Re: Where did Jesus go today?
(Welcome to this new series “Re:” of where I email my Church Pastor questions I probably shouldn’t. But, I do anyway. How else are we supposed to learn? Enjoy the questions I’m not afraid to ask, and humble enough to respect the answer.)
Hi Rev. Dr. …
(Can you tell I take notes at church? LOL) We think you are awesome! Thank you for always guiding us biblically and truly helping to educate us. As a family, during this "He is not here, He has risen" season, we are trying to study and be mindful of what happened on each day. And, today… we've got some questions and need some direction.
I'm just gonna jump right in with our question…
Where did Jesus go today, the back in the day "sabbath", the day between his burial in the tomb and the resurrection on Sunday?
I understand his body was laid in the tomb. (Matthew 27:57-60, Mark 15: 42-46, Luke 23: 50-53, and John 19: 38-42) CHECK!
I understand Luke records that Jesus told the guy next to him, "today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) CHECK!
And here is where we get a little sideways…
Peter references "spirits in prison" and Noah's ark days. (1 Peter 3:18-19) Who are these "spirits in prison?" Is it all the people who didn't get on Noah's boat?
We fell down the rabbit hole that led us to "sons of God" referencing Genesis 6:2 and Job 1:6. Who are these "sons of God?" Are these fallen angels, that Jesus went to talk to too?
Did Jesus go to these "spirits in prison" and preach… what? Did Jesus go there, claim victory, laugh, and leave them there? Or did he bring them with him when he ascended to heaven? Does the Bible give any insight on what happened or what was preached?
In Paul's letter, Paul says "he led a crowd of captives…" and then "Christ also descended to our lowly world." (Ephesians 4:8-10) Did Paul just open up the timeline here; unlike Peter who drew a line in the sand that Jesus only went back to Noah's boat days, but Paul was like… meh… everyone in the "lowly world"?
Also, Matthew wrote "Godly men and women appear to many people." (Matthew 27:52-53) Who were the Godly men and women? Was this the Godly people after Noah… like, the Abes and Sarah's and Esthers of the world? On this day, did they come out of their tombs, appear to people in Jerusalem… and what did they say? Or did they just wave?
Here's what we are piecing together, with our limited human knowledge and lack of divinity school…
Jesus dies on the cross, is laid in a tomb, Jesus' spirit goes to some waiting room, where Adam, Eve, Seth, (everyone between Adam to those who didn't get on Noah's ark) is chilling. Jesus has a conversation with them (he either: a) laughs, claims victory, and says deuces or b) laughs, says do you believe now? And if they say, yes, then they are allowed to leave the waiting room.)
At the same time, the people that were Godly (after Noah's ark, not in Adam's waiting room), they were laid in tombs, waiting on Jesus' resurrection, came out of their tombs, appeared to people in the Town, waved and ascended into Heaven.
Can you help guide us to a true biblical account of what happened today, the day between Jesus's death on the cross to the resurrection?
And, we're totally good with the answer of 'some things we are just not meant to know' and I respect that too! As I think Solomon warned "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, the more knowledge, the more grief." (Ecclesiastes 1:18) So I'm cool with not knowing too.
As always, I appreciate you sharing your wisdom with us! And, never forget, God loves you and so do we! - Jen