52. And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the Saints which had slept, arose,
53. And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the Holy city, and appeared unto many.
Scripture tells us that after Jesus gave up His Spirit, there was an earthquake so violent that rocks were broken, and the Temple veil that covered the Holiest of Holies was ripped from top to bottom. In this act, God announced that all who believe Jesus is their Lord and Savior now have direct access to Him. There would no longer be a need for sacrifices or an earthly high priest, because Jesus — the unblemished lamb — became sacrifice once and for all and our High Priest.
These events are recorded in all four Gospel accounts, but Matthew includes something the others don’t — the resurrection of the Saints. Matthew 27:52 tells us, “And the graves were opened, and many of the bodies of the Saints which had slept, arose.”
Some discredit this “early resurrection” of the Saints by pointing to 1 Corinthians 15:20 which states, “But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept.” But Matthew 27:52 is one of many instances where verse divisions interrupt the flow the scriptures are meant to have. Verse 53 continues the thought: “And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Matthew does not contradict Paul — he confirms that Christ rose first. Then as a sign of victory over death, and perhaps as a testimony of eternal life to the living and generations to come, the saints rose after Him.
Matthew is not the only Gospel writer that records a unique event that took place during the final hours of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Mark writes about an event found nowhere else in Scripture — an event that took place at the time of Jesus’ arrest. In Mark 14:51-52 we read: “And there followed Him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body, and the young man laid hold on Him. And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.”
Hebrew custom at the time was to bury their dead naked, wrapped in a linen cloth. The only other New Testament reference to the dead being wrapped in a linen cloth is Jesus Himself. When taking into account the timeline of events set forth in the other Gospels, a remarkable possibility emerges. When Jesus spoke the words “I Am” — declaring himself to be God in the flesh — the power of that declaration knocked the Roman soldiers off their feet. It is entirely possible that the grave of the young Hebrew boy was opened.
This was likely not a resurrection like the saints in Matthew 27, but rather the same power unleashed when Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb bringing him back to life. The same resurrection power that was unleashed after Jesus’ declaration “I Am”, may have been strong enough to touch the nearby tomb of the young man. If so, like Lazarus, he would experience physical death again in the future — for this would be a temporary restoration of life, not the eternal resurrection where death is no more.
But who were the saints that were resurrected after Jesus? To answer that we have to remember that the writers of Scripture were addressing an audience of their time. Their readers would have had a different understanding of who “the saints” referred to — an understanding we don’t have because we are separated by centuries. Many of the witnesses were probably some of the “above 500 brethren at once” that Paul wrote about Jesus appearing to.
Just as today, when we talk to or text someone we know, there are details we don’t bother mentioning because the person receiving our words will fully understand the context. The biblical writers did the same — this was normal then, just as it is now. Their audience lived in the same culture, read the same scrolls (what we call the Old Testament), and shared the same terminology. This shared understanding prevented the writers need to spell out every detail that the readers would naturally fill in. Details that we sometimes struggle with by being separated by centuries.
The Greek term for “saints” used in Matthew 27:52 is “Ayíoi” which translates to “holy ones” or “saints”. Since the New Testament was written in Greek, looking at the original wording often gives us a better understanding of the writer’s intentions. In this case, “holy ones” perhaps gives us a better understanding of what Matthew meant, because “holy” is a word used often in the Old Testament to describe those set apart by God. Matthews audience would have immediately understood this language and recognized who he was referring to.
With our knowledge of the Old Testament, and those who were considered “holy”, we can begin to speculate about who these saints may have been — and there are many. Abraham, Sarah, Issac, and Jacob for starters. Moses and Noah. Then the twelve patriarchs, Jacob’s sons who went on to become the leaders of the 12 Tribes of Israel, including Joseph. We can also consider the judges God appointed, followed by some of the kings, such as David and Solomon. There were the holy prophets God chose to be messengers. Job, who was set apart as a pillar of spiritual endurance in the face of Satan’s accusations. And women like Deborah, Esther, and Ruth — each chosen by God to play pivotal roles in Israels history.
There are also names in the New Testament that must be considered. Zechariah and Elisabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, lived righteous and blameless lives, and were set apart by God. John himself, chosen to be the forerunner of Christ, and was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mothers womb. And Joseph, the earthly father who faithfully raised, protected and provided for Jesus, certainly stands with those Scripture describes as “saints” or “holy ones.”
It is not beyond the scope to also consider the martyrs in Revelation 6:10: “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” When the fifth seal is opened, John sees “under the alter”, the souls of those that had been slain for the Word of God (Revelation 6:9). Here we see clear evidence that there are holy souls already in the presence of God, awaiting the day of judgment.
The Bible does not contradict or discredit itself. Instead, Scripture gives us proof upon proof — and hope on top of hope — when passages are compared to each other rather than judged in isolation. The early resurrection of the holy ones stands as one more testimony that God keeps his promises. It shows us that eternal life for all who believe Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, is a promise that will be kept.
So when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we are also celebrating our own resurrection — and the eternal life we will share with Him.