Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 16

These phrases aren’t morbid. They’re full of hope. The Catechism unpacks them carefully, showing us how each phrase matters—not only to explain what Jesus endured, but to assure us of what He accomplished.

Jesus went all the way down, so we would never be alone in our dying—or forgotten in our graves.

Question 40

Why did Christ have to suffer death?
Because God’s justice and truth require it:
nothing else could pay for our sins except the death of the Son of God.¹

¹ Romans 6:23; Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 2:9, 14–15

Question 41

Why was He “buried”?
His burial testifies
that He really died.²

² Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57–60; John 19:38–42; Acts 13:29; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4

Question 42

Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die?
Our death does not pay the debt of our sins.
Rather, it puts an end to our sinning
and is our entrance into eternal life.³

³ Romans 6:4–11; Philippians 1:21–23; 1 Thessalonians 5:9–10

Question 43

What further benefit do we receive from Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross?
By His power
our old selves are crucified,
put to death,
and buried with Him,
so that the evil desires of the flesh
may no longer rule us,
but that instead we may offer ourselves
as a sacrifice of gratitude to Him.⁴

⁴ Romans 6:6–14; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:5

Question 44

Why does the creed add, “He descended into hell”?
To assure me during attacks of deepest dread and temptation
that Christ my Lord,
by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul,
especially on the cross but also earlier,
has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell.⁵

⁵ Psalm 116:1–4; Matthew 26:36–46; 27:45–46; Luke 22:44; Hebrews 5:7–10

Why His Death Had to Be Real

We live in a world that avoids death, explains it away, or tries to soften its edges. But the gospel doesn’t. The Catechism is strikingly honest: sin leads to death, and justice demanded a real payment. Not sentiment. Not sorrow. But blood.

So Christ had to die. Not because God is cruel, but because His love is holy. To remove our guilt, a substitute had to go all the way. Not just to the brink of death—but through it.

The burial confirms it. He didn’t faint. He didn’t disappear. He really died. And that matters. Because if He didn’t fully die, we wouldn’t be fully redeemed.

But He did. And the tomb is still empty.

Why We Still Die

If Christ died for us, why do we still face death? The Catechism answers with stunning hope: our death is no longer a payment—it’s a passage. A laying down of the old self. A release from the fight with sin. An entrance into eternal life.

This reframes how we view mortality. For the Christian, death isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning of a new chapter in glory. Not a punishment, but a homecoming.

We still grieve. We still ache. But we do not fear as the world does. Because Christ died and rose, we know this: when we close our eyes in death, we open them in the presence of the One who conquered it.

Crucified with Him

Christ’s death doesn’t just change our future. It reshapes our present.

The Catechism teaches that His death is not only substitutionary—it’s transformative. When we are united to Christ by faith, our old selves are crucified with Him. That means sin no longer has the final word. We’re not slaves anymore. We’ve died to that life.

This gives us power—not in ourselves, but in Him—to resist sin, to live gratefully, to walk in freedom. The cross is not just an event we observe. It’s the place where our old life was buried, and our new life began.

He Descended for Me

The most haunting line in the Creed—He descended into hell—is not about geography. It’s about agony.

The Catechism wisely interprets this not as a physical descent into a place, but as Christ’s experience of hellish anguish—the full weight of God’s wrath, the abandonment, the soul-crushing darkness He endured for us.

Why does that matter?

Because you will have moments in life when God feels distant. When shame returns. When fear grips you. When your prayers feel unheard and your soul feels alone.

And in those moments, you need more than theology. You need this truth: Christ has already gone to the deepest place. You are not abandoned. He has descended into the depths so you never will.

A Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, You did not stop short. You bore the wrath I deserved. You truly died, were truly buried, and entered the very agony of judgment—so that I never would have to. Thank You for paying a debt I could never repay. Thank You that my death is no longer a punishment, but a door into eternal life. Help me live each day in light of that victory. Put to death in me every sin that still clings. Crucify my pride, my anger, my unbelief. And when I feel alone or afraid, remind me: You have already descended into the darkness, and You are with me still. I am not condemned. I am Yours. Amen.

Daily Bible Readings

New Testament in a Year
April 20 – Luke 13:1–21
April 21 – Luke 13:22–35
April 22 – Luke 14:1–24
April 23 – Luke 14:25–35
April 24 – Luke 15:1–10
April 25 – Luke 15:11–32
April 26 – Luke 16:1–18

The Bible in a Year
April 20 – 2 Samuel 9–10; Luke 13:1–21
April 21 – 2 Samuel 11–12; Luke 13:22–35
April 22 – 2 Samuel 13–14; Luke 14:1–24
April 23 – 2 Samuel 15–16; Luke 14:25–35
April 24 – 2 Samuel 17–18; Luke 15:1–10
April 25 – 2 Samuel 19–20; Luke 15:11–32
April 26 – 2 Samuel 21–22; Luke 16:1–18