Matthew 27:52

And the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised.

THE OPENING OF THE GRAVES OF THE RIGHTEOUS

The implication that only the graves of the righteous were opened comes from the immediate connection with what followed, the resurrection of the saints. At first it seems those two events occurred simultaneously; but the next verse notes that it was "after his resurrection" that they actually came out of their graves and appeared in the city, thus the mention of the saints in Matthew 27:52 is for the purpose of revealing which graves were opened.

This, of course, is a great miracle of discrimination. Incredulous scholars have sought in vain for evidence of an interpolation here, but none exists. Plummer said, "There is no textual evidence that the passage is an interpolation."[17] Accepting the amazing fact recorded here by Matthew, one naturally turns to a consideration of its meaning:

(1) It means that God knows the location of every grave where his redeemed ones are at rest. Matthew's use of "sleep" for "death" suggests that death is a sleep only for the righteous: Death, like sleep, is only temporary and shall be followed by an awakening. Jesus used the same figure when speaking of the death of Lazarus (John 11:11). (2) It means that all the dead shall eventually rise from the tomb; and, although this resurrection was but a few compared to the numberless millions of the dead, it is a pledge of much more wonderful things to come when "all that are in their tombs" shall come forth (John 5:28). (3) The resurrection of the "bodies of the saints" indicates a bodily resurrection for all.

The opened graves had to be left open over Passover, since it would have been unlawful for anyone to have filled a grave during that holy week; it would have been unlawful even to touch one. While the graves were exposed for three days and nights, a period was provided during which the identity of the graves as belonging to "the righteous" could have been made and verified. No record is left of the awe and wonder that doubtless accompanied the events connected with so strange and supernatural a phenomenon.

THE UNDISTURBED GRAVE CLOTHES

Matthew made a very slight reference to the PLACE where the Lord lay (Matthew 28:6), but John gave a full account of this miracle, as follows:

John 20:6-8, "Simon Peter therefore also cometh, following him, and entered into the tomb; and he beheld the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, that was upon his head, not lying with the linen cloths; but rolled up in a place by itself. Then entered in therefore the other disciple also, who came first to the tomb, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead."

Matthew's words attributed to the angel, "Behold the place where he lay" (Matthew 28:6), have meaning only in the light of what was there. Thus it may be said that Matthew recorded all of the Seven Wonders.

Precisely what was the wonder here? It was the FORM of the grave clothes as they remained after our Lord's resurrection. They were not folded but were "lying"! The implication of that word is plainer if the verb is changed to "standing" or "walking." Those clothes were "lying," having exactly the same form they had when Christ was within them. Even the napkin, uncollapsed, appeared appropriately where his head had been. Thus Jesus rose "through his clothes" just as he rose through the tomb. The angel did not roll away the stone to let the Lord out but to let the witnesses in! The tomb remained as it was, and so did his grave garments. These deductions are mandatory in view of the fact that John devoted no less than ten verses to a description of this wonder, and to the fact that it was upon that evidence that John was said to have BELIEVED!

This emphasizes the difference between the resurrection of Christ and that of the "saints." They came out of their graves horizontally; Jesus "rose" from his. Whereas their graves had to be opened, Christ's did not, except to provide access for the witnesses. They were subject to death a second time, as was Lazarus, presumably, whereas Christ rose from the dead never to die again. They revived and came out; Christ arose!