The Harrowing of Hell!

My sermon for Sunday 1 June, 2025 at St Peter's Church, Sheringham for Choral Evensong.

From the lips of the Father to the ears and hearts of the Body of Christ His Son here present, through the inspiration of Holy Mothering Spirit – Amen.

In the normal course of engaging in a more committed life in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion, there comes first Baptism, and then Confirmation. Often, there is something of a gap in years between the two, especially if the Baptism was an Infant one. Indeed, Confirmation is precisely the…confirmation of the faith accredited to you by those who had you baptised, whether from family, friends, or fellowship, or all three.

If your baptism is more from conviction, from a more mature, conscious choice and the desire to fully enter into God’s invitation to a New Life in Christ – or as Jesus puts it when John queries His need to be baptised – “let’s do it to fulfil all righteousness,” then as for Jesus, so also for us. Baptism is a sacrament, a statement of intent to do God’s will, to accomplish his mission and purpose for us. It is public - an intentional act of embodying our passage from living towards death, to dying towards life, in Him. It is the opportunity also for the release of the Holy Spirit from the depth of our being. As Jesus declared, “The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

(Jesus’ Baptism by Zagitov)

Confirmation comes afterwards – sooner usually, rather than later – to dot the I’s and cross the T’s of our participation in the Body of Christ, His Church as represented in our case, in the iteration that is the Church “of England”, which might be considered by some, if not many, as something of a misnomer, rather as the title “Roman Catholic” could be considered to be something of an oxymoron!

Traditionally, in Anglican as well as in Catholic and Orthodox churches, a collective Baptism/Confirmation event occurs, usually in the appropriate Cathedral in each diocese, on Holy Saturday, or Easter Eve. (For my account of my confirmation, see here.) And what our Orthodox friends have understood, and so, celebrate, about “Holy Saturday” – that 24-hour period on which the Gospels appear to be silent – is that this is what Paul refers to in our text as “ascending” and “descending”.

Our Psalm this evening was Psalm 68, and it is this that Paul quotes by way of explanation to the church in Ephesus. The Tradition calls this event “The Harrowing of Hell” – Christ’s triumphal descent to rescue and bring out all his own, purchased by His blood, in resurrection glory. Check vv. 9-10:

8This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.” 9 What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.…”

(Jesus ascending to Heaven, Painting by John Singleton Copley (1738–1815))

The Psalm adds that the outcome of his redeeming work through descent and ascent was that Christ “gave gifts to his people.”

What gifts?

Easter eggs?

Rabbits?

Fortunately, not. No, he gave gifts of empowered, enabled, liberated people, “some,” Paul writes, “would be apostles, some prophets.” Others, he explains, “would be evangelists, some pastors and teachers.”

When God gives, good things happen. Here is no exception. The purpose of Christ Jesus giving all these talented people to the Church is… “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Friends, we are “a priesthood of all believers” – so don’t think you can leave it up to the professionals (who you can blame when they seem to let you down, as easily as applaud when they give you what you want) because this is a ship with no passengers, only crew!

You have a role to play.

If you haven’t discovered what it is or are denying that it is so – probably from fear or pride, if not unbelief - then ask your Master what he signed you up for in his own blood.

What’s the goal? What’s the aim of our activity? How long does this go on for? “Until ALL OF US come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, [otherwise translated as wholeness, as oneness, or as perfection], to the measure of the full stature of Christ….

…from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped [each one of us], as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”

For, my friends, it was, is, and always will be Christ IN YOU, the hope of glory!

Hallel – U – Yah!