What Happened To The Saints Whose Graves Were Opened?

Name: Follower of Christ
Question: When Jesus died on the cross and the graves were opened where did they go?

Answer: Thank you so much for the question.

We are going to learn, once Jesus perished on the cross for our sins, the saint’s graves were opened. Not only were they resurrected from the dead, but they went into Jerusalem. This would provide a witness that Jesus had overcome death.

The Saints Graves Were Opened

Turn your Bible with me to,

Matthew 27:50
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

This is the moment in time when our Lord and Savior’s flesh body would perish, and His Spirit returned to our Father, (Mar 16:19, Act 7:55-56, Rom 4:25).

Matthew 27:51-52
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.

Notice, the saint’s spirit did not sleep, only their bodies which had perished, (Ecclesiastes 12:7, 2 Corinthians 5:8).

Also, these two verses document several different miracles.

When the veil was ripped from top to bottom, this documented God’s intervention. If a man tore the veil, it would have been from the bottom to top. This miracle meant, the Temple was opened to all, and everyone could now commune with our Heavenly Father through Christ.

Another miracle was the fact the saints arose from the grave. Though their bodies were once dead, God had brought them back to life to become a witness that Jesus Christ had defeated death itself.

Let us continue.

Matthew 27:53
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

The saints then went into the Holy City which is Jerusalem, and they appeared before many people.

Why?

Why Were The Saints Resurrected When Jesus Died?

To prove that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior had defeated death itself. These saints were a witness of that.

Now think about this.

The citizens of Jerusalem knew the saints.

They were their neighbors and friends, and the people of Jerusalem also knew the saints died in the flesh.

So imagine their surprise when the people of Jerusalem saw the saints walking around!

Matthew 27:54
Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Truly He is.

What Happened To The Saints?

Scripture does not explain what happened to the saints who arose from their fleshly graves. It’s most likely, they continued to live on until they perished due to old age or some other cause of death.

While the Bible says, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”, (Hebrews 9:27). We should understand, this was a special miracle outside of that statement, in order to prove that Jesus was the Son of God.

To prove there is life after death, death which Jesus had just defeated, (1 Corinthians 15:12-26).