Day 40 (Holy Saturday) - Apr 8, 2023; Mar 30, 2024; Apr 19, 2025
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. -Romans 6:3-4
Great debate rages over the best way to translate the Latin phrase “ad infernos” in the Apostles Creed. For a long time the version our church used translated it “hell”. Jesus “descended into hell”, this was later translated “descended to the dead” to much controversy. We need not get into here which is a better translation (of the two, I would argue “dead”, but for this devotion will say no more on the matter). One of the struggles is that scripture is very vague about what happened after Jesus died before he rose from the dead on Easter morning.
But what Scripture is clear about is that baptism takes you to that tomb. That’s good news because that tomb ends up being empty. Baptism buries you with Jesus. And while debate still rages over whatever happened to Jesus after his burial, what is clear is what happens to you: your sins are left there. When you come out of the tomb (also through baptism) you are truly a new person. It’s not just like when we are taking on a new lifestyle and feel “like new”, we are new (even if we don’t feel very new). We too will get to walk in newness of life free from our sin.
In the end it is less about where Jesus went when he died and more that we got to go with him, because what we do know is what we are when we go in and what we are when we come out are not the same. They couldn’t be more different. And Paul tells us that we can make that journey today on account of our baptism.
Take me with you, Jesus, through death to life. Take me and me only, not my sin. Raise me, and me only, not my old Adam that lives in me. Instead, let your cross be the end for them. Show me that they really died with you. Give me new life today by your mercy, that I may know how much I needed the day we celebrate tomorrow. Amen.
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