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    2. After His death, Jesus' body was laid in the sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathea. "And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed" (Matthew 27:59-60).

Jesus' descent into hell does not refer to a physical descending, but to a descent through the total sufferings, pangs, and torments of hell. This was necessary in order for Christ, as Substitute, to fully pay for, and free His people from, the hellish punishments deserved.

Jesus' descending into hell and fully bearing all its sufferings can best be explained by examining what hell is - that which is experienced by souls in hell. This is shown in the following chart:

JESUS BEARING THE FULL PUNISHMENTS OF HELL
Punishments Experienced By Those in Hell All Hellish Punishments
Fully Experienced By
Jesus
1. To suffer with and under the enemies of God - Satan, his angels, and his followers

1. Jesus unflinchingly bore the full hatred and power of Satan, his angels, and his followers; hell unleashed all its fury against Him

2. To be separated from God's grace, favor, and communion

2. Christ bitterly bore the full agony of darkness and separation from His Father's grace, favor, and communion on the cross - in the midst of this torment He cried out, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

3. To bear the wrath of God poured out against sin

3. Jesus painfully bore the full, infinite wrath of God poured out against sin. He experienced this especially in Gethsemane, Gabbatha, and Golgotha

  • Sepulchre - A tomb; a grave





    • And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.

    - Genesis 3: 15

    Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with Me.

    - Matthew 26:38

    And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

    - Luke 22:44

    He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, 0 My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.

    - Matthew 26:42

    And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?

    - Matthew 27:46

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