what is the lineage of jesus christ 2024 The Story of Jesus Christ Is a True Myth

The Story of Jesus Christ Is a True Myth

If you’ve ever attended a liturgical church during Holy Week, you’ve likely recited the Apostles’ Creed—a confession that affirms the climactic events of Jesus’ life.

At the heart of this confession, between the phrases “was crucified, died, and was buried” and “on the third day he rose again from the dead,” you’ll find the mysterious (and some might say pesky) phrase “he descended into Hell.”

Although it’s largely overlooked in evangelical churches, dwarfed by the giants of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, Holy Saturday in the liturgical calendar commemorates the day when Jesus’ body laid dead in the grave. But it also honors the “Harrowing of Hell”—an idea that traces back to a handful of verses in the New Testament referring to Jesus’ debated descent into the netherworld.

After all, one verse reads, “What does ‘he ascended’ mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?” (Eph. 4:9). For “After being made alive, [Christ] went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built” (1 Pet. 3:18–20). Later, Peter adds, “For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does” (1 Pet. 4:6, ESV).

That these (and other) verses imply that Christ descended into hell is an interpretation discarded by a number of respected Christian thinkers including Wayne Grudem and John Piper, who argues there’s “no textual basis” for it. Such dissenters either dismiss the line altogether or align themselves with John Calvin, who believed “the descent clause refers to Jesus’ physical and spiritual torment on the cross on Good Friday.”

Even among those who do believe in a literal descent, there’s a wide spectrum of views. Some people think Christ “raided hell to ransom the righteous of the Old Testament”—a view Scott McKnight says in a CT article is the “classical theology of Holy Saturday.” Others believe the above verses instead signal “a proclamation that Jesus’ victory extends all the way to the lowest regions in the place of the dead.”

Still others, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, see the Harrowing of Hell as part of the larger biblical narrative that Christ the conqueror defeats death completely and rescues many (or all) of the inhabitants of a now-dismantled Sheol. But this view has never been incorporated into the church’s official doctrine, since it can invite universalist interpretations—for instance, if the imprisoned spirits of 1 Peter 3 got a second chance, might others too?

To unpack all the ins and outs of theological debate over the centuries is beyond the scope of this article. But regardless of what you believe about the specifics of Christ’s descent, every confessing Christian believes that Christ was, in fact, dead in the grave. And this single biblically verifiable truth has just as much to say to those of us who still find ourselves in the land of the living.

Few (if any) mysteries have held more sway on the human imagination than the enigma of what follows our final breath on earth. What’s beyond the flat line of asystole—and to where do the departed depart? And while some today might feign a secular indifference, a quick glance through the oldest myths shows the near-universal concern our remotest ancestors had with understanding and preparing for death and the world of the dead.

But first, it’s important to note that the word hell has a confusing etymology—even as it has captivated the imaginations of people and literature throughout history.

Epic poems like Dante’s Inferno (based on the Roman poet Virgil’s account of Aeneas’s descent into the underworld) famously paints a Christianized take on the Greco-Roman vision of Hades, which informed medieval plays and other depictions of the Harrowing of Hell. Christ’s descent echoes the mythic pattern of a heroic figure whose journey takes him into the underworld to discover a life-changing truth or to accomplish an impossible task—such as rescuing a dead beloved soul or setting captives free—and to return alive and victorious.

You can see this ancient narrative pattern (or “mytheme,” as comparative mythologists would say) in all sorts of different stories today, from The Matrix to Harry Potter. The ubiquitous presence of the mythic hero theme has been used by intellectual opponents of Christianity to diminish the uniqueness and significance of our faith claims about Jesus Christ.

In 1890, for instance, anthropologist and folklorist James George Frazer published the first edition of The Golden Bough, which captivated readers with his comparative retellings of myths. He claimed Jesus was just another example of the dying-and-rising-god myth to emerge from the mists of ancient pagan religion. And while scholars have long since dismissed most of Frazer’s speculative conclusions, his concepts live on in the works of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and many other secular thinkers influenced by this archetype.

Even today, modern skeptics of Christianity will use this rationale to reinterpret Jesus’ death and resurrection as nothing more than imitative elements of those ancient stories. Such parallels, they believe, negate the exclusivity of truth that Christians profess. And yet, at the same time, the similarities between pre-Christ myths and the story of Christ have also inspired the intellects and imaginations of some of the greatest Christian thinkers and storytellers of the 20th century.

In fact, in an infamous conversation on Addison’s Walk at Oxford’s Magdalen College, one agnostic-turned-theist named Jack (also known as C. S.) Lewis discussed these mythic connections with two believing friends, J. R. R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. Lewis realized that believing in the person of Jesus did not mean throwing away the old myths of ancient civilizations but rather finding in Christ the true and ultimate fulfillment of these myths. He later wrote:

Long line forms at first Orange County stop in tour of St. Jude relic

A relic of St. Jude is being displayed at four Orange County Catholic churches this week, during a tour of the United States that marks the first time it has left Italy.

The relic is a bone fragment that is encased in a wooden reliquary carved in the form of an arm appearing to give a blessing; Catholic Church officials say the bone piece was separated several centuries ago from St. Jude Thaddeus’ remains laid to rest at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Melannie Rivamonte holds pictures of her family against the glass...

Melannie Rivamonte holds pictures of her family against the glass during a visit to the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Myriam Forero visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on...

Myriam Forero visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Theresa Sniadowski pauses while visiting the relic of St. Jude...

Theresa Sniadowski pauses while visiting the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tim O’Shea visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on...

Tim O’Shea visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Susana Lepe holds her rosary as she visits the relic...

Susana Lepe holds her rosary as she visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fr. Charbel Grbavac, from St. Michael’s Abbey, visits the relic...

Fr. Charbel Grbavac, from St. Michael’s Abbey, visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A beliver visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on...

A beliver visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Duan Nguyen visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on...

Duan Nguyen visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Maria V. Zamora Valladares holds on to her rosary after...

Maria V. Zamora Valladares holds on to her rosary after visiting the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Keychains of St. Jude Thaddeus are for sale while his...

Keychains of St. Jude Thaddeus are for sale while his first-class relic is on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago...

The relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

St. Jude the Apostle, a cousin of Jesus, is one of the most venerated of the saints and is one “people turn to when desperate, having tried everything else, feeling lost or hopeless,” church officials said.

And in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, officials hope the relic’s pilgrimage to the United States will offer comfort, Fr. Carlos Martins, who organized the tour that is passing through more than 100 American cities, said in a statement.

“Many still grieve a loved one claimed by the virus, numerous folks suffer the effects of long COVID and other pandemic-related medical conditions. Long-term isolation has led to depression for many and deterioration in mental health,” he said. “The Apostle’s visit is an effort by the Catholic Church to give comfort and hope to all who need it.”

A large crowd is expected at the Christ Cathedral on Tuesday, April 30, where the relic will be on display from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Diocese of Orange officials said. On Wednesday, May 1, it will be on display at Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church in Huntington Beach from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Thursday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in La Habra, during the same hours.

During Monday’s visit to Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, Fr. Al Baca, director of the diocese’s Office of Ecumenism and Inter-religion, which is sponsoring the event, said he saw people of all ages in the long line that had formed as people waited their turn to stand before the large glass case holding the wooden reliquary.

Many bowed their foreheads toward the relic, placing their hands to the glass. They held prayer cards, rosaries, photos of loved ones and other items to the glass to receive a blessing.