History is full of the weird and mysterious in relation to the dead.
In Barbados, in the West Indies, in 1812, a vault was opened and
three coffins were in a confused state. In 1815 and 1819 it was
opened, and again, each time the coffins were in disarray. The
Governor, Lord Cambermere had the vault carefully checked and
cemented up and sealed. Nine months later it was opened in his
presence with thousands of spectators. To everyone's amazement the
coffins were scattered about, one was on end, and some on top of
others. No one could explain it, and so it entered the books as
another ghost story, along with hundreds of other unexplained
mysteries.
Christianity has always been involved in the history of the
unexplained, because it too deals with the supernatural. Many of the
haunted houses of history have been parsonages, and you wouldn't
believe all the weird goings on that preachers have experienced.
Much of the history of ghost haunting and hunting has been written
by Christian men. For example, Sabine Baring Gould, author of
Onward Christian Soldiers, who died in 1924 at the age of 90, wrote
much about ghosts, and his own brother was seen by his mother after
his death.
Ludwig Levater, a Protestant Calvinist minister in Switzerland
wrote a book in 1572 with the title, Of Ghosts and Spirits Walking By
Night. He believed that the dead could appear, but felt most ghosts
were due to hallucination and pranks. He told of how merry young
men would throw sheets over themselves and scare the wits out of
travelers at Inns. Sometimes they even went so far as to hide under
the bed. Ghosts are still a part of most Halloween parties today, but
they are so tame that seldom will a ghost ever win a prize.
There was a young man of Bengal,
Who went to a Halloween ball.
He thought he would risk it,
And go as a biscuit,
But a dog ate him up in the hall.
He would have been better off as a ghost. This type of humor was
not appreciated by the Catholic Church. They officially believed in
ghosts, and took the matter quite seriously. In 1509 when four monks
came to John Jetzer at night with sheets over them to give him some
theological answers from the other world, they were caught, and
made to give up the ghost in more ways than one, for they were
condemned to die at the stake. Some people just can't take a joke.
That phrase, giving up the ghost, is used 5 times in the King James
Version to refer to the death of Jesus on the cross, and it is used also
to describe the dying of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The ghost, of course, refers to the spirit of man. Only once did we
find a reference to a ghost in its eerie supernatural sense in the New
Testament. When Jesus came walking for the disciples on the sea, in
the night, we read in Matt. 14:26, "But when the disciples saw Him
walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" and
they cried out for fear." Any of us seeing a white figure moving
across the water in the night would jump to that same conclusion that
it must be a ghost. Mark tells us the same thing, and both use the
word phantasma. This is the only place where the word is used in
Scripture. It does reveal that the disciples believed in the possibly of
ghosts. This is not surprising, for most everybody did in their day.
The issue of the reality of ghosts revolves around the question of
whether or not the dead can ever return and appear unto men. The
Catholic Church has concluded that the dead in heaven or hell can
never return, but the dead in purgatory might, if God permitted.
Protestants concluded that all the visions and contact with the dead
are simply demons impersonating the dead. That is, they do not deny
the evidence of the supernatural appearances, but they feel it is
demonic deception rather than the return of the actual dead. The
Catholic Church tended to support the stories of good ghosts who
would return to make up for their sins. They would haunt a
murderer until he confessed, or help solve some injustice and
encourage the faithful. The Puritans so objected to this that they
went to the other extreme, and wanted nothing to do with the dead,
and so they ceased even to have funeral sermons.
The point of this introduction is to show that there has been a
history of Christian debate over ghosts. The debate goes on yet
today, and there is a great interest in the subject. Dorthy
Scarborough in her book, Famous Modern Ghost Stories writes,
"Man's love for the supernatural, which is one of the most natural
things about him, was never more marked than at the present."
Along with the growing interest in the occult there are also a growing
number of books on ghosts. Shopenhower asserted that belief in
ghosts is born with man, and that no one is free from it. It is true that
such beliefs are found in all lands and ages, but it is not true
everywhere. I asked my three children if they believed in ghosts, and
they thought it was silly. Mark even said that is like believing in
Santa Claus.
Most American Christians would be highly skeptical of anything to
do with ghosts, and I am sure most of us would fit this category. I'm
not interested in looking at ghost evidence, but our text brings us into
a realm far more mysterious than any story you ever heard of
about ghosts. Some believe these dead raised to life were ghosts. It
all depends on your definition. My interest in the passage is to point
out how much more mysterious reality is than fiction. People flock to
see horror movies with all the terror of ghouls, vampires, and
monsters of every sort. Blood flows freely, and people get their
sadistic kicks out of it all. But its all fiction, and everybody knows it,
even those who scream and get goose pimples.
But our text, and the whole of Matt. 27 is a record of historical
fact. This chapter is so filled with evil and horror, and supernatural
mystery, that if we could see it portrayed as it really happened, it
would make the Hollywood horror films look like bedtime stories. I
defy anyone to show me anywhere in all the literature of history a
record of more horror and mystery than we have here in Matt. 27.
It begins with the evil satanic inspired plot to kill the Son of God.
It records His capture and deliverance to Pilate. Secondly, it tells of
the stricken conscience of Judas, and his terrible despair that ended
in a most gruesome suicide. Thirdly, we have here a supernatural
dream of Pilate's wife giving warning. Fourthly, we have the demonic
plot successfully carried out of releasing a known criminal, who was
Barabbas. Fifthly, we have the cry of the cruel mob saying, "Crucify
Him and let His blood be upon us and our children." Sixthly, we have
the inhuman mockery, and the crowning of Jesus with thorns.
Seventhly, we have the scene of dying men forced to drag their cross
to the place of skull-Golgatha. It was a place of horror and death.
Eighthly, we begin to see the whole creation involved in this most
supernatural event. At noon the sun goes black and for three hours
the land is draped in darkness. Nothing Hollywood could do could
ever match such a setting for the conflict of good and evil. Ninethly,
near the end of darkness a blood curdling cry came from the middle
cross, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
There is more horror and mystery per verse here than anywhere
in God's Word, or in all creation. If the world is hungry for the
mysterious and supernatural let them read the Bible, and let us who
believe it share it, and let the world know. We have a text that should
be a thrill to anyone who longs for more insight into the supernatural.
It is a text that has a fantastic history, and more implications than we
can begin to cover. It raises many questions that nobody can answer.
It leaves commentators mystified, and many just skip over it.
Christians are often afraid of the supernatural, and text like this
bother them, and so they ignore them. People say they believe the
Bible, but if you ask them if they believe any have ever risen from the
dead, and come out of tombs, and appeared unto others, they would
write you off as some kind of a kook. Most Christians are not even
aware this passage is in the Bible.
Maybe some would like to believe it is one of those passages that
got into the Bible by mistake. No chance, for there is scarcely a
scholar anywhere who does not agree that this is a part of God's
original revelation. It is as authentic as John 3:16. There is no
escaping it, and so we must treat it as God's revelation, and
incorporate it into our theology. The earthquake, the tearing of the
veil in the temple, and tombs being opened, are all connected, and
each has a valuable message to convey. We are focusing our attention
on the saints who rose from the tombs. An unknown poet has put the
whole scene into poetry.
The graves flew open, and exposed their store,
And into bodies shook the human ore;
The temple corner-stones were seen to yield,
And to and fro the laboring fabric reeled,
The hallowed loaves were thrown the floor about,
And the seven golden burning lamps went out.
The sacred incense lost its odorous scent,
The awful veil was into pieces rent.
Heaven and hell were locked in mortal combat. The destiny of
men in the world was being decided. And because Jesus, through
death, conquered death, and delivered those in bondage by destroying
the power of the devil, even Hollywood knows that the way to deal
with Dracula is by means of the cross. Here we have the real war to
end all wars, for this war opened the way to eternal peace with God.
The open tombs and risen saints bore testimony to the cataclysmic
effects of the cross. The magnitude of what Jesus did in dying could
not be revealed except by a very extraordinary miracle. The Roman
Centurion was so impressed by the supernatural effects of Christ's
death he confessed that He was the Son of God. Luke 23:48 says,
"And all the multitude who assembled to see the sight, when they saw
what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts." We
cannot be touched that deeply, but lets see what we can learn about
these temporary tenants of the tombs. The first question we will look
at is
I. WHO?
Who were these saints whose bodies came to life again?
There are two views. They could be saints of the Old Testament, or as
most believe, they could be believers in Christ who died during His
ministry. If the thief on the cross was promised an entrance into
paradise that very day, what about those who believed before the
cross, but who had died already? Would they be blessed with a
destiny less than that thief because they died sooner? Most say no,
for it is fitting that all the followers of Christ would join Him in this
conquering of death. Some commentators mention such people as
Joseph the husband of Mary, and Simeon, and John the Baptist. The
evidence does support the view that these were Christian saints
rather than Old Testament saints. The word for saints is used only
here in the Gospels, but everywhere else in the New Testament it
always refers to Christians. If we go to be with Christ when we die,
why should all of those who died during His life not join Him
immediately in entering paradise? The day of resurrection was not
only for the head, but for all of the Body that had been dead up to
that point. The second question is -
II. HOW?
Were they raised like Lazarus in their natural body
which would be subject again to death? Were they raised as was
Jesus with spiritual bodies, able to appear and disappear, and ascend
with Him to paradise? Again we can only make intelligent
speculation in an area of such unusual mystery. Either view is
adequate. If they arose in their natural body, they did not have to die
and be buried again, but could have ascended like Enoch and Elijah
did in their natural bodies. Most everyone agrees that these saints
did ascend with Christ, and did not have to die again. Spurgeon felt
they were given the spiritual body we all we have in the day of
resurrection. He said of them, "How I should like to know something
about them! They were representative men; they arose as specimens
of the way in which all the saints shall in their due time arise." There
is no way to be sure of the nature of their bodies, but if they were
raised with bodies like Jesus, bodies that could disappear and go
through walls, then they would fit the description of what we think of
as ghosts. In many lands the ghost has a body identical to its body of
flesh, and it can eat and even marry, and none can tell the difference.
If such be the case here, we have the ghosts of the godly. The third
question is
III. WHEN?
In verse 53 Matthew makes it clear that it was after the
resurrection of Christ that the saints came out of the tombs and
appeared to others. The timing is important because the Scripture
makes it clear that Jesus was the first born from the dead, and that
He was the first fruits of those who slept. The resurrection of Christ
would be anti-climatic if the saints had appeared before Him. The
Christians would not have doubted the resurrection of Jesus if they
had already seen dead friends and relatives who had come back to
life.
The text says that the earthquake prepared the way for this
resurrection by opening the tombs. The earthquake did not wake the
dead. The tombs were open as Jesus died, and no one did anything
about closing them up, for to touch a tomb or body would defile them,
and they would be eliminated from participation in the Passover
events. We have here the weirdest weekend of the world's history.
You can search the records and you will never find an earthquake in
history that added to the world population. They all subtract but this
one. Earthquakes are a mouth of death swallowing up people, but
here is one, like the great fish of Jonah, vomiting up the captives into
life. There were more people alive after this earthquake than before
it began. Nature helped Jesus literally rob the graves. Jesus was the
greatest grave robber of all time, and He is not through yet, for He
says in John 5:28-29, "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming
when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come forth,
those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who
have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment." All the spook shows
of the world are kids stuff compared to what our Lord has done and
will do in the display of supernatural power. The final question is
IV. WHY?
Did Jesus just have a flare for the spectacular, or was
there a good reason for these saints rising and appearing? Obviously
there was purpose, and some reasons are evident. Jesus could do
many things as the Son of God that no one else could do. If He rose
from the dead alone, it would still not be evidence that anyone else
could do so. In these saints, however, we have a concrete example of
the power of the resurrection. If Jesus entered death and set the
captives free, then there should be evidence of it, and these saints
were that evidence. John Calvin in his commentary on Matthew
writes, "Christ, in rising from the dead, brought others along with
Him out of their graves as His companions. Now by this sign it was
made evident, that He neither died nor rose again in a private
capacity, but in order to shed the odor of life on all believers." There
was more than one empty tomb on that first Easter. Because Jesus
died and rose again, there were godly ghosts who walked the earth,
and they represent, not just the victory of Jesus over death, but the
victory of all who put their trust in Him.
