"I Want The Truth!” January 10, 2010
This morning I am going to start a new sermon series entitled “I want the truth!” This series will last as long as you want it to. Let me explain.
This series will be to answer spiritual questions that you may have concerning right from wrong, good or bad, should we or shouldn’t we, and we will consult God’s Word to find the answers.
The first question is: Where was Jesus at during the time between His death and His resurrection?
Turn to Acts 2:29-33 and I am going to be reading from the King James Version. I like the NIV but there are scriptures that are misguided.
Acts 2:29-33 29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Now notice in verse 31 Luke says that Jesus was in hell. I don’t understand why the NIV omitted this but they did so let’s look at what Luke meant.
Other translations refer to it as Hades. Now hell and Hades are not the same place.
You actually have to go back to the original Greek where the word hell referred to Hades.
The word "Hades" refers to the realm of the dead, a temporary place where they await the resurrection. When Jesus spoke of a final place for the unbeliever He referred to it as a place of final punishment.
The book of Revelation clearly instructs us that the two are not the same place.
Revelation 20:11-15 11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The lake of fire is the final punishment which we know as hell and in verse 14 it states that death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This proves that they are different places.
So if Hades is the place for the mode of the dead to await final punishment why did Christ go there?
If we look at 1st Peter, he will explain why Jesus went to Hades.
I Peter 3:18-22 18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 22Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Only Peter gives specific information about what happened between these two events.
The word "preached" in verse 19 is not the usual word in the New Testament to describe the preaching of the gospel. It literally means to take a message.
Jesus suffered and died on the Cross, His body being put to death, and His spirit died when He was made sin. But His spirit was made alive and He yielded it to the Father.
Do you remember what Jesus said just before He died? Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.
According to Peter, sometime between His death and His resurrection Jesus spoke to the spirits in prison, in other words the lost souls.
Now scripture does not say what Jesus proclaimed to the lost souls but it was probably a message of the victory over Satan.
He didn’t go there to give them a second chance because Hebrews 9:16 says just as a man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
There is no second chance, the second you take your last breath it is over, your destination is sealed.
There is no saying I’m sorry at that point, if your name isn’t in the book of life, IT IS OVER!
Now Jesus distinguishes the differences between an eternal place and a temporary place twice in the New Testament.
First there is the story of the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke.
Luke 16:19-31 19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Now here Jesus talks about two places, one is Paradise and the other is Hades.
The rich man, who was in Hades, the waiting place for the lost, could actually look over at Paradise, which was also a mode of the dead, a waiting place for the saved, and see what he missed out on.
Illustration: I can remember as a child getting in trouble and having to sit down and watch the other kids play and have fun. So can you imagine how horrible it would be to be in torment and be able to see the people enjoying Paradise, knowing you can’t crow over?
So Jesus spoke here of a temporary place and not a permanent Heaven or Hell.
The second time was when Jesus was on the cross.
Luke 23:42-43 39And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Notice Jesus said today which to me indicates He knew that the thief was going to die today.
Sometimes a crucifixion would last several days because it took that long for some propl ti die.
And notice Jesus says that the thief will be in Paradise, Jesus did not say Heaven.
Why? Because Heaven and Hell won’t be made available until after the final judgment.
I believe God made these waiting places for a special reason.
For the lost that wait until final judgment will be that of fear and dread, but for the saved it will be a day of anticipation and joy.
Invitation
