STUFF ABOUT GOD AND CHRISTIANITY | Dr. Ron Braley
Jesus died in the flesh after Roman crucifixion and was resurrected three days later. Upon that, most Christians will agree.
But what happened before the resurrection? Where was Jesus during that time, and what did he do while he was there?
I’ve heard things like, “Jesus went to the grave, preached to all the dead people, and got ’em saved.” Let’s discover the truth, starting with a foresight into Jesus’s subterranean visit.
Where: The prophecy. “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” But Jesus answered and said to them, “No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
So, where was Jesus after his crucifixion? In the “heart of the earth,” where disobedient spiritual beings await their final end-of-the-age disposition.
What did he do during that time? Let’s search for the answer with what he did not do.
What: Fake news. The idea that Jesus preached to dead people to “get ’em saved” is nonsense.
First, the Bible teaches there’s no middle ground, do-overs or second chances where God is concerned. We live as we choose until we die and then are judged accordingly (e.g., Hebrews 9:27).
Second, the apostle Peter taught that Jesus’ “preaching” in the underworld was to doomed angelic beings — the Watchers who corrupted humankind, prompting the great flood (not the spirits of dead people).
Now, more on that truth.
What: The truth. Read 1 Peter 3:18-20, and you’ll find that Jesus’ proclamation was to imprisoned disobedient spirits.
What disobedience? Why did God imprison them?
The Book of Enoch provides much information on the subject, but you can read a summary in Genesis, chapter six. Basically, it was because they taught humans things they shouldn’t know and had sexual relations with them, corrupting God’s creation.
They’ve been imprisoned in the underworld since and await God’s great judgment and wrath at the end of this age (see Jude 1:6).
What did Jesus proclaim to them? That their fate had been sealed with Christ’s triumph over death.
They’d lost, Christ had won and wrath is coming for all who oppose the Creator. In case you’re now wondering, “What about all those people who died before Jesus could ‘save’ them?”
This will all be fleshed out in God’s great endof- the-world judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15).
Summary. In the underworld between crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus proclaimed his triumph in fulfilled prophecy to spiritual prisoners, the angels who corrupted humans post-Eden (not the spirits of dead people).
What’s next? From uncaused first cause to nature, we’ll discover that there’s no excuse for denying God. Meanwhile, remember there are no do-overs where God is concerned: Choose well, stay there and live.
God’s blessings and peace.
Braley, a Taylorbased minister, Air Force veteran, husband and father, earned a Master of Divinity degree from Regent University in 2018 and a Doctor of Ministry from the same school in 2021.
