He descended into hell. [The “Apostles Creed” says]. Surely he took upon himself our sins and their “punishment”. (results of).
Jesus became as a sinner. He was treated as “The rich man in hell” in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. So he was in the situation of being on the wrong side of “the great gap”.
When he was exclaiming “why have you forsaken me?” he was in the position of being without faith, he was as an unbeliever, as one under law, seeing only God but not as “Father God”. He was definitely not “feeling the love”. He was as one of the forsaken ones.
This hell we speak of, the place of torment, is surely where he was at the time. Though also spoken of as the grave, for the present purpose only to be considered as Hades, Gehenna etc. In fact the fire references as in the rich man and also as in final destruction, and as the “burning” of one’s conscience, can be placed here. ANGUISH.
All of the accumulated guilt was attacking him, all the inherent deficiencies and abnormalities that resulted from “the fall”, that were built into human nature from that time on, were “coming out of the woodwork” to destroy him on that cross.
In his confrontation with evil, he destroyed it. He destroyed all the forces that sought his own destruction, and survived and claimed victory over them, including the restoration of his own body.
He survived what we could not. He is telling us now, that he has done this on our behalf, so we can escape this punishment (as we call it, but really “just” cause and effect) by ALLOWING him to have the reality of it, having “dealt with it”, he says that we, by being FORGIVEN of it in the action he took, can TURN AWAY from it all, and in turning our back on it, instead enter INTO his forgiveness by believing it.
In removing our sin “as far as East is from West”, he has also removed all aspects of “deserved” “punishment” “retribution” “wrath” and “cause and effect”.
The entering into his forgiveness means we are entering into the reality of him having survived the cross, that by believing, by faith, we consider it all done. That we now by faith create a new reality (that though called “by faith” is an actual and true reality which registers within us and causes real changes to the state of our present existence).
And which simply means we are conforming our reality to his reality.
He survived hell for us, on our account, on our behalf, so we can begin a new life, worry free of the fear of death forever. This state means we are TRANSFERRED into his kingdom NOW. And we dwell in it even though while on this earth.
Were we to be like Lot’s wife, and look back and turn back to the old way, and unless we regain our senses and recover from this position, we would be losing hold on this vision of life he calls us to participate in, and would again be found in the “former creation”. This may be a little controversial.
“But I am confident of you [says Paul] that you will…?” .. Paul expresses similar opinion. [Gal 5-10,11.]
So we are called out of sin and death and the hell that accompanies it, to a valid position he gives us where we are called to trust him that this is so, that Jesus JUSTIFIED us in our removal from the place of condemnation and execution, from the torment of internal anguish. PEACE results. [with God and ourselves.]
Life through the Spirit is amazingly free. The Spirit of life is free. Jesus “paid” for our sin when he suffered the torment of our sin, this being the “hell” scripture talks about.
GOD HAS AUTHORISED AND ORCHESTRATED FREEDOM AND LIBERTY FROM LAW SIN AND DEATH.
We are, have been, justified BY HIM so we can return to him in full confidence that sin and death has no power over us to hold us in its web of deceit. The lie has been destroyed. Truth prevails. Love wins. Jesus (and we) TRIUMPH.
Now to remain in “hell” is by our own choice – “His blood be upon us and our children” was the cry of rejection from the Jews. There are some “hells” on this earth that manifest themselves in and on people, some not of their own choosing, such as sickness and strife inflicted by others, but we are called to the position and life of victory through faith in Jesus, nonetheless.
[“Hell” for Jesus, began in the garden] [the popular “descent into hell” after Jesus death, means the grave.]
There are various scriptures that are used to support one view or another.
CROSSROMAN 