"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many." Matthew 27:50-53

One extraordinary event that surrounds the crucifixion of Christ is the raising of a few believing dead at the time of His death. All of the cosmos stood up to notice and participate in this singular most important event in the history of Adam's race. "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3 From noon to three in the middle of the day, the sky fell dark (Matthew 27:45). Earthquakes happen from time to time, but as the icing on the cake of the finished work at Calvary, well, that was just way over the top in the coincidence category. All of creation celebrated the accomplishment of His death. The veil ripped...from top to bottom. The rocks split open and with them several tombs in the cemetery. Who could deny that something big was going down? Who could understand how eternal what was being accomplished actually was...or isn't "is"?

My personal favorite spoil from the Calvary event is the believing folks whose graves were opened. Isn't it interesting that although several cemetery graves were opened no unbelievers were party to this particular spoil of the death and resurrection of Jesus? Creation seems to anticipate the implications of what would be (Christ's resurrection) by opening these graves. These graves were opened on Good Friday as Jesus gave up His spirit to the Father. The text records that they came out of their tombs "after the resurrection". Now inquiring minds want to know, or so we are told. What did they do between Friday and Sunday?

That question made for fascinating banter at the table, as our college sons were home to share a rare meal with the rest of the family. What did they do? They hung out in their graves until Christ's resurrection. What were they doing? Maybe it was just a seasonal reflection but our Caleb suggested that maybe they were watching March madness. It was good for a great round of laughter, but probably not. On Sunday morning they came out. It was the morning of the living dead. What could more accent the promise of Jesus who gives life out of death?

Can you imagine the response when they walked into Jerusalem and visited home? What would have been the response when it was yelled in the house that Aunt Suzie was at the front door? "Say what? Who?" These believing families would all have concluded that something never seen before and never experienced yet was going down. The death and resurrection of Jesus was changing everything. It certainly signaled to us that the spoils of the resurrection of Jesus were going to be shared with his own. This was not an individual victory in overcoming sin, death, the grave and hell; but this was a victory for the whole team. He was only the first-fruit. There were going to be others. For all who have savingly believed, it anticipates what is to come-life after death. Reunion with the believing dead. A share in the life, the eternal life of Jesus Christ. While they may not have been watching March Madness, it was indeed madness that astonished others as God's power pulsated through the cemetery and woke up a few believing dead. That was only a foretaste, just a localized manifestation of what will take place on the great day when "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Even so Lord Jesus come!