I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

— Apostle’s Creed

On this Great and Holy Saturday, as we await the Bright and Saving Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is important to ask the critical question: Who is this Lord? Where did he come from and what is His identity?

It is a question asked not only by the living and the dead from ages past, but by the Prince of this World and the spirits in charge of his fallen dominion. It is precisely because they come to wrong conclusion regarding the Lord of Glory’s identity that they allow the wrong Person into Hell. This happy mistake, this cosmic con job, this fatal flaw in the master Deceiver’s plan to trap mankind forever in the bonds of death and destruction was exposed in a single moment when it was far too late for him to do anything about it. The apocryphal text, the Gospel of Nicodemus, imagines the dialogue in Hell when the princes of darkness collectively realize their mistake:

And as Satan the prince, and Hell, spoke this together, suddenly there came a voice as of thunder and a spiritual cry: Remove, O princes, your gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. When Hell heard that he said unto Satan the prince: Depart from me and go out of mine abode: if thou be a mighty man of war, fight thou against the King of glory. But what hast thou to do with him? And Hell cast Satan forth out of his dwelling. Then said Hell unto his wicked ministers: Shut ye the hard gates of brass and put on them the bars of iron and withstand stoutly, lest we that hold captivity be taken captive.

But when all the multitude of the saints heard it, they spake with a voice of rebuking unto Hell: Open thy gates, that the King of glory may come in. And David cried out, saying: Did I not when I was alive upon earth, foretell unto you: Let them give thanks unto the Lord, even his mercies and his wonders unto the children of men; who hath broken the gates of brass and smitten the bars of iron in sunder? he hath taken them out of the way of their iniquity. And thereafter in like manner Esaias said: Did not I when I was alive upon earth foretell unto you: The dead shall arise, and they that are in the tombs shall rise again, and they that are in the earth shall rejoice, for the dew which cometh of the Lord is their healing? And again I said: O death, where is thy sting? O Hell, where is thy victory?

Indeed, we proclaim this truth today, that:

Christ is risen, and Hell is overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.

–Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom

For He was not some ordinary human that descended into Hades, but the Creator and all powerful Lord of Heaven and Earth, and He became in that moment the deliverer of our souls. Come celebrate this triumph over Hell this evening at your nearest Orthodox Church. Your soul will thank you for this good news!

Christ is risen! Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Христос Воскресе!
Truly, Truly, He is risen!