And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. ... And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 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 27:50, 51b, 52-53)
The whole story is very odd. Jesus dies, the tombs break open, and many people are raised from the dead, making their way into the city of Jerusalem a couple days later. There must have been a lot of freaked-out people!
The first, I imagine, would be the resurrected people themselves. Some of them would have been dead for weeks, months, maybe even years. Now suddenly they find themselves back in the life they thought was over. No wonder it took them a while to find their way home again!
And then there's the families, opening the door to find Uncle Ephraim or Grandma Sarah standing there smiling and alive. Imagine the fear, the joy, the utter confusion. Because these people weren't zombies—they could eat and drink and hug and dance. They were truly alive—but why?
Someone finally figured it out. They were alive because Jesus had died—and somehow His death broke the power of death. Their mini-resurrection is a foretaste of the time when Jesus returns in His glory and the whole earth rises to stand before Him. Already His death has broken the power of death over us, and His resurrection means that we, too, shall rise—to be with Him in joy and love forever.
WE PRAY: Lord, thank You for bringing me from death to life, even now. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* What do you imagine the newly alive people did next?
* If this happened to your family, would you have publicized it? Why or why not?
* What difference does the promise of your own resurrection make in your life right now?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Today's Bible Readings: Joshua 7-9 Luke 9:37-62
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