When Jesus died, he went to the grave. In the Hebrew Scriptures this place is called sheol, and in the Greek New Testament it is called hades. Both words refer to the state of death—the unseen condition of being lifeless, unconscious and inactive. They never describe a place of fire or torment. They simply mean “the grave.”

Peter explained this clearly on the day of Pentecost. Quoting David, he said, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [hades], neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Peter then adds that David was speaking prophetically about the resurrection of Christ—that Jesus’ soul was not left in hades and his body did not decay because God raised him up. Peter directly quoted from Psalm 16:10, where the Hebrew equivalent is sheol. This confirms that for parts of three days, Jesus was truly and fully dead.

He was in the same “sleep of death” he described when speaking of Lazarus. In sheol/hades— the grave—there is no work, no knowledge, no wisdom, no consciousness—only silence (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Jesus was not preaching, traveling or suffering. He was resting in death, awaiting the Father’s power to awaken him.

Some wonder about the passage in 1 Peter 3:18–19 that says Jesus was “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison.” This does not mean Jesus went somewhere while he was dead. The text says he proclaimed something after he was “made alive in the spirit”—after his resurrection. The “spirits in prison” refer to the fallen angels restrained since the days of Noah. Jesus didn’t need to physically speak to them; his resurrection itself was the proclamation that God’s plan was advancing, and the power of death was broken.

Another question often arises from Jesus’ words to the repentant thief: “Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise.” We know Jesus did not go to paradise that day because after his resurrection he told Mary, “I have not yet ascended to my Father.” The key is the placement of the comma. Ancient Greek had no punctuation. Jesus was saying, “Truly I tell you today—you will be with me in paradise.” The promise was made that day, but it will be fulfilled in the future earthly paradise of God’s kingdom, when the thief is resurrected and restored.

The Bible also teaches that it was Jesus’ soul—his entire being—that went to hades, the grave. He did not exist consciously during that time. On the third day, God raised him, restoring him to life—now as a glorified, immortal, divine spirit being. His resurrection was the proof that his sacrifice had been accepted and that he had been delivered from the power of the grave.

All of this matters deeply for us. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the foundation of our hope. Because he entered the grave and came out of it, death is not a hopeless end. It is a temporary sleep from which all will one day be awakened. As Paul writes, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Jesus went to the grave so that he could open the way out of it for the whole world.

In summary, the man Christ Jesus, our Savior, died at 33½ years, was dead, buried in the grave for parts of three days and was resurrected on the third day.

Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode 1162: “Has the Bible Been Mistranslated and Misunderstood? (Part IV)”
This study provides the breakdown of the Hebrew and Greek words used to describe where Jesus went.
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CQ Rewind Show Notes

Episode 1276: “When Jesus Said, ‘It Is Finished,’ What Did He Begin?”
This episode explains the “why” behind Jesus’ death, focusing on the legal and spiritual transition that occurred at the moment he died. 
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes