DR 6
December 6
Matthew 27:51-54. The earthquake.
Men made no public lamentation for the Son of God when he expired. But his Father caused the inanimate creation to give signs of mourning; for the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent. These terrible events shook the hearts of the soldiers—those barbarous men who had continued to insult him until he drew his last breath. With grief and dismay they exclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God." Had they known a little sooner who he was, they might have shown him pity—they might have implored his pardon—they might, like the dying thief, have obtained mercy. But another opportunity was granted to them—afterwards the apostles declared he was exalted a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins!
Whatever our sins may have been against Jesus, we can have the comfort of confessing them at his feet. It is painful when we have lost a friend, to feel that we cannot ask him to pardon any unkind act that we have done. What a relief it would be to a child, when he remembers his offences against a deceased parent, if he could but see him once more, to tell him how deeply he laments every word—every look—every thought, which was not affectionate—which was not reverential! But we can express to our Redeemer all the bitter regrets we feel for our past ingratitude and rebellion!
Let us now leave the scene of terror round the cross, and look at another scene in the temple. The veil was suddenly rent from the top to the bottom. At that very moment the priests were ministering in the holy place; for Jesus expired at three o'clock—when the evening sacrifice was offered. The veil had always hidden the inner chamber of the temple from every eye, except that of the high priest, who entered it once a year, when he approached the mercy-seat to make atonement for the sins of Israel. But all at once this inner chamber, called the Holy of Holies, was exposed to view, with the ark and the glorious cherubim. The veil could not have been rent without the exertion of great power; for it was four fingers in thickness, and thirty ells in length, and as a new one was hung up every year, it never became weak through age.
And what did the rending of this veil signify? The Holy Spirit has explained this mystery. (Heb. 10:19-22.) The veil represented the flesh of Jesus; the rending of the veil—his death. By his death the way into the presence of God is opened. Sinners may approach the mercy-seat without fear, because their great High Priest has atoned for their sins by the sacrifice of himself. But we have no reason to believe that the priests who beheld this wonder understood its meaning. Their hearts were hardened. They had resisted the instructions of the Son of God within that temple day after day—they had not been appalled by the confessions of Judas that very morning—and they continued to oppose the truth even when the hand of God wrought this miracle before their eyes.
There was another wonder that accompanied the death of Jesus. "The graves were opened." The Jews were accustomed to bury their dead among the rocks, and when the rocks were rent the graves were opened; but the dead continued to sleep in the dust until—their Lord arose. THEN—and not until then— many of the bodies of the saints came out of their graves. We ask, "What saints?" Were they saints lately dead, such as Simeon, or Anna, or John the Baptist, who had been known by some still living in Jerusalem? Or were they saints long since departed; saints who had seen Christ afar off, and had rejoiced in the prospect of his coming? We know not who they were. Where did they go?
To the holy city—to Jerusalem.
To whom did they appear? Unto many —we know not their names; but we may conclude that they were true believers; for Jesus, when he was risen, showed himself to none but them. What glorious interviews must have taken place between the righteous dead and the righteous living! How much we should like to know particulars concerning these meetings! But nothing is revealed. How long did these saints remain upon earth?
Did they ascend to heaven with their Lord? We cannot tell when they left this earth, but we are sure that they are not now wanderers below. Where Jesus is there must his servants be. These saints are favored above other saints. They have risen earlier than their brethren, even before the dawn of day—they shine in their glorified bodies among the host of disembodied spirits. They were born from the dead on the same day as their Lord—his resurrection day was theirs also. But there will be another resurrection day, when all the sleeping saints will rise. Shall we appear among the shining company?