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He Touched
The Graves
Matthew 27:52-53 and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (NKJV)
Note in your Bibles these unbelievable, incredible, and true words from God Himself: opens and closes with the same word that modifies all the others and that word is: MANY.
Many saints, some may be dead only hours or buried centuries ago, all in graves, and all part of MANY, all around Israel were touched from the Cross, by Jesus. Jesus is the only one in the Universe whose voice can be heard by every dead person in every grave of all time!
Like after every great earthquake, people began to go out to survey the damage; but unlike any other quake, they noticed something eerily strange. All over Israel from Dan to Beersheba, north to south, top to bottom: graves were popped open.
Perhaps as curious onlookers peered into those dark recesses they could see eyes from embalmed bodies staring at them, or maybe just bones turning to dust. But Jesus had touched the graves, and something strange was happening all over the country.
But then, suddenly, right in step with God’s plan, it began to happen. On Sunday morning, right after Jesus stepped out from The Grave, they started to come out of their graves in resurrection bodies; and started to march towards Jerusalem.
Can you imagine the uncanny meetings that took place? Out in a field by Hebron near the cave of Machpelah, a farmer was working his field on Sunday morning when he met a man walking out of the cave.
“Hello,” said the stranger. “Hello,” said the farmer, “do I know you?”
“I am Father Abraham, formerly of Ur, and most recently from the happy side of Hades.”
And just like that all over Israel, God’s Word says MANY graves opened, MANY saints raised, MANY saints set their faces toward Jerusalem. We don’t know which saints were raised, we just know that they WERE raised, and we know it was MANY!
Can you imagine what it could have been like? People may have run into Elisha, Joseph, and Isaac. Can you imagine what amazing conversations people may have spoken with Jacob, David, and Samuel?
What a commotion it must have been as the first fruits of the resurrection of Christ gathered in the Holy City. Why do you think that almost the entire city turned out to hear Peter on Pentecost for an explanation?
So MANY were raised and many came to be witnesses of the miracle of Calvary.
So He reached up and touched the Sun, He reached over and touched the Temple, He reached down and touched the Earth, He reached under and touched the Graves, and finally, as the “Savior of the World”, from the cross in v. 54:
He Touched
The Centurion