The Earth? Half the earth? Israel? Just that area?
How much of the earth is covered in darkness right now?
About half
What other times has God caused darkness?
Exodus 10:21-23
God can cause darkness over a specific area and not others nearby
Why was this for sure a miracle?
It could not have been an eclipse
Solar eclipses don't last more than a few minutes
It was during the day
Most scholars seem to think that the sixth hour referred to noonish
Either way, there seems to be a sudden darkness followed by a sudden brightness three hours later which would suggest daytime but no matter when it was it would be a miracle
Luke 23:45-48
The people saw the darkness and it had a great impression on them
Events leading up to the darkness
Luke 23:32-43
Jesus forgave His torturers
Jesus told a criminal he would be with Jesus
Soldiers mocked Him
But when the darkness came we don't know of any events that happened during the darkness
Scripture is enough to state the darkness really happened
Celsus, who famously opposed Christianity writes of it
Phlegon "In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 33) there was ‘the greatest eclipse of the sun’ and that ‘it became night in the sixth hour of the day [i.e., noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea.’7"
A Christian named Tertullian also writes "At the moment of Chris's death, the light departed from the sun, and the lad was darkened at noonday, which wonder is related in your own annals and is preserved in your archives to this day."
Curtain torn
Matthew 27:50-51
Did the earthquake cause the curtain of the temple to tear?
Exodus 26:1-6 (I don't know if the second temple was built differently but I am assuming it was about the same)
It is very unlikely that an earthquake that caused a thick curtain to tear would have also crumbled the temple
In fact, if an earthquake hit my house it might collapse but my curtains would probably not rip
And if they did rip, they probably would not have ripped completely down the length of it
If there was any cause and effect, it seems that Jesus crying out caused these events
What was the curtain's function?
Leviticus 16:1-3 (1st curtain)
Exodus 26:31-34 (2nd curtain)
Which curtain was torn?
Hebrews 9:6-12
We can enter into Holy Places (plural)
Hebrews 10:19-22
Places is again plural
How was it torn in two?
From top to bottom
Let's say there was a 90 ft tall curtain
How would you rip it?
God must have done it rather than some vandals
Verifying this claim
If the early Christians had been making these things up or inventing significance to just an ordinary event then the priests would have never believed their message
Acts 6:7
Earthquake
Matthew 27:51
It must have been fairly powerful to split rocks!
The word 'earth' might just mean land rather than the entire world
Was this really a miracle or just a natural phenomenon
The timing, like all the other miracles is quite miraculous, especially when all these things happened at about the same time
If our church flooded and then moments later it caught on fire and then split in two and everyone from Barrhead rose from the dead all at the same time, you may be able to explain away the fire but not all of the events together
Also notice vs 50
Jesus didn't observe all these things and then should "It is finished" to make it seem like that is why it was happening
Instead He speaks these words and immediately all these miracles start taking place
Vs 54
The people who witnessed it without sympathy for Jesus knew something unusual was happening
Luke 23:52-53
An earthquake that split open tombs and rocks but didn't topple the cross seems amazing
Exodus 19:16-18
Nahum 1:6
God is a God who can cause earthquakes and split rocks
Romans 8:22
Perhaps the earthquake was the earth's reaction to what was going on spiritually, almost like a first contraction
Graves opened
Matthew 27:52
How were the graves opened?
By the earthquake
Where were these graves located?
Matthew 27:53
Most likely near Jerusalem only
Perhaps near the cross only which would point witnesses to Jesus as the source of these things
John 19:41-42
Since Jesus' grave was near the cross others may have been as well
What kind of graves were they?
Probably graves similar to Jesus' grave which was carved out of a rock with a stone covering the entrance
"The tombs were opened"
"The rocks split"
The rocks splitting indicate the force of the earthquake whereas the tombs being opened indicates the design and purpose and control God had over the situation
Whose graves were they?
Only saints (people made holy by God)
It says 'many' not 'all' in most translations
One book suggested that the saints were people whom God knew would accept Jesus upon coming alive again and their actions would be great advertising for following Jesus
Based on Matthew 27:53 it seems like the graves were opened as soon as Jesus died but the people were not resurrected till after Jesus rose three days later
Why open the graves before they come out?
In preparation for them getting out
As an exhibition to Christ's death and the defeat of death
Otherwise it could have happened just before they were raised
What kind of resurrection?
Were they resurrected to their final glorified bodies or in their mortal earthly ones like Lazarus?
I believe they were resurrected to their earthly bodies
Spiritual bodies can go through walls (Jesus' did) although you could argue it was to show others where they had come from
(It seems to me that Jesus' tomb was later opened, not to let Jesus out, but rather to let others in)
1 Corinthians 15:20
Jesus seems to have been the first person to be resurrected in 2.0 body
This view also avoids God favoriting a few people to get their permanent bodies earlier than the rest
This was a symbol of what Christ accomplished but not as glorious as the real resurrection of the dead will be
It also symbolized the death of death
It also symbolized that we get the benefits of His suffering
1 Corinthians 15:35-55
1 Corinthians 15:22-24
There are 3 distinct final resurrections:
Jesus' which is in the past now
Believers which will happen when Jesus comes again
Unbelievers the rest since 'all' will be made alive
Acts 24:15
Resurrection was even an OT hope
Job 19:25-26
I do not think any human besides Jesus has been resurrected in an eternal body
Enoch and Elijah, I assume, are in their first bodies still
When Elijah and Moses appeared radiantly it was no more their eternal body that Jesus was in His eternal body and was equally glorious looking just like Moses' face or Stephen's
Also God can keep people alive for a very long time if He wants and Methuselah lived long on earth even
Also perhaps they will never die just like the last generation who get transformed before they die when Jesus returns
If this is true then we will one day all be the same age (at least our bodies will be even if our soul/spirit is older)
Empty tomb
Matthew 27:57-66
John 20:1-10
Mary Magdalene thought someone had taken Jesus' body
John saw the situation and believed Jesus was resurrected even though he wasn't expecting or understanding what was going on
Luke 24:12
Peter left wondering what had happened
What convinced John?
He saw grave cloths but no body
He would have probably been in the know if a disciple or sympathizer of Jesus had taken the body
Also they would probably not have stripped him naked first
It also was strange for even an enemy to steal the body since the enemies of Jesus were worried about people thinking He had come to life
Also why would they strip him and carefully fold Jesus' face cloth?
Many people have taken the cloths that were lying there to be in the shape of a body that had vanished between the cloth
As if the body had been sucked out of the head leaving the linen wrapped as if a body was in there but the head cloth was folded separately
This could explain why John was so impressed with this evidence as no human would ever do that
Jesus' body vs Lazarus'
John 11:43-44
Lazarus' body was still wrapped in linen unlike Jesus'
Jesus' new body had its source in the old yet was different just as a plant comes from a seed
Lazarus' body died again unlike Jesus' new eternal body
Philippians 3:20-21
Resurrected saints
Matthew 27:52-53
This gives a further trust that God can and will raise us up one day, a foretaste of what is to come
Again it seems like these are local tombs
Not only did Jesus give proof that He was raised by appearing to people and eating fish and doing miracles, but also there were many examples of resurrected people at the same time
Who were the saints?
At first glance it looks like they were recently deceased people since it would be more significant than a stranger who claims to be resurrected recently
But God caused the disciples to recognize Moses and Elijah so perhaps the Holy Spirit showed people who they were
How long did they stick around?
For a day?
For the 40 days Jesus stuck around?
Did they die again?
Matthew does not elaborate on much of this which leads to more questions than answers but He stayed focused on Jesus