The Second Article.
How Our Lord As Victor Descended Into Hell And Rose Again From The Dead.
Which is the Second Article?
_I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.... He descended into
hell; the third day He rose again from the dead._
1. We believe and confess in the Second Article of our faith that Jesus
Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, became also true
man, born of the Virgin Mary, that He suffered, was crucified, died on
the cross, and was buried. All this our Lord has done to redeem us lost
and condemned creatures from all our sins, from death, and from the
power of the devil, that He may be our Lord, that we may be His own and
live under Him in His glorious kingdom and serve Him in everlasting
righteousness and blessedness. Our Lord died and was buried for our
sakes to redeem us. Is, then, our Lord still in death and in the grave?
Do we believe in a dead savior? Do we serve a dead and helpless king?
Thank God, we do not! _We know from Holy Writ that our Lord came to life
again, that our living Lord descended into hell and on the third day
after His death rose again from the grave._
2. We confess in the Second Article: _"He,"_ our Lord Jesus Christ,
_"descended into hell."_ When our Lord descended into hell, He was no
longer dead. It is true, when they took Him from the cross and buried
Him, He was really dead. Nobody, indeed, had taken His life from Him, He
had laid it down of Himself, of His own free will, laid it down for us
that we might not suffer eternal death; _but in His grave Christ, the
Son of God, took His life back again. "Christ was put to death in the
flesh, but quickened_ [came to life again] _by the Spirit."_ 1 Pet.
3,18. As our living Lord He went down into hell, into the place whither
the evil spirits, the devils and condemned men, have been banished.
Christ did not enter the gates of hell _in order to be punished there
for His sins;_ for our Savior was without sin and blemish. He did not
descend into hell _to suffer the penalty for our sins;_ this He had
already done on the cross. He descended into hell _to show that He had
won the victory over the devil and all his hosts._ "He made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them." Col. 2,15. As the triumphant Victor
over all His enemies Christ entered hell, the abode of Satan. Now we are
certain that the old Evil Foe cannot keep us in his power, that _we are
free from hell and damnation._
3. _On the third day our Lord rose again from the dead._ You have often
heard the Easter-Gospel, the joyful tidings of Christ's glorious
resurrection: Our Lord is not dead, but He lives. When, very early in
the morning, the women came to the grave to anoint the body of their
Master, they did not find Him, the grave was empty, and an angel of God
brought them the message: _"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is
not here, but is risen."_ Luke 24,5.6. After His resurrection our Lord
showed Himself to His disciples as their living Savior. They saw Him,
they spoke to Him, and ate with Him. _The Lord convinced them that He
was risen._ They are the witnesses of His resurrection. Even the
_soldiers_ whom the enemies had placed around the grave as a watch, lest
His disciples might come by night and steal the body, could not deny
that the grave was empty, that the Lord had risen. Matt. 28,4.11-15. _We
are sure that Christ, our Lord, is not dead, but lives; for God Himself
tells us in His Word that Christ was raised up from the dead by the
glory of the Father._ Rom. 6,4. Joyously we confess: _"I know that my
Redeemer liveth."_ Job 19,25.
4. Christ is risen. He came forth from His sepulcher with _the same
body_ that was laid in the grave. _The tomb was empty._ The disciples
knew Him when He showed Himself. They saw the print of the nails in His
hands and His feet and the wound in His side. He let them touch His
body in order to convince them that He was not a spirit. Luke 24,39.40.
But after His resurrection His body was _glorified;_ it was free from
all human weakness and sufferings, free from death.
5. _The resurrection of our Savior is full of comfort and consolation
for us. "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your
sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If
in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable."_ 1 Cor. 15,17-19. This would be our sad lot if Christ were
not risen. All our faith and hope in Him would be in vain. But He _is_
risen, and now we know _that He is the true Son of God._ We know that
Christ _has gained the victory over all our enemies,_ sin, death, and
the devil, who could not keep Him in their power. We know that Christ
_has paid the penalty for our sins,_ that our sins are forgiven. We know
that we have a _living_ Savior, _who is with us alway,_ to govern and
protect us in His kingdom. We know that we shall not perish when we die,
that our risen Lord will not leave us in the grave, but will _raise us
again unto eternal life. "Because I live, ye shall live also."_ John
14,19. Our Lord is risen, and so we put our trust in Him both in life
and death. "Jesus, my Redeemer, lives! I, too, unto life must waken
Endless joy my Savior gives; Shall my courage then be shaken? Shall I
fear, or could the Head Rise and leave His members dead?"