“And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.”
(Matthew 27:51-52)
When the Son of God breathed His last, creation itself could not keep silent. The earth quaked. The rocks split. Even the tombs surrendered their dead. In that moment, the inanimate things of this world testified more truly than most living hearts ever have. These lifeless elements became preachers, giving witness to the glory, victory, and power of Christ’s redeeming death.
From the very beginning, stones have served as silent witnesses in God’s covenant dealings. Joshua placed a great stone under the oak in Shechem and declared it had heard all the Lord’s words, holding Israel accountable to their vow (Joshua 24:27). John the Baptist warned the prideful religious elite that God could raise up children for Abraham from stones if need be (Matt. 3:9). And our Lord Himself said, when Pharisees urged him to rebuke the rejoicing crowds, “If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).
Now, at the crucifixion, those very stones respond by splitting in two. The rocks at Golgotha gave way to life. If such cold, unfeeling stone can be shaken at the death of Christ, how much more ought the hearts of men be melted by such grace? For the very death that split the stones can open wide the heart. The same voice that cried “It is finished” is the voice that calls the dead to life. Those tombs that opened testify that Christ’s death is not the end of life but the beginning of resurrection to new life!
The veil is rent, the earth shakes, the tombs open, and the saints are raised. What more evidence is needed to prove the victory of Christ even in His death? The power of the grave is broken, and death loses its sting. So let those who have been made alive in Christ give greater voice to His glory than any rock ever could.
Contemplations:
- Living Waters from the Rock. Lord, You are that true Rock of Rephidim, from which flows the water of life (Exod. 17:6). As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:4, that Rock was Christ, out of whom flows living water. Lord, give me to drink from this fountain that I never thirst again (John 4:10).
- The Rock of Offense Raised to Life. O my Lord and Savior, You are a Rock of offense (1 Peter 2:8), the Lamb slain from the beginning. You were slain (Rev. 5:9), and yet were never more alive than in death. “Will You show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise thee? Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?” (Ps. 88:10-11)? Yes, Lord, for at Your death rocks miraculously split, and, wonder of wonders, dead saints come back to life to praise You!
- The Testimony of the Risen Dead. Not only do these dead here rise, Lord, but as the text reads, they also appear to many (Matt. 27:53). Those who witnessed this most miraculous event must surely have realized the victory You immediately achieved at Your death over the power of death and the grave. And so shall I be able, in light of Your conquest over death, to triumphantly say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:55).
Prayer (Thanksgiving)
O Lord Christ, we thank You that the death which shook the earth did more than tremble stone and tear veils; it also opened graves and raised the dead. We bless Your name for these mighty signs of salvation’s full accomplishment. When Your final cry rang out from Calvary, the covenant was confirmed, the barrier was broken, and life surged from death.
Thank You, O Redeemer, that You did not spare Yourself, but offered up Your body and yielded up Your soul in obedience to the Father’s will. Thank You that You drank the cup dry, that no drop of wrath remains for us. Thank You that the veil is no longer drawn across Your holy presence, but by Your blood we have boldness to enter in.
Thank You for the earthquake that startled the unbelieving, the stones that cried in their silence, and the saints that rose as trophies of Your power. Thank You that our salvation rests not in shifting sands, but in the Rock that was a cleft for us. We thank You that our hearts, once harder than Jerusalem’s rocks, have now been broken, softened by the Word and made vessels for Your Spirit.
Glory to You, O Christ, that even in Your death, You triumphed. And in Your triumph, we are made to rise. Grant us hearts that praise louder than split stones, souls more moved than trembling ground, and lives more faithful than silent tombs. Let our thanksgiving be unceasing, as we walk in the light of the resurrection You purchased with Your own blood.
In Jesus’ blessed name I pray, Amen.
Further References for Matt. 27:51–52:
Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45; Matthew 27:54; Hebrews 6:19
