After Jesus dies, a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea approaches Pilate and asks for the body of Jesus. Joseph is a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious ruling council; but he does not agree with nor support the decision to crucify Jesus. He is known by everyone as a good person dedicated to God.

Pilate agrees to release Jesus’ body to Joseph:

“Then he [Joseph] took it [Jesus’ body] down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid Him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed and saw the tomb, and how His body was laid; then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.” Luke 23: 53-56

The Apostles’ Creed states that after Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, “He descended into hell.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that, “Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in His soul joined the others in the realm of the dead.” (CCC 632) The souls within this spiritual realm — “Sheol” in Hebrew or “Hades” in Greek — “are deprived of the vision of God … while they await the Redeemer.” (CCC 633) Hence the Creed’s reference to the hellish state of being separated from God.

Upon His death, Jesus descends to this spiritual realm “as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisioned there.” (CCC 632 & 1 Peter 3: 18-20)

The beautiful Eastern Orthodox icon shown here is known as the Anastasis (or “Resurrection”) icon. Many versions of this icon have been and are still being created today. The image above is a picture of a wall painting that dates from the 14th century. The wall painting is inside the Chora Church or Kariye Mosque, a former church that is now a mosque in Istanbul.

The imagery, which is based on 1 Peter 3: 18-20, is rich in symbolism. We see the back of Christ’s robe flowing upward, which reflects His rapid descent into hell, to redeem the souls imprisoned there by Satan, the Prince of Hades, and various devils. Jesus has broken through and is now standing firmly on the gates of hell.

The two figures whom Christ has grasped by hand and is pulling from tombs are Adam and Eve. This gesture symbolizes His victory over sin and death that redeems all mankind, all the way back to the beginning of time. It also foreshadows the general resurrection of the body before the Final Judgment.

To the left of Jesus, we see three characters:  David and Solomon, two of his ancestors according to his human nature.  John the Baptist — Jesus’ forerunner in both life and death — stands closest to Him. To the right of Jesus, figures often vary among the Old Testament prophets, within different versions of this icon. If you look closely at the bottom of this image, you see a shrouded figure surrounded by pieces of chain and bolts and locks, representing Jesus’ complete and final victory over Satan.

This icon reassures and reminds us that Jesus’ work to fight for and redeem souls continues forward still today.

“Oh most Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of all goodness; we adore You, we love You, and being deeply sorry for our sins, we offer You these poor hearts of ours. Make us humble, patient and pure, and in all things conformed to Your desires of goodness for us.” — Excerpt from Catholic devotion

Note: The photo of the Anastasis icon above is courtesy of Wikipedia.