Matthew 27:51-66
Dear RTB’ers,
The events immediately following Jesus’ death are striking: And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. (v. 51) I wonder, is this God the Father doing this? Is this His final condemnation of sin, shaking the earth itself, Jesus having accomplished what He had been sent to earth to do? The curtain torn from top to bottom is especially intriguing. Mankind could tear it from the bottom to the top, but only God could tear it from the top. Interesting.
But to me the most interesting item is one that occurs only in Matthew’s gospel: The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (vv. 52-53) Matthew writes that Jesus’ resurrection opened the tombs for others to be raised, with personal accounts that these “saints” had appeared to many. Again, I wonder who these saints were? Isaiah? Jeremiah? Daniel? And why these events are recorded only in Matthew? Again, interesting events…
The timing of our reading is perfect. Yesterday, Friday we read of Jesus’ crucifixion. Today, Saturday He is placed in the tomb. And tomorrow, Sunday we will read of His Resurrection. Today, Saturday is known for its solemnity. We are finished with the horrors of Jesus’ suffering and death, and we await the glorification of His Resurrection. Two millennia down the road we continue to ponder these events. It’s a quiet Saturday for me.
Blessings.
Fred