Buried.

I came across this article by John Piper about the second day of Christ's death and resurrection. Where was he? Some people believed that he went to hell that day, and it is based on two different scriptures, both 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 1 Peter 4:4-6. I think going through this article is appropriate for such a time reflecting on Christ's death. To be clear, im only summarizing John Piper's thoughts, none of this belongs to me.

Piper tackles each passage one by one, first with 1 Peter 3:18-20.

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. ¹⁹ After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— ²⁰ to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water. - 1 Peter 3:18-20

It is verse 19 that they are most concerned with when it says that he went to proclaim to the spirits in prison, as some interpreted it as those in hell. But Piper shows that it doesn't say Christ preached to them while they were in prison (hell), instead he interprets it as God preaching to those through Noah back in those days, but now they are in prison.

The second passage is 1 Peter 4:4-6.

⁴ They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. ⁵ But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.⁶ For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. - 1 Peter 4:4-6

Here, the passage itself says "to those who are NOW dead", meaning the gospel was preached, but are now dead, similar to the previous passage.

As a last point, Piper points out that while Jesus was on the cross, he told the thief who had repented that he would join him in heaven, in paradise today (that day) (Luke 23:40-43). This paradise would not be in hell, but in heaven. Therefore John concludes that Christ was not preaching in hell during this second day of his death.

verse of the day: Luke 23:43

⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”