06/01/2026
In Matthew 27:50–54, it says:
“Then Jesus shouted out again, and He released His spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and the tombs were opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, ‘This man truly was the Son of God.’”
Let's look at the timeline here. When Jesus released His spirit (died), the tombs were opened—but only the tombs of godly men and women. Here's the interesting part: the bodies did not come out immediately.
They appeared after Jesus rose from the grave three days later.
So why did the graves open at the exact moment Jesus gave up His spirit?
Matthew 27 says that when Jesus cried out with a loud voice, releasing His spirit, creation reacted. The veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split.
Stop and think about the restraint Jesus had. After everything He went through before being nailed to the cross, all He had to do was call on His Father.
Matthew 26:53 says:
> “Don’t you realize that I could ask My Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and He would send them instantly?”
And in 2 Kings 19:35, it says:
> “That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers.”
If one angel could kill 185,000 soldiers, how many would die if Jesus called and God sent thousands? There would not have been a single survivor on earth.
But if Jesus had done that, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that described what had to happen?
Then Matthew gives us one of the most mysterious details in the New Testament.
The graves were opened.
That line is easy to read past, but it is not random. Matthew is not adding a horror scene to the crucifixion. He is showing us that the death of Jesus did not only affect the living—it shook the realm of the dead.
On the cross, Jesus was not simply dying as a victim. He was confronting sin, death, and the grave itself.
But then Matthew adds another detail that makes the mystery even deeper.
Matthew 27:52–53 says:
> “Many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And after His resurrection, they came out of the graves, went into the holy city, and appeared to many.”
Notice the order. The graves opened when Jesus died, but the saints appeared after Jesus rose from the grave.
Why the wait?
Because Jesus had to be raised from the dead first.
He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. He is the first, the beginning of the harvest.
That is why 1 Corinthians 15 calls Christ the “firstfruits” of those who have fallen asleep.
In the ancient world, firstfruits meant the first part of a harvest that guaranteed more was coming.
So when Jesus rose, He was not just coming back from death for Himself. He was opening the way for everyone who belonged to Him.
That means the open graves were a sign—a preview, a prophetic shockwave.
The death of Jesus cracked open the prison of death. The resurrection of Jesus released the evidence.
And the saints walking into the holy city became a public witness that something cosmic had happened.
According to 1 Corinthians 15:6, Jesus was seen by more than 500 followers.
Death no longer bound Jesus. The Messiah had conquered.
In Revelation 1:18, Jesus says:
> “I hold the keys of death.”
This is why the cross is not just a tragic ex*****on. It is a victory hidden inside suffering.
The Romans saw a criminal dying. The religious leaders saw a threat removed. The disciples saw their hope collapse.
But heaven saw the beginning of death's defeat.
God tore the veil from top to bottom because access to Him is now available to everyone.
The earth shook because creation recognized its Creator.
The graves opened because death had just met its Conqueror.
So the real mystery is not only why the graves opened when Jesus died. The deeper question is this:
If death trembled at His crucifixion, what will happen when He returns?
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This is pastor Eric Larson
Be Blessed
