Not So Pearly Gates

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

Matthew 16:18

It is commonly thought that this verse says that the devil will never overpower the Church, but if read in it the opposite it reveals a greater truth. The Church will overpower the gates of the underworld. I believe Jesus was telling the Disciples what he was about to do.

In our creed we say that Jesus died, was buried, and descended into the underworld. The underworld is where very soul who had died before Jesus came was imprisoned. Jesus descended into the underworld to open that prison and extend the offer to eternal life in heaven to all who were there. After accomplishing this mission, he rose from the dead and walked out of the stone tomb.

One of the things we believe about baptism is that in baptism we are buried with Jesus so that we may also rise with him in his resurrection. Metaphorically speaking, every baptized Christian is currently in the tomb with our Lord on this day. This is a very fitting image for us to meditate on as we move into the Easter vigil. We begin the Ester vigil in the dark. We begin the Easter vigil in the tomb. As the light of Christ is shared and spreads throughout our churches we are reminded of a world in darkness and the glimmer of hope that was to come, revealed through the prophets of the Old Testament.

Then comes the most joyous and holiest moment in our entire liturgical year; the moment when the stone is rolled away, our risen Lord emerges victorious from a cold, stone tomb, we are plunged into the light, the bells ring, and the Gloria is triumphantly sung. It does not get any better than this.

If we are buried with Christ in our baptisms and we rise with him in his resurrection to new life, the gates to heaven are not the proverbial pearly gates. The gateway to heaven is a stone tomb through which we all must pass. We must follow Jesus into the tomb if we wish to rise with him in his resurrection.

Just as the Israelites pass dry shod in fear and trembling through the red sea to their salvation from slavery to Egypt, we too must pass through a stone tomb to our salvation from slavery to death. Jesus unlocks the prison bars of death and extends to us the offer of eternal life. He only asks one question of you.

“Do you love me?”