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.
Matthew 27:52-53 (ESV)
The Gospel of Matthew records three events that happened when Jesus died: the curtain of the temple was torn, there was an earthquake, and resurrected saints wandered the streets of Jerusalem. The first two of these events can be found in the other gospels and are pretty straightforward. However, this third event is unique to Matthew and raises many questions.
What Happened?
Were these saints restored to life like Lazarus had been—raised to die again? Or were they resurrected like Jesus with resurrection bodies?
If they had come out of their tombs immediately after Jesus died, we would have to say they were simply revived, since Jesus was the first to rise from the dead (Col. 1:18). But since they did not come out until after Jesus’ resurrection, it is possible that what they experienced was a true resurrection—the first of many more to follow when Jesus returns.
Who Were Raised?
Who were these saints whose bodies were raised? Matthew does not provide any indication of who they might have been, other than that they seemed to have been buried near Jerusalem. My guess is that they would have been personally known by the people they appeared to. People who might then be more receptive to hearing that Jesus had risen.
How long were they in Jerusalem? If simply revived, did they reenter their tomb after appearing to others? If resurrected, did they copy Jesus and ascend into heaven after their appearances?
Why Were They Raised?
But the biggest question for me is why? Why did they come out of their graves and appear to some of the people in Jerusalem? This event is not even hinted at elsewhere, so it would seem that either it was not well-known or that it was not of great importance to the Jesus community as a whole. But it would have had great significance to those to whom they appeared.
So what do you think? Who were these saints? Were they revived or resurrected? And why did Matthew include this intriguing account in his gospel? What value might this have for believers today?
