Saturday is the day Jesus lay in the tomb after his crucifixion and the day prior to his resurrection. The Gospels say nothing about Saturday. Paul says nothing about Saturday. In Luke’s Gospel Jesus tells the robber on the cross next to him that, “…today [Friday], you will be with me in paradise.” Some think that paradise meant heaven.
Then I remembered, as a Lutheran (Missouri Synod), we used to recite the Apostle’s Creed. Here’s how it goes, straight from the Lutheran Service Book:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Did you catch that? After he died and was buried, “he descended into hell.” Mystery solved. Which leads leads me to think that the Lutherans think that “paradise” is hell? Just kidding of course. I know that most Christian Creeds, like the Nicene Creed, don’t have this particular phrase in it. And there is a revised Apostle’s Creed that eliminates the hell part. But, there are still many denominations that still recite this same creed. I know I did.
Goes to show you how pluralistic the Christian religion is. But, so is Judaism and Islam. I say we have another cup of coffee and contemplate all these fascinating mysteries that God has presented us.
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