Matthew 27:51-53

Matthew 27:51-53

And behold!  The curtain of the temple was being torn into two pieces from top to bottom.  And the earth was being shaken and the rocks were being torn apart.  And the graves were being opened and many bodies of the saints who have fallen asleep were being raised up.  And after coming out of the tombs – after His resurrection – they entered into the Holy City and they were being made visible to many.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

There are many intriguing symbolic points in the passage.  I’ll start with my favorite.  The temple curtain is torn.  Now, we understand that the curtain was there to keep people from accidentally stumbling into the presence of God.  Our sinfulness was so great that we had to be kept warded away from the full presence of God.  But with Jesus’ death, our sin is covered immediately!  Our sin is taken care of.  Our sin no longer prevents us from stumbling into the presence of God.  In fact, with the curtain torn we can actually say that we are invited into His presence!  We are no longer shut away from the presence of God but we are invited to be His temple and have the presence of God dwell within us!

How does it feel to know that you can have God within you?  How does this impact you life?

Second Thought:

Now let’s turn to the earthquake.  If we think back to when the Law was given to Moses, we know that there was a great earthquake.  See Exodus 19:16-18.  When the Law came to earth, the ground shook.  When the Law was fulfilled, the ground shook again.  The tearing of the temple tells us that the reality of sin had been dealt with.  The earthquake tells us that the reality of the Law had also been dealt with.

What does it mean to you that Jesus has fulfilled the Law?  How does this impact your life?

Third Thought:

Finally, we have the resurrection of the saints.  We aren’t told who these people were, but we can assume at the very least that these are the genuine followers of God who died prior to Christ.  But their appearance is every bit as symbolic as the curtain and the earthquake.  With the rising of the saints we know that death has been dealt with.  In Christ, sin no longer rules us.  In Christ, the Law no longer condemns us.  In Christ, death no longer holds us.

How does it feel to know that death is not the victor?  How does this impact your life?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 27:54-56