He Went Down So We Could Go Up
Many people celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with joy, but few understand the depth of what He accomplished between His death and resurrection. The cross was not the end—it was the gateway to a cosmic victory. During those three days, Jesus descended into the very depths of the earth, confronted the realm of the dead, defeated the powers of hell, and opened the way for all believers to ascend with Him. This article explores what happened during those hidden hours and what it means for us today.
Jesus Himself gave us a clue when He said in Matthew 12:40:
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Just as Jonah was in the deep, Jesus entered the spiritual depths—the “heart of the earth”—which refers to the underworld. The Greek word kardia means the innermost part, indicating a descent into the place of the dead.
In the Old Testament, this place was called Sheol, and in the New Testament, it is referred to as Hades. The Bible describes it as a realm beneath the earth, where souls waited. The Greek term abussos, or “abyss,” refers to the bottomless pit—the place where demons are imprisoned. In Luke 8:31, the demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss, revealing their terror of this place.
Revelation 20:1–2 gives us a picture of its powerlessness before God:
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.”
It only took one angel, not an army, to bind Satan and throw him into the abyss. That’s how weak Satan is in the face of God’s authority.
When Jesus died, His body went into the tomb, but His soul descended into Hades. This is affirmed in Acts 2:31:
“He, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.”
Paul echoes this in Romans 10:7:
“Or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
Jesus went into the abyss so that we wouldn’t have to. He took our place and faced the darkness for us.
One of the most revealing moments in Scripture is when Jesus speaks to the thief on the cross. In Luke 23:43, He says:
“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
This statement raises a question—if Jesus didn’t ascend to the Father until after three days, where was Paradise?
John 20:17 gives us the answer. After His resurrection, Jesus said to Mary:
“Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father…”
So if Paradise wasn’t in Heaven yet, where was it? Luke 16 gives us a clear picture. Jesus describes the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus dies and is carried to “Abraham’s bosom,” while the rich man ends up in torment in Hades.
“And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” (Luke 16:23)
This account reveals that before Jesus’ resurrection, Paradise—also known as Abraham’s bosom—was a section of Hades reserved for the righteous. A great chasm separated it from the place of torment. This explains why Jesus could say to the thief, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Paradise was then located under the earth, not in Heaven.
No one, not even the prophets, had ascended into Heaven before Jesus. John 3:13 confirms this:
“No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.”
Even Elijah and Moses were waiting. Why? Because Jesus is the only door to the Father. Until He opened the way, no one could enter Heaven. That’s why all the saints of old were waiting in Paradise for the Redeemer.
When Jesus rose, He didn’t come alone. Ephesians 4:8 (TPT) declares:
“He ascended into the heavenly heights taking many captured ones with Him, and gifts were given to men.”
Jesus led the righteous captives out of Paradise and took them to Heaven. He emptied Abraham’s bosom and relocated Paradise from beneath the earth to above the heavens. This is confirmed in Paul’s vision:
“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago… was caught up into Paradise… into the third heaven.”
(2 Corinthians 12:2,4)
Now, Paradise is in the third heaven. That’s why, today, when a believer dies, they don’t descend—they ascend straight into the presence of the Father.
All of this is possible because Jesus didn’t defeat Satan as God, but as a man—the Last Adam. 1 Corinthians 15:45 calls Him:
“The last Adam [who] became a life-giving spirit.”
Adam lost the authority, but Jesus regained it. He faced death as a man and won, so we could walk in His victory as children of God.
That’s why our salvation isn’t based on what we do—it’s based on what Jesus did. Many believers lack assurance because they focus on their own works. But true assurance comes when we focus on the finished work of Christ. If you’ve believed in Jesus, you are no longer under the power of death. You’re no longer destined for the abyss. You’re destined for glory.
We’re not just celebrating Jesus’ resurrection—we’re celebrating our resurrection through His. Because He went down, we now go up. Because He descended, we can ascend. Because He defeated death, we no longer fear it. He changed not only this world—but the world we cannot see.
Glory to Jesus, our Victorious King.
