The Resurrection Before the Resurrection

Matthew 27:52-53 ESV

52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

About six and a half years ago there was a lot of buzz around an unusual event that was taking place when all that you would hear anyone talk about is the total solar eclipse that was coming.

They say that this was the first total solar eclipse to occur in the continental United States since 1979 and the first one to span the U.S. from coast to coast since 1918.

Now, like I said, because these total solar eclipses are so uncommon, there was all kinds of buzz around this one taking place. Many different places were even giving away special total eclipse sunglasses that would protect your eyes while it was occurring so that you could look up at the sun and see the moon pass in front of it.

I remember standing outside the day of the eclipse at about 1:30 in the afternoon with my special total eclipse sunglasses on, looking up at the sun when, for about five or ten minutes, it looked like it was dusk outside.

Now, that in itself was strange, but in those five or ten minutes I noticed something that I thought was even stranger when, for those five or ten minutes the cicadas started to sing because for those five or ten minutes, the cicadas felt as though it was a Summer night though it was only 1:30 in the afternoon.

Now the cicadas singing at the height of the afternoon was an unusual happening, but it makes sense that they were singing, because it took place in the midst of an unusual event.

Now, what we will be looking at today is most certainly an unusual happening. It’s something that a lot of people aren’t even aware of ever happening. It is rarely spoken of, and therefore the implications attached to this unusual happening are basically never even touched on.

But just like the cicadas singing in the afternoon was an unusual happening taking place as a result of an even more unusual event, so do we see in our reading for today, much more unusual happenings taking place, because a much more unusual event had taken place in the land.

Many times, when we deal with a certain Old Testament prophecy, we see what is called a partial fulfillment of that prophecy in the New Testament. And this fulfillment is only partial because the greater, fuller fulfillment of the prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. And today, what we see in our reading is the partial fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy.

The Old Testament prophecy spoken of is Ezekiel 37:13, which says:

Ezekiel 37:13 ESV

13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.

Thus, as God in this prophecy speaks through Ezekiel, what He is saying is, “You shall know that I am the Lord” “You shall know that I am Who I declare that I am, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves”.

Now, we read something like this and the first thing that many people think is that surely this must be allegorical, surely this can’t be taken at its word. God open graves and raise previously dead people from those same graves?! Surely that can’t be literal! Surely it can’t actually mean that!

Well… yes; it does mean that. And in our reading today we see it literally taking place as this prophecy becomes partially fulfilled.

We see first, in the first part of verse 52 of our reading where Matthew tells us:

Matthew 27:52a ESV

52a The tombs also were opened.

Now, before we get too deep into this, we need to clarify first that what happens in our reading for today does not happen chronologically. In other words, this does not happen immediately after that which is spoken of in the previous verse where it speaks of the earth quaking, the rocks splitting, and the curtain in the temple being torn. Instead, as we will see in the next verse, this doesn’t happen until after the resurrection of Jesus, three days later.

But what this begins to show us is that the death and resurrection of Jesus gives way to eternal life for those who are His.

His death, the death of the God-man is an unusual event and therefore, those unusual signs which we spoke of last week accompanied His death. Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus, the receiving of a new resurrected body and coming to life when He had previously been dead is most certainly an unusual event, and therefore, there are some very unusual happenings that accompany this most unusual event as well.

Now we know that tombs are no place for the living to dwell. Living people are not found dwelling in crypts or mausoleums or caskets. No, as we all know, those who are found in tombs are those who have died.

Also, as we all know, when one is dead, his body no longer holds any power whatsoever. It is most certainly a dead, motionless, powerless entity. And because those who dwell in tombs are dead, they therefore cannot somehow open their tombs, they have no power to do so.

Thus, when Matthew speaks of tombs being opened, he speaks of an outside force doing the opening. Now, if one wanted to deny the supernatural element here, he might say that doing such a thing, opening these tombs would be possible to be done by man, but that in order for it to be possible, a bunch of really strong men would have to have opened a bunch of tombs simultaneously.

But what happens next most certainly cannot be accomplished by man and leaves no room for doubt of the supernatural, when we read in the second part of verse 52:

Matthew 27:52b ESV

52b And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,

Now, who exactly it is that was raised here is unknown and cannot be known. Many have gone to great lengths to conjecture who it is that was raised at this time, but in all reality, we just don’t know.

But what we do know is that those who were raised were “saints”. Now, as I’ve said many times before, the Roman Catholic faith has absolutely distorted the meaning of what or who a saint is and has tried to narrow it down to a small number of an elite class of Christians.

This has become the case to such an extent that you will hear well-meaning people, sometimes even professing Christians who will exclaim, “Well, I’m a pretty good guy, but I’m no saint!” but in all reality, if you are a professing Christian then you are indeed a saint, because to be a saint means to be set apart for God’s special purposes, and that is what every professing Christian is, one who has been set apart for God’s special purposes.

And while these who rose may not have been “Christians” in the same exact sense that you and I are because they lived before Jesus, they are nonetheless called “saints” because while they lived, they looked forward to and trusted in the One Who they believed God would eventually send to save His elect.

And these saints, Matthew tells us, had been asleep. Now, like I said, tombs are not a place where the living dwell, so obviously this “sleep” doesn’t refer to an afternoon nap, but to those who were dead at that time. And while we who are living will wake up from an afternoon nap, dead people don’t get up from their sleep.

Even with all of the advancements in medical science, raising someone from the dead is not something that man has been able to figure out and accomplish. Therefore, this raising of those who had been dead that is spoken of in our reading was most obviously accomplished by God, the only One Who has such power.

But what may be even more interesting is that these were not simply brought back to life, but they were resurrected. Now, you may think “brought back to life? Resurrected? Isn’t that the same thing?” But the difference between the two really is a massive difference.

The gospels speak of Jesus raising people back to life. People like the widow’s son from Nain, the daughter of Jairus, and most famously, Lazarus.

But the life that Jesus raised these people to was the life that they had lived before. These all rose from their state of death but would later die once again. In other words, the existence that these were raised to was the existence that they had already experienced.

But when we say that one is resurrected, what it means is that such a one is raised to a completely different existence. Indeed, they are raised to a perfect existence.

That existence which these saints were risen to was the same existence which Jesus rose to: resurrection to a perfected body that will never die or fade away.

Obviously, this had to have been effected by God. Only He could do this! Thus, the prophecy of Ezekiel when God said that He would open the graves of His people and raise them from their graves is being partially fulfilled right here.

Then in verse 53 we see what those who were resurrected did after being raised, where it says:

Matthew 27:53 ESV

53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

We are not given great detail here, but it appears as though those who were raised, were raised near the city of Jerusalem as our reading says that after they were raised and came out of their tombs, they went into the holy city, Jerusalem.

Now, who exactly they appeared to and how those they appeared to reacted to seeing them is not written, and how and when these resurrected saints were ascended to the presence of God is not important. What is important about this specific instance in the narrative is recognizing what the death and resurrection of Jesus has accomplished.

Now, once again, we are reminded that this took place not immediately after the death of Christ, but rather, as our reading says, these came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection.

And thus, we see that the resurrection of Jesus had caused a great stir. Jesus is the firstfruits of those who are raised from the dead.

Now, like I said, there is indeed a difference between being raised to your previous existence and being resurrected to an eternal, perfected body. Jesus is the first to be resurrected to an eternal, perfected body.

Furthermore, as was said, He is the firstfruits of those who are resurrected to an eternal, perfected body. This indicates that not only is He the first One to be resurrected, but that there are more to follow who will also be resurrected to eternal, perfected bodies.

And this resurrection of several saints in our reading for today is but a foretaste of the resurrection that is to come.

That resurrection which is to come will take place when the Lord Jesus returns in glory to establish the new heavens and new earth. And part of that new creation will involve new, resurrected bodies for those who dwell there.

Beloved, because of what Jesus has accomplished in His resurrection we all too will share in that resurrection.

And that prophecy given through Ezekiel the prophet will be absolutely fulfilled. The resurrection spoken of in our reading for today will also receive its fulfillment as all of God’s people are raised to perfected bodies. And together, we will behold the Lord Jesus in all His glory as together we offer Him an eternal stream of praise, for it is because of the accomplishment of His resurrection that we will share in the glory of His resurrection!

Praise be to God!