No 29

(The Miracles of Calvary – The Opened Graves.)

This is the fourth of the Miracles of Calvary and we are told in Matthew 27:52 that tombs were “broken open”.  This miraculous event came about just as the Lord died on the cross and the earthquake occurred.  Matthew also tells us that these tombs contained God’s saints; the moment Christ died the graves were opened.  The Bible tells us that the saints did not come out of the tombs until Jesus Himself had resurrected from the dead.  The graves were opened and the saints who had died arose but did not resurrect until Christ did; this is very important to consider “They came out of the graves after His resurrection…” (Matt 27:53).  This means that they stayed in the grave for three days.   In this study, we are considering only the split graves and the opened tombs.

These graves were undoubtedly carved out of stone and their splitting was meant to be a symbol of some kind or an object lesson of what Jesus Christ had accomplished on the cross.  He had, by His death, accomplished our redemption, so by opening the saints’ graves, this event would have removed all physical hindrance to their resurrection.  Just as Lazarus had resurrected from the dead by the removal of the stone and died later on.    His resurrection was not eternal; neither was this one.  As a result, there no longer remain any obstacles to anyone being personally delivered from eternal death.  I tell you the truth; whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)  “…and will never die  (John 11:26).