What is the meaning of those who were raised to life at Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:52-53)?

Response

Matthew 27:50-53 recounts, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.”

This occurrence served as a testament to the unique power attributed to Jesus Christ alone (1 Timothy 6:14-16). Only God possesses the authority over life and death (1 Samuel 2:6; Deuteronomy 32:29). Hence, the resurrection stands as the foundation of Christianity. All other faiths and their respective leaders do not follow a resurrected Lord. By conquering death, Jesus Christ inherently takes precedence as He returned to life while others did not. The resurrection provides us with a motive to share His message and place our faith in God «and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain as well. », (1 Corinthians 15:14). The resurrection assures us of the forgiveness of our sins «and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. », (1 Corinthians 15:17). In this verse, Paul explicitly states that without the resurrection, there is no forgiveness of our sins. Lastly, the resurrection gives us a reason to hold onto hope today (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). If Christ had not risen from the dead, then Christians would be in no better position.If spiritually than non-Christians. However, the reality is that God did raise “Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:24-25).

The resurrection of the saints fits into the overall rhetorical devices and strategies used by Matthew in his gospel. By examining Ezekiel 37 and the bones raised to life in connection with this story, it is evident that an Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled in the resurrection of these saints. Moreover, the resurrection of the saints is directly related to the forthcoming kingdom. The resurrection of a few, not all, of the saints demonstrates that Jesus has the power to resurrect, but also foreshadows the second coming and judgment of Jesus Christ, which will encompass all those whose names are inscribed in the Book of Life through faith in the grace of God. Understanding that Jesus has died and conquered death through His resurrection should prompt our desire to repent and trust Him exclusively for salvation so that we too can one day be resurrected “in the twinkling of an eye” «in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. », (1 Corinthians 15:52).