Did Jesus ever go to Hell?

 

As a follower of Jesus, we all must confess that the human soul lives forever. We must agree that when the soul is separated from the physical human body it goes somewhere. We must also confess that it goes one of two places: heaven or hell. As a christian, we understand the bible teaches all those who trust Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, are made new to love Jesus, and have a relationship with Him go to a place the Bible calls "heaven". Alternately, those who never turn to Jesus in faith go to a place the bible calls "hell". The bible is extremely clear on this matter. The question at hand is "did Jesus Himself ever go to hell?" "What happened those three days between his death and resurrection?"

I believe the bible also plainly gives us the answer to these questions. Let me share two reasons with you of how I know Jesus did not go to hell:

1. "It is finished." (John 19:30) I spent several years in the fencing business. During that time, I put up all types of fences, everything from chain link to privacy to livestock fencing. Usually when you're talking about the cost of a fence, you're talking about a significant amount of money. Let's just say $1,000 won't go very far (pun intended). The process between the customer and myself for a fence job was relatively simple. Customers calls. I go measure and give an estimate. Customer approves. Customer signs contract and pays 50% of total job. I install the fence. Customer pays the remaining 50%. Notice how the customer pays the fence off when I'm done. If I were to go to a customer for my final payment on a fence that was going to keep their favorite dogs in, but I haven't put up the gates yet, what do you think they would say? Well....let me tell you what they would say, "Where are my gates?! This fence won't keep my dogs in!! I'm not paying you until my fence is FINISHED!"

Finished means finished. When Jesus was on that cross and He said "it is finished", He didn't mean "I'm almost done but I still have to go hang the gates." The job was complete. The debt was paid. Sin atoned for. Salvation accomplished. It. Is. Finished.

2. "Today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43) A couple of things about this verse stand out. "Today" for one. Today is not yesterday. Today is not tomorrow. And Today is certainly not in three days. When Jesus told the thief He would see him today, that's what He meant. If that's not true, Jesus is a liar. If Jesus is a liar, Jesus wasn't God and He wasn't the Lamb without blemish. If He wasn't without blemish, He couldn't pay for our sins. If He didn't pay for our sins, no one has. If our sins aren't paid for, we're all eternally separated from God in a place the bible calls Hell.

"Paradise." When I think of paradise, I think of a nice quiet island somewhere out in the ocean. The sun is out. The skies are blue. The water is clear. The only thing I hear is the crashing of the waves and a couple of seagulls. It's peaceful.

However, when I read about hell, there are no blue skies. It's a place of "outer darkness" (Matthew 8:12). I see no blue skies or clear water. There is a "lake of fire" (Rev 20:10). I hear no waves and no seagulls. I hear "weeping and gnashing teeth" (Matthew 8:12). There is no peace, but only "torment day and night forever and ever" (Rev 20:10).

If Jesus "paradise" is hell, I don't won't to go there. And I'll bet that thief didn't either. Don't worry, the thief didn't go to hell. And Jesus didn't either. That very day they both went to Paradise.

Jesus didn't need to go to hell, it came to Him on that cross.