Descend and Ascend

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

DESCEND AND ASCEND

Eph 4:9-11

9 (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

NIV

These verses have been seen in two different views. The first view, when Paul uses the term, descended to the lower, earthy region, sees this as sheol, or Hades, the place of the departed souls. There pair this with 1 Peter 3 18.

1 Peter 3:18-22

18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also — not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand — with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

NIV

The reason we include this is to make sure we understand that Jesus did not go to hell while his body lay in the grave. This is not what Peter was saying. Because he was specifically making reference to those who lived before, Noah, who was saved by water. He was saying that Jesus preached to those people, he was there before coming in the flesh, he was there in Spirit giving all men the opportunity for salvation. In addition, Jesus promised the thief on the cross that today he would be in paradise with Jesus. That had to mean there was no detour to Hades, but a direct path to heaven. Jesus also said as his last words, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”. If his spirit was in the hands of God, then his spirit was not in Hades. At least this is how we see this whole situation. That might differ from some denominational stances, but we have to go with the scripture.

The second view, we think is the most logical interpretation of the scripture is that Jesus who ascended into heaven in bodily form, also descended to earth in bodily form. He descended in the most humble way, a lowly form of humanity, an infant, who required the nurturing of a mother and father. In addition, he came as a humble servant of God, emptying himself even onto death as a criminal on the cross, the lower regions, the lowest of lows, suffering the humiliation for us. Although that was his lowest point to suffer and die in the flesh, he was resurrected from the dead, and he ascended even higher than heaven to fill the whole universe. This simply means the Father put everything under the control of Jesus, he is the head of all things, especially the church, but not limited to the church. Jesus is the master of the whole universe. From heaven, he came to earth, and from the earth, he ascended to be given all authority.