The Day Christ Died

[Ephrem Hagos]

Why is the raising to life of many of God’s people (“He is God of the living, not of the dead” refers) and their going into the Holy City, where people saw them, dated on the very day Christ died? (Matt. 22: 31-32; 28: 52-53)

[Tommy Higgins]

Well, I think it is a action of God that symbolizes that when Christ died, and later rose, He bought the elect and redeemed them from death to life.  Ephesians 2:1-10.  Also, I think you meant Matthew 27:52-53 on your second reference.  There is no need for any other sacrifices, for Christ is enough: His death and resurrection have brought us to life and given us His righteousness.

[Jack]

I think this event demonstrates that our future resurrection will  actual and bodily, not some spiritual or figurative resurrection.

[Ephrem Hagos]

Aren't you answering an unasked question?

Jack said:

I think this event demonstrates that our future resurrection will  actual and bodily, not some spiritual or figurative resurrection.

[Ephrem Hagos]

You are changing the question and the facts as reported on the very day Christ died!

Tommy Higgins said:

Well, I think it is a action of God that symbolizes that when Christ died, and later rose, He bought the elect and redeemed them from death to life.  Ephesians 2:1-10.  Also, I think you meant Matthew 27:52-53 on your second reference.  There is no need for any other sacrifices, for Christ is enough: His death and resurrection have brought us to life and given us His righteousness.

[Tommy Higgins]

No, I don't think I am.  I answered the question in the way it was worded.  You asked (I'm paraphrasing), why were so many people raised to life and seen by many people in Jerusalem on the same day on which Christ Jesus died?  I believe I answered that question.  The reason why those people were given new life (i.e., they were raised from the dead) on the day of Christ's death was to show that this is what the death of Christ accomplished for our sake.  By Christ's death, He satisfied the eternal wrath of God which we deserved and consequently restored us to life.  That is why I put down Ephesians 2:1-10.  I'm not trying to be rude at all, but I do think I answered the question.

[Crazy (JB)]

Tommy, I believe the question is about the date. Nothing else. 

 

Ephrem, who is saying that this event IS dated on the day Christ died? Matt. 27:53 states that they came forth AFTER Christ's resurrection which as we all know, would be some short time after his death; but not on the day of. 

Tommy Higgins said:

No, I don't think I am.  I answered the question in the way it was worded.  You asked (I'm paraphrasing), why were so many people raised to life and seen by many people in Jerusalem on the same day on which Christ Jesus died?  I believe I answered that question.  The reason why those people were given new life (i.e., they were raised from the dead) on the day of Christ's death was to show that this is what the death of Christ accomplished for our sake.  By Christ's death, He satisfied the eternal wrath of God which we deserved and consequently restored us to life.  That is why I put down Ephesians 2:1-10.  I'm not trying to be rude at all, but I do think I answered the question.

[Tommy Higgins]

That makes more sense.  Sorry about the confusion!

[Ephrem Hagos]

"And behold" (KJV, RSV), "And look!" (LB) and "At that moment" (NIV, JB), etc. introduce the group of LIVE events that are reported to have immediately happened, including the first "raising to life of many of God's people and their going into the Holy City where people saw them", at the very moment of Christ's  EXPECTEDLY perfect death on the cross (Matt. 27: 51-56).   

 

 

Crazy (JB) said:

 Ephrem, who is saying that this event IS dated on the day Christ died? Matt. 27:53 states that they came forth AFTER Christ's resurrection which as we all know, would be some short time after his death; but not on the day of. 

Tommy Higgins said:

No, I don't think I am.  I answered the question in the way it was worded.  You asked (I'm paraphrasing), why were so many people raised to life and seen by many people in Jerusalem on the same day on which Christ Jesus died?  I believe I answered that question.  The reason why those people were given new life (i.e., they were raised from the dead) on the day of Christ's death was to show that this is what the death of Christ accomplished for our sake.  By Christ's death, He satisfied the eternal wrath of God which we deserved and consequently restored us to life.  That is why I put down Ephesians 2:1-10.  I'm not trying to be rude at all, but I do think I answered the question.

[Tommy Higgins]

Well, verse 53 says explicitly that they came out of their tombs "after his resurrection," and then they entered "the holy city."  Oftentimes in Greek, and in English, the use of "behold," "look," and "see," do not necessarily mean "see what is occurring right at this moment!"  It can mean that, but not necessarily.  So the first few things mentioned likely happened right after His death.  It is as if Matthew says, "Look at what happened next!  The curtain was torn in two," etc.  (btw, it's pretty neat to think that the tearing of the curtain was the first thing to "behold").  But, that doesn't mean that the saints came out of their graves at the same time.  Like I said earlier, verse 53 says "after his resurrection."

[Linda Ruth]

Consider Clarke's commentary on this scripture:

 

Mat 27:53
And came out of the graves after his resurrection - Not Before, as some have thought, for Christ was himself the First Fruits of them who slept, 1Co_15:20. The graves were opened at his death, by the earthquake, and the bodies came out at his resurrection.

 

Note the x-ref to 1 Cor 15:20.

[Ephrem Hagos]

The statement, "The graves were opened at his death, by the earthquake, and the bodies came out at his resurrection", with any number of intervening days, amounts to robbing the power of Christ's death on the cross!

 

The following unique acts of resurrection proper took place in subtle succession (Matt. 27: 50-53), viz.: Jesus' from his death on the cross as firstfruits of "many of God's people who had died".

 

Being the exclusive function of the work of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection is defined here, on the one hand, as Christ's perpetual defining moment of his divine identity and absolute authority (John 8: 21-28; 14: 18-21; 16: 5-15); and, on the other hand, man's point of change from being "born of the flesh" to "born of the Spirit" (Ibid, 3: 1-21).    

 

 GodisLove said:

Consider Clarke's commentary on this scripture:

 

Mat 27:53
And came out of the graves after his resurrection - Not Before, as some have thought, for Christ was himself the First Fruits of them who slept, 1Co_15:20. The graves were opened at his death, by the earthquake, and the bodies came out at his resurrection.

 

Note the x-ref to 1 Cor 15:20.

[Ephrem Hagos]

Tommy, thank you very much for your explanation!

Because very well defined in the larger contexts of distant Scriptures (Moses and the prophets) and even in the immediate teaching of Jesus Christ (complete with Spirit-active works for personal verification), the nuances in the uses of "behold", "look" and "see" in the classical languages of Greek and English by themselves totally miss the sense of urgency of what is continuing to happen since the specific moment of Christ's death on the cross just as initially documented (Matt. 27: 50-56); recapitulated over 40 days (Acts 1: 1-5) and successfully applied (Ibid, 2). 

The question is: How long are we today going to miss seeing the oft-repeated and powerfully life-transforming vision of "the Son of Man sitting on the right of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven"? (JESUS CHRIST, Matt. 26:64; Luke 22:69) 

God bless you.  

Tommy Higgins said:

Well, verse 53 says explicitly that they came out of their tombs "after his resurrection," and then they entered "the holy city."  Oftentimes in Greek, and in English, the use of "behold," "look," and "see," do not necessarily mean "see what is occurring right at this moment!"  It can mean that, but not necessarily.  So the first few things mentioned likely happened right after His death.  It is as if Matthew says, "Look at what happened next!  The curtain was torn in two," etc.  (btw, it's pretty neat to think that the tearing of the curtain was the first thing to "behold").  But, that doesn't mean that the saints came out of their graves at the same time.  Like I said earlier, verse 53 says "after his resurrection."