Complete Victory

The chorus of one of my favorite songs - Mighty To Save - includes a line that is quite appropriate to the celebration of Easter.  Speaking of Jesus, the same Jesus who was crucified, dead and buried, the song says:

"He rose and conquered the grave."

Jesus conquered the grave.  Conquered.  As in defeated.  As in overcame.  As in took away the power of the grave.

The song is not alone in its proclamation.  Nearly all of the ancient creeds of the Christian faith contain language about Jesus' descent into the grave (or hell, if you prefer) and his victorious ascent.

Moreover, Jesus himself speaks of this ultimate victory, in Revelation 1:18:

 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and hell.


I love this verse.  To me, it is the perfect Easter verse.  You see, Jesus was dead as dead could be on Friday but on Sunday Jesus was resurrected and, in doing so, Jesus permanently conquered the grave and hell.

All of that leads me to the question: Why does Jesus say that he has the keys if not to proclaim that ultimately even the gates of hell will be thrown open and even those once condemned will be given the opportunity to join God's Kingdom again?

Jesus has the keys, so he can unlock hell and the grave whenever he desires, so what possible reason could we have for assuming that he won't?  I have read some interpreters who have said that Jesus has the keys in order to ensure that the gates of hell remain locked and all those bad people will stay in.

Huh?

Where in the New Testament do we find any image of Jesus as an excluder?  Where do we see Jesus keeping people out?  Show me...

It's not there!  We see instead a Jesus who lets everyone hang out with him and who calls the outcasts to the highest positions in his ministry.  We see a radically inclusive Jesus.

So tell me again where it makes sense that Jesus would use his victory against death and hell to keep people in?

Besides, what kind of victory did Jesus win on Easter morning if in the end hell is still eternal and final?  How is that "conquering the grave and hell?"

This, to me is the great news of Easter.  Not only is Jesus alive.  Not only does Jesus' life mean that every part and member of creation can also have life to the fullest.  Not only does Jesus' life mean that God's Kingdom has broken in here and now.

Ultimately, Easter means all of that and more: Jesus' life defeats death forever and throws open the gates of death and hell, finally and completely removing the last barrier keeping people from choosing to enter God's Kingdom.

Does it get any better than that?