Dead People Walking

Why don’t we talk more about Matthew 27:50-53? I have never once heard a sermon about it. Even Matthew, who was the only Gospel writer inspired to include it, just gives it a passing mention.

Right after Jesus yielded up His spirit, and the veil of the temple was torn, an earthquake occurred (vs. 50, 51). Then we read this: “52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”

Ephesians 2:1 [NKJV] – “And you [He made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins”.

This is incredible! Many saints – not just a couple or a few, but many – were resurrected. The word translated “many” could be numerous or a multitude.

I have questions. Questions, in addition to why this gets just a passing mention and why I’ve never heard anyone do more than just read passed it quickly.

Who were these saints? Why them? It certainly wasn’t all the dead saints or Matthew would have used the word “all”.

How did they die? Did they maybe all die together – like the folks on whom the Tower of Siloam fell? That would certainly be a nice follow up to Luke 13:4. Or were they just a seemingly random and unconnected set of individuals? Was it just all saints who were buried in proximity to Jesus’ tomb or to Galgatha?

How long had they been dead? Were they recent deaths? I’m wondering if, since they are called saints, they might have died within the time of Jesus’ ministry. I wonder if they were perhaps saints who had actually met Jesus.

I also wonder what their first thoughts were when they suddenly woke up IN THEIR GRAVES, likely bound up the way Lazarous had been?

Maybe they thought, “Oh, wow, Jesus has come back to rule and reign on the earth, just as He promised!” – only to find out that not only had He not come back, He had just died. And how annoying must it have been to have to die again at some point?

What did the family think when Uncle Bob showed up at their door after they had already put him in his own grave tomb?

And here is the most puzzling thing to me: These saints were resurrected at the moment of Jesus’ giving up His spirit – at the time the earthquake hit and the veil in the temple was ripped. They had some pretty dramatic fanfare for their resurrection. Way cool. Right? But they did not come out of their graves until Jesus did! Three days and three nights, alive, but in a tomb.

What were THEY doing for those three days and nights? I certainly hope it didn’t take that long to unbind themselves from their grave clothes. They were clearly not still sealed into the tombs, as scripture says that the graves were opened. Did God send angels to instruct them on what to do once they left their graves?  Did He send an angel to each with food and water so they could gather their strength (like 1 Kings 19:5-8)?

How long did these folks live after being resurrected and what did they do with this second chance at life – this bonus time?

As I said, I have lots of questions. I have never known anyone to attempt answers. And, really, it would all be just guesswork anyway. The secrets of their second lives are lost, except for the record that God has kept in His mind until the time He is ready to reveal it.

There had to be a reason to include this in Matthew’s gospel. So, even though we have no information beyond the two verses in Matthew, there must be a lesson here for us.

Perhaps it is this: to remind us we all have a second chance at this life. That we are dead in our sins and need Jesus to make us alive again. Ephesians 2:1 [NKJV] – “And you [He made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins”.

Maybe these second lives of ours are not heralded by an earthquake or an upheaval in an earthly temple, but we know the angels rejoice. Luke 15:7 [NKJV] – "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”. We know that our resurrections to new life are just as important to those in Heavenly places.

Are we so very different from this unique group? I hope the answer is “yes and no”. I hope no one would say of me: “What are you doing with this new life?” Or “Why are you hanging out in your own tomb? Get out there and witness!”.  I also hope they do clearly see that I was dead, but am now alive because of Jesus – that I have a new life in Him and that I am living accordingly.

I am looking forward to talking to these folks in the Kingdom of God. I have questions.

I am also asking myself now, “What are you doing with your second chance at life?”

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org