proclamation.” He heralded a message to spirits in prison. Where were those spirits? It does not give us the location. The Apostles Creed has a phrase which states “he descended into hell.” Is this accurate? Again, the meaning of a word is really important. Acts 2:31 is a part of the sermon Peter preached on Pentecost. “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.” “Hades” is the Greek word used for Hell. It simply means the place of departed spirits. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew equivalent word was “sheol”. Both of these words have a broad meaning and can refer to saints or the unsaved dead. Looking at Luke 16 we see this truth. The passage includes both the punishing part of Hell and the part known as Abraham’s bosom. These two sections were divided by a great gulf.

Who are these spirits in I Peter and what did Jesus preach to them? My belief concerning their identity is found in Jude v. 6. There is a group of angels “which kept not their first estate.” These fallen angels crossed a line and were imprisoned because of this transgression. The timing is interesting in that it happened before Noah’s time. The sins of mankind and these fallen angels had become so great that the Lord sent the flood saving only eight souls. What did Christ preach and what was his sermon about? We know it was not the message of salvation. Hebrews 2:16 teaches us that angels are not the recipients of salvation. Check out I Peter 3:22 and Colossians 2:15. Both of these verses declare victory. I think his preaching message was a “heralding or proclamation” of total victory over Satan and sin.

One more thought about what Jesus did while his body was in the grave. Ephesians 4:8-19 gives us another clue as to Jesus’ activities. He descended, he ascended, and he led captivity captive. Paul used an Old Testament reference from Psalm 68:18 when he penned these words. The text in Ephesians uses the phrase “he led captivity captive.” Where did this leading take place? The passage also tells us that “he first descended into the lower parts of the earth” (v. 9). It was during these three days that Jesus led a host of Old Testament saints from paradise into heaven, the heaven that is on our mind. Until these three days while Jesus’ body was in the grave Abraham, Isiah, Elijah, Elisha, Ruth, and a host of other Old Testament saints were in Abraham’s bosom. Jesus leads those captives out of the place of departed spirits into the very abode of God. One final thought. After death, the opportunity for salvation is passed. There are no salvations once the line of physical death is crossed. Hebrews 9:27 shouts to us, “it is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment.”

Can we be dogmatic on all the activity of Jesus during these three days? No, but we sure do have some great Bible clues for at least two.