This year’s Easter article
(2009)is one of the more intriguing I have written. It is based on
Scripture I have wanted to explore for years. The article “All Is Lost, All
Is Restored” deals with an unusual occurrence during Jesus’ crucifixion and
resurrection – one that few Bible commentators exposit to any extent. This
Easter I will attempt to interpret and apply Matthew 27:51-54. It is
one of the most incredible Scriptures I have read.
All Is lost, all
is Restored!
“Behold, I am the
Lord, the God of all flesh;
is anything too difficult for Me?”
Jeremiah 32:27
Earthquakes were very common in Israel in Jesus’ day, much like they are in
California where I live. So when two earthquakes hit Jerusalem during His
crucifixion and resurrection, this most likely did not surprise the Jews.
The only ones who might have been caught off guard by such seismic activity
were the Roman soldiers who were new to the region. But regardless of
whether you were a Jew or a Roman, earthquakes did cause fear and got
everyone’s attention.
I
know this because I have been through most of the recent California
earthquakes. Two of the worst took place in 1971 and 1994. We were both
scared and caught off guard. In 1971 (The San Fernando/Sylmar earthquake)
65 people were killed and 50 million dollars of damage was done. In 1994
(The Northridge Earthquake) 61 were killed and 15 billion dollars of damage
resulted. Everything in our house seemed either shattered or broken after
the Northridge earthquake. We slept outside in our van for a week until the
aftershocks subsided.
But
as frightening and attention getting as those earthquakes were in Jerusalem
over 2,000 years ago, there was another event even more startling and
surprising taking place …and I am not talking about Jesus’ resurrection.
Matthew is the only one of the Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John) to record this astonishing event because he may have been the only one
to see it firsthand. Regardless, it is in the Scripture and plays a
significant part in Jesus’ death and resurrection. As you read the
following verses, realize that the first verse about the veil of the Temple
being torn was in each of the other Gospels. It is included here in order
to give context to what comes afterward.
And behold, the veil of the temple was
torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were
split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen
asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they
entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those
who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and
the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this
was the Son of God!”
(Matthew 27:51-54)
So, who were these Saints? What
was God’s purpose in raising them from the dead?
Where were they before their bodies were raised
from the dead?
What did they do for three days before entering
Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection? How
long did they live before dying again? These are all challenging questions,
but I will do my best to answer them according to my own background
knowledge of the times and the Bible.
Who were these Saints and
what was their purpose?
Some commentators (and there are
only a few) purport that these Saints were some of the earlier Patriarchs;
men like Moses and Elijah. After all, these two men showed up at the
Transfiguration, why not again in order to accomplish God’s purpose?
But I don’t believe so as no one in Jerusalem, except Peter, James,
and John who were at the Transfiguration, would have known who they were for
there were no previous portraits, pictures, or videos from which to draw.
In respect to God’s purpose in
raising these Saints from the dead, I deduce that these were believers in
Christ who had recently died. They were men, women, and even children who
would immediately be recognized when they walked through Jerusalem after
Jesus’ resurrection.
This works into God’s purpose, which I believe was to
give those in Jerusalem further evidence that Jesus had truly risen just as
those who stood before them – once dead, but now alive.
Where were the Saints
before their bodies were raised from the dead?
The Scripture is pretty clear
about where a believer goes when he or she dies…whether it is in Old
Testament times, Jesus’ day, or today. All immediately move into the
presence of God (2 Corinthians 5:5-8; 2 Thessalonians 4:13-14). In
our culture we use the term “pass on” for death to soften the blow. In
Jesus’ time they used the term “fallen asleep.” No matter the term, when a
believer dies he is with the Lord. Just as Moses and Elijah were when they
appeared to Jesus, James, John, and Peter at the Transfiguration (Matthew
17:1-9).
What did the risen Saints
do before entering Jerusalem?
Although there is no way of
really knowing what they did after being raised from the dead until they
entered Jerusalem, it can be assumed they went home and showed themselves
first to their own family and friends. What a joyous surprise that must
have been for those families. After those three days at home, they
fulfilled God’s plan and entered Jerusalem showing themselves to all. In
the midst of such an obvious miracle, it seems almost impossible they would
not have proclaimed a risen Christ during their walk around that great
city. For what other purpose were they raised except to do this?
How long did the Saints
live before dying again?
Once again there is no direct
Scriptural reference detailing how long they lived before dying again. The
only reference to draw from is in John 11 where Lazarus had a similar
experience. He, like these Saints, died and was raised from the dead.
Lazarus’ raising was to build belief in Jesus as the Son of God. How long
he lived after that is not important, anymore than it was for the Saints who
did the same with their testimonies. But in both cases, I surmise there
were a lot less tears at their second funerals than the first. Because all
would know as never before, that life does not end on earth but goes on in a
glorious way with God and others throughout eternity.
Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha,
the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a
stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say
to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed
the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that
You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the
people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent
Me.” When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot
with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to
them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Therefore many of the Jews who
came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. (John 11:39-45)
Final Thoughts
As you celebrate this Easter
amidst a very difficult and precarious time where many have recently lost
their jobs, savings, and homes, God is still making miracles. Two thousand
years ago the Jewish people had lost everything; the Roman occupation had
wiped them out; they lived from hand to mouth. Then Christ came and things
began to change. For the first time in years, they had hope – a renewed
expectation that God would restore their lives and their nation. But at the
height of their hope, Jesus was crucified. All was lost! All was lost!
All was lost!
After Jesus’ body was torn down from the cross, all returned to his or her
own home, likely head down, broken and downtrodden. And then all of a
sudden for some, perhaps those who had held onto their faith, loved ones
whom had recently died began showing up at their doorsteps. These were
perhaps mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and even children, once dead,
but now alive again! With tears joyously rolling down many of their cheeks,
how many ways did they say, “How can this be? How can this be?” But it
was, because when God is in charge anything is possible. At the height of
their despair, God sent two great miracles, one of the risen Saints, and the
other of Jesus, the Son of God. The Saints brought evidence of the Son, as
well as victory over death. Christ’s death and resurrection, brought
victory over sin and the promise of eternal life to all who believe (I
Corinthians 15:55-57; Romans 6:9-10; John 3:16).
At the end of it all: The two
earthquakes, Christ’s death on the cross, the resurrection of Saints, and
finally the resurrection of Christ Himself, all was restored! All was
restored! All was restored!
Will He not
now also restore us?
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is
your sting?” The sting of death is sin, …but thanks be to God, who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:55-57)
“..knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die
again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He
died to sin once for all…” (Romans 6: 9-10)
“For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Word of God
(Other references in the article)
2 Corinthians 5:5-8 5Now
He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit
as a pledge. 6Therefore, being always of good courage, and
knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord
7for we walk by faith, not by sight 8we are of good
courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at
home with the Lord.
2 Thessalonians 4: 13-14 14But we do not want you
to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not
grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have
fallen asleep in Jesus.
Matthew 17:1-9
1Six days later Jesus took with
Him Peter and James and John his brothers, and led them up on a high
mountain by themselves. 2And He was transfigured before them;
and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
3And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with
Him. 4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here;
if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for
Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, a
bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud (God
the Father) said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased;
listen to Him!” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell face
down to the ground and were terrified. 7And Jesus came to them
and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8And
lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. 9As
they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell
the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
