Apostles’ Creed Week 7: Descended and Rose

Sep 30

Introduction

In the coming weeks, we’re going to walk slowly through one of the oldest, most widely embraced confessions in the history of the Church—the Apostles’ Creed. This ancient creed is more than a set of beliefs; it’s a narrative. It tells the story of God, the story of the gospel, and the story we are invited into.

The Kansas City Underground holds this creed as a foundational confession. It’s a declaration of trust, a form of spiritual formation, and a shared language that binds us together with the global Church across time and culture.

Each week, we’ll sit with a single line or phrase. You’ll engage Scripture, linger in reflection, and respond in prayer. This is not a study to rush through, but an invitation to abide with truth until it shapes your imagination and your life.

If you want to dive deeper into the meaning behind each line, we highly recommend The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism by Ben Myers. It’s a short but powerful companion that can enrich your journey.

Apostles’ Creed

Read the following line from the Apostles’ Creed:

“He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.”

This week, the Creed brings us into the deepest mystery and the brightest hope of the Christian faith.

“He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again.” These are not just theological ideas—they are the turning point of the story of the world.

First: He descended.

We confess that Jesus entered fully into death—not just physical death, but the realm of the dead. The ancient world called it Sheol or Hades—a place of silence and separation, where the dead awaited judgment or mercy. Jesus didn’t skip this part. He went all the way into the grave.

Not to suffer further. Not to be punished. But to announce that death was no longer in charge.

Ephesians 4 tells us He descended to the lower regions of the earth in order to lead captives out—like a victorious king raiding the gates of death itself.

The descent tells us that there is no part of human experience God has not touched. No pain, no loss, no death that He has not entered. And now—even death belongs to Him.

Then: He rose.

On the third day, He stood up. Alive. Whole. Glorified.

Not as a spirit. Not as a metaphor. But in a resurrected body that walked, breathed, bore scars, and broke bread.

This is not just a miracle—it is the first eruption of new creation. The resurrection of Jesus is not just proof of life after death. It is the beginning of a whole new world. It is the foundation of all Christian hope.

Paul says it clearly in 1 Corinthians 15: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

But He has been raised—and that changes everything.

It means death is not the end. It means our suffering will not have the last word. It means we do not live in despair—we live in the aftermath of resurrection.

This week, we hold both parts of the story. The descent and the rising.The silence of Saturday and the song of Sunday. The cross and the empty tomb. This is the mystery at the center of our faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Let this confession shape your prayers, your longings, and your imagination.

Scripture Readings

Ephesians 4:7–10
Luke 24:1–12
John 20:1–18
Matthew 28:1–10
1 Corinthians 15:3–8, 12–22
Revelation 1:17–18

Reflection

We don’t talk much about the silence of Holy Saturday. But this line in the Creed makes sure we don’t skip it.

Jesus didn’t avoid death—He passed through it. Fully. Willingly. He entered the place of the dead not as a victim, but as a liberator. As the One who holds the keys. As the One who is about to make all things new.

And then—on the third day—life breaks through. The resurrection is the moment history bends. The grave is emptied. The curse is broken. What was final is now reversed.

And it’s not just Jesus’ story—it’s ours. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, “If Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain.” But He has been raised. And because of that, death is not the end. Hope is not naïve. And life—resurrected life—is already beginning.

We live in a world still shaped by death. But we belong to a story that ends in resurrection. We are people of the third day.

Consider

Do you allow yourself to sit in the silence of Holy Saturday? Or do you rush too quickly to Sunday?

Have you faced your fear of death—your own, or the death of your dreams, or your hope?

The Creed reminds us: Jesus went all the way down so that He could raise us all the way up.

Where do you need to know that Jesus has entered your darkness? Where do you need resurrection—not just as a belief, but as a present hope?

What does it mean to live as people of the resurrection—in the tension between “already”
and “not yet”?

Prayer Prompts

Create space to be still. Slowly pray through these prompts or journal your responses: Let the sorrow and beauty of the cross guide your prayers this week.

Worship: Thank Jesus for His willingness to suffer for you and for the world. Use Isaiah 53 or Romans 5 to shape your gratitude.
Lament: Bring your own suffering or injustice before God. Don’t hide it. Let it meet Jesus at the cross.
Confess: Where have you turned away from pain—yours or others’? Ask Jesus to give you courage to stay present in suffering.
Receive: Sit in silence. Remember that Jesus died for you. Let that truth move from mind to heart.
Intercede: As a network, pray that we would be a people formed by the cross—marked by humility, sacrificial love, and the courage to walk alongside suffering. Ask that we would become a healing presence in the broken places we inhabit.