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Victory
Friday, April 3, 2026 by Rick Stockwell
Victory
READ 1 Peter 3:18-22
After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits …
-- 1 Peter 3:19 (NIV)
Christians believe that two-thousand years ago, Jesus was crucified, died, placed in a tomb, and then rose from the dead three days later (Luke 23-24). However, most don’t know what he was doing during those three days.
Jesus predicted that just as Jonah was in the belly of a large fish for three days, so the “Son of Man” [Jesus] would be in the “heart of the earth” for three days (Matthew 12:40). During that period, Jesus traveled to the realm of the dead, which is called Hades (Luke 16:19-31). One side of Hades was referred to as “Paradise,” and was reserved for righteous Old Testament saints who were waiting for the coming Messiah. The other side of Hades was a place of darkness (Matthew 8:12), fire (Matthew 13:42), and agony (Luke 16:24) reserved for unbelievers.
Jesus did not go to Hades to suffer for our sins, but to proclaim victory over death and sin to those imprisoned there (1 Peter 3:18-20). Immediately after he died on the cross, tombs broke open and holy saints from the past were raised to life and walked the earth (Matthew 27:52-53). We too can be raised to life if we believe in Jesus and trust him to save us from our sins.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Jesus is the victor.
Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for providing a way for us to one day be raised to life and live with you forever.
Prayer Focus: PRISONERS
Photo: “Christ in the Realm of the Dead” - Joakim Skovgaard, Wikipedia Public Domain
Rick Stockwell
Rick Stockwell retired from a career in information technology, teaches Sunday school for first graders, served as an elder at his church, has been married for thirty-five years, and has two children and six grandchildren.
Rick is the author of two novels in his Heavenly Realms series called The Wall and The Battle. Audio, eBook and paperback versions are accessible via this link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07HQ8G3MJ
Comments
Colette Robbins From At 4/3/2026 10:29:48 PM
Beautifully said. ThxPrevious Posts
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