The Gospel of Nicodemus
The Gospel of Nicodemus, a NT apocryphal book, just won't do but somebody put together a great series of images. The written form has been dated the 2nd or 5th century AD though the story is said certainly to have been around in the 2nd. "The Descent of Christ into Hell" is what I find particularly interesting (Ante-Nicene Fathers, volume 8).
Matthew 27:53 tells us of some people who were raised from the dead in connection with the resurrection of Jesus and the "Gospel of Nicodemus" takes off from there. Jewish leaders find some who were raised from the dead and in a locked room they put them on oath to tell what they knew and who raised them. The men asked for pen and paper and wrote their testimony.
They made no bones about it—Jesus was "the resurrection and the life of the world" and when he came to Hades, the realm of the dead, these men had seen and heard all. The darkness of Hades was banished and filled with light and Abraham and the prophets were filled with joy and the Baptist assured them the light was the prelude to the arrival in Hades of the Son of God.
Satan comes to Hades, the devourer of the dead, and tells him of the trouble Jesus had made for him in earlier days, making the diseased well and raising the dead that Satan had slain. Hades accuses Satan of stupidity in doing what would cause Jesus to come to this realm and he fears he will lose his entire dominion for he now recollects that a certain Lazarus whom he had swallowed was dragged up out of his stomach by some irresistible force. If this was the work of Jesus, the last thing Hades wanted was for Jesus to enter his realm.
But while those two are arguing and lamenting a great voice, like the sound of thunder, cried out, "Lift up your gates, O ye rulers; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates; and the King of Glory shall come in." Hades urges Satan to go out and stand against Jesus to keep him from entering and he set demonic guards at the mighty gates.
All to keep Jesus out!
David and Hosea deride lord Hades and remind him that in prophecy they had spoken of his defeat and at that point the thunderous voice comes again, "Lift up your gates!" Hades, pretending he doesn't know, asks, "Who is the Lord of Glory?" and angels respond, "The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle!"
And at these words the massive copper gates are shattered and the iron bars are fragmented and a man entered—Jesus, the Lord of Glory, and the darkest parts of Hades became as bright as in the noon-day sun. What follows is a picture of Jesus emptying the Hadean kingdom, from Adam who was in the lowest dungeon and who thanked his majesty Jesus for the gift, to a lowly man who carried a cross and who identified himself as a thief who had died alongside the Lord! This one tells Michael the archangel that Jesus told him to take his cross with him and ask the way to Eden. On his approach, at the sight of the cross, the flaming sword gave way but he was urged to wait until Adam and all the righteous would arrive and enter with him.
A great "sermon" about a glorious Lord.
The message that fills our hearts with joy and hope today has been doing just that for all these centuries. Someone or some ones in the 2ndcentury were so enthralled by the truth of Jesus Christ that they simply had to preach their version of "the harrowing of Hades".
Mmmm, love the very thought of it!
Death—to hell with you!
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from your website, the abiding word.com.
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