Everyone Wants a Sign

“When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.” (Luke 11:29-32 ESV)

The fame of Jesus spread for a significant reason; it spread because of the signs He accomplished during his ministry. Jesus healed the sick, restored the sight of the blind, and raised the dead, to name a few. Despite the signs and miracles Jesus worked, Israel, including the Pharisees and Sadducees, denied Him.

A Whale of a Tale

In Luke 11, Jesus says, “but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” What did Jesus mean when He spoke these words? Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days (Matthew 12:40 ESV); likewise, Jesus would be underground, entombed, for three days.

Jesus died a physical death. Many times, we forget this fact because we know He was God. Jesus, however, was born in the flesh; Jesus was human in form. We know Jesus died, and he rose, fulfilling the scriptures on the third day. But what about those three days? The three days underground. In Latin, the “Triduum Mortis” is three days of death.

Going Up or Going Down

One of the most controversial pieces of scripture is 1 Peter 3:18-20 which reads, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.” I am fascinated by this scripture and what it relays to us. There are many interpretations of this scripture; however, I have studied this profoundly, having written a thesis paper on just this piece of scripture.

What I read, and others more brilliant than I, is that initially, Peter is retelling the facts of the passion. Jesus, the righteous, died for you and me, the unrighteous so that Jesus could join us with God. This restoration of our relationship with God was God’s plan of redemption for humankind. Here is where many different views gather. Jesus died in the flesh; this we know. Jesus also awakened in the Spirit, just as you and I will when we die, for we have received eternal life by Jesus’ death.

Peter next tells us that Jesus went to the Spirits in prison and proclaimed; proclaimed what? Let us look at the Spirits. According to Peter, these were the spirits of those in the time of Noah who did not repent. Given this fact, many believe they were in Sheol or Hell. One thought is that Jesus descended as the triumphant King declaring his deity and His victory over death. John Calvin disagreed with this idea. Calvin’s assertion, to which I agree, is that for Jesus’ death to be effective, He had to die a physical and spiritual death. Christ’s death penetrated all the way to Sheol. Its effects were universal, affecting the dead and the living. While there are no righteous in Sheol, the Gospel of Christ would have been made known to those imprisoned there. A theological "we told you so."

What's it All Mean

So where does this leave us? If you found this interesting, it is a scripture for you to delve deeply into, research, and see what your brain tells you. It does not matter if Christ descended into Sheol/Hell, proclaimed to the spirits in prison from below or above. Christ died and rose again in doing so; He defeated death and Satan for all times. Jesus is and will always be seated at the Father’s right hand and will always be our mediator with God. Jesus is our older brother, the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29).

May the peace of Christ be with you!