Preachers sometimes preach in their sleep. Jesus’ spirit preached to all the souls in Hades (Sheol) as His body slept in the tomb. “He descended to Hades”; this is the place where all dead people go, and preached there (Read 1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:5-6; Ephesians 4:8–10). Every person who ever lived before him was there, the ones who died thousands of years before and the ones who died a day before His arrival were there. Every Jew, every Gentile nationality and ethnic group, saint, sinner, pagan, all of them, they heard the master preacher preach. Awaiting His own resurrection (Psalm 16:10), He took His place among the dead spirits, not just as one of them but as the Lord and Savior of all spirits. He preached good news to them while there; He brought light into darkness (Psalm 139:7–12 ESV). He would have explained all the things in Scripture about Himself the same as He did to the Emmas disciples. He would have proclaimed, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:24-25). It was the gospel and all the gospel contains. When He ascended to His Father He led a host of captives with Him. What mercy! What grace! What power! When they thought Jesus was asleep, He was preaching.
“Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) (Ephesians 4:8–10 ESV).
