Matthew 27 tells us a story of a changed heart.
The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. Matthew 27:52-53
Seeing is believing
The centurion and those with him guarding Jesus had a change of heart after they had seen all that had happened. Terrified, they exclaimed “surely he was the son of God.” (Matthew 27:54)
What a sight to see dead men walking – appearing to many people! I’d be terrified too.
As God breathed life into man when He formed him, Jesus’ death gave the breath of life back to many holy people.
You only live once
You’ve heard the saying “you only live once.” Well, there are people who got to live twice on earth. Scripture tells us about many who were raised from the dead. For example,
Jairus’ daughter; and
The widow of Nain’s son.
But what about those who were given new life at the moment Jesus took His last breath? Matthew 27:52 says many holy people were raised to life at that moment.
I wonder what they did from the time they were raised until three days later when they went into the holy city.
I wonder how they honored God when they came back to life. Were they able to finish unfinished business this second time around?
What would you do if you had a second chance at life on earth? If I had a do-over, I’d try to correct past mistakes, and be more mindful of my words and actions.
The Bible also says we are dead in our sins before we come to Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1) The apostle Paul goes on to say that because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ.
Breathing new life
So, in a sense, we are like those dead men.
Once Jesus breathed his last, they breathed new life. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we come out of a spiritual grave to walk into new life. We breathe new life and are told to walk in it.
Can you imagine the families of those people? How excited they were – and maybe a little afraid – to see them again.
What about us? Here on earth, our loved ones (in most cases) rejoice in our new life. But not only that, the angels rejoice too. They rejoice when a sinner repents. (Luke 15:9-11)
Walking beside them
So what can we do to help new believers walking around in new life?
Walk beside them.
- Teach them what we’ve learned in our walk of faith.
- Encourage them to stand strong in their faith.
- Pray for them to grow and seek Jesus in the big decisions in life as well as the small.
If you don’t know Jesus personally, don’t let his suffering and last breath be for nothing. He rose again into new life, conquering death before He returned to the Father in heaven. He did so that we might live through Him and spend eternity in heaven.
The centurion got it right that day. You can too. Today, receive His gift of life, His mercy and grace, and show many people what your new life is like. What a great time to begin a new life, and astonish others with your boldness and faithfulness.
To learn how, you can go here.
