Today (Easter or holy Saturday) is the lull between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. However in ancient and medieval Christianity it was an important occasion for the "Harrowing of Hell" was marked. This is the bit of the Easter story when the bible just says Jesus descended into Hell. It is the bit that says he was really dead and not just asleep to wake up on Sunday morning.
Harrowing was an agricultural term for turning over the ground - a bit like ploughing (plowing). It conjurers up a lovely image of Jesus going into the place of the dead and turning everything upside down. There is some fantastic medieval art that depicts Jesus sorting all the demons out.
This is based on Christus Victor theory of the atonement which states that Jesus’ death was not a legal settlement with God (as the contemporary evangelicals would have us believe) but rather a battle against the forces of darkness. Descending from the cross into the realm of death, Christ stepped into the arena where humanity confronts death and the works of the devil. Like a brave knight, he fought with these enemies and was victorious which forced them to release humanity from their grip. This theory of the atonement is supported by the bible.
Colossians 2:15 (RSV) "He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in him." 1 John 3:8 (RSV) " The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil."
So do not treat today as a lull in the action - today is the day of the great cosmic battle!
Image courtesy of arztsamui at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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