Book of Nicodemus
Strangely, Jesus died on Good Friday. Not exactly what anybody expected. I wrote a short reflection about this, which you can read here. But I began thinking about what happened after His death. What was that like?
Of course, after His death Jesus descends into hell. One can only imagine that strange visit.
In fact, many have tried to imagine it. The Book of Nicodemus is a collection of stories circulated in the early Christian community. It is not canonical, and there are parts we might even call heretical. But it still triggers the imagination.
I’m posting an edited portion of the book below, which hopefully spurs some reflection.
Imagine, if you will, what happened when Jesus was announced in hell ….
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Satan said to the prince of hell, “Prepare to receive Jesus of Nazareth himself, who boasted that he was the Son of God, and yet was a man afraid of death. Besides he did many injuries to me and to many others; for those whom I made blind and lame and those also whom I tormented with several devils, he cured by his word; yea, and those whom I brought dead to thee, he by force takes away from thee.”
To this the prince of hell replied to Satan, “Who is that so powerful prince, and yet a man who is afraid of death? For all the potentates of the earth are subject to my power, whom thou broughtest to subjection by thy power. But if he be so powerful in his human nature, I affirm that he is almighty in his divine nature, and no man can resist his power. When therefore he said he was afraid of death, he designed to ensnare thee, and unhappy it will be to thee for everlasting ages.”
Then Satan replying, said to the prince of hell, “Why didst thou express a doubt, and wast afraid to receive that Jesus of Nazareth, both thy adversary and mine? As for me, I tempted him and stirred up the Jews with zeal and anger against him; I sharpened the spear for his suffering; I mixed the gall and vinegar, and commanded that he should drink it; I prepared the cross to crucify him, and the nails to pierce through his hands and feet; and now his death is near at hand, I will bring him hither, subject both to thee and me.”
Then the prince of hell answering, said, “Thou saidst to me just now, that he took away the dead from me by force. They who have been kept here till they should live again upon earth, were taken away hence, not by their own power, but by prayers made to God, and their almighty God took them from me. Who then is that Jesus of Nazareth that by his word hath taken away the dead from me without prayer to God? Perhaps it is the same who took away from me Lazarus, after he had been four days dead, and did both stink and was rotten, and of whom I had possession as a dead person, yet he brought him to life again by his power.”
Satan answering, replied to the prince of hell, “It is the very same person, Jesus of Nazareth.”
Which when the prince of hell heard, he said to him, “Bring him not to me. For when I heard of the power of his word, I trembled for fear. We were not able to detain Lazarus, but he gave himself a shake, and with all the signs of malice he immediately went away from us; and the very earth presently turned him out alive. And I know now that he is Almighty God who could perform such things, who is mighty in his dominion, and mighty in his human nature, who is the Saviour of mankind. Bring not this person, for he will set at liberty all those whom I hold in prison under unbelief, and bound with their sins, and will conduct them to everlasting life.”
And while Satan and the Prince of hell were discoursing thus to each other, there was a voice as of thunder, and the rushing of winds, saying, “Lift up your gates, O ye princes; and be ye lift up, O everlasting gates, and the King of Glory shall come in.”
When the prince of hell heard this, he said to Satan, “Depart from me, and begone out of my habitations; if thou art a powerful warrior, fight with the King of Glory. But what hast thou to do with him?” And he cast him forth from his habitations.
And the prince said to his impious officers, “Shut the brass gates of cruelty, and make them fast with iron bars, and fight courageously, lest we be taken captives.”
But when all the company of the saints heard this they spake with a loud voice of anger to the prince of hell, “Open thy gates, that the King of Glory may come in.”
And the divine prophet David cried out, saying, “Did not I, when on earth, truly prophesy and say, O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron. He hath taken them because of their iniquity, and because of their unrighteousness they are afflicted.”
After this, Isaiah spake in like manner to all the saints, “Did not I rightly prophesy to you when I was alive on earth? The dead men shall live, and they shall rise again who are in their graves, and they shall rejoice who are in the earth. And I said in another place, O grave, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?”
When all the saints heard these things spoken by Isaiah, they said to the prince of hell, “Open now thy gates, and take away thine iron bars; for thou wilt now be bound, and have no power.”
Then was there a great voice, as of the sound of thunder, saying, “Lift up your gates, O princes; and be ye lifted up, ye gates of hell, and the King of Glory will enter in.”