Verses 51 through 56 reveal the effect of Christ’s crucifixion. Verse 51 says, “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.” This signifies that the separation between God and man was abolished, because the flesh (signified by the veil) of sin taken by Christ (Rom. 8:3) had been crucified (Heb. 10:20). The words “from the top to the bottom” indicate that the rending of the veil was God’s doing from above. Because sin had been judged and the flesh of sin had been crucified, the separation between God and man was taken away. Now the way to enter into the presence of God is open for us. What a wonderful effect of the Lord’s death! His death was not martyrdom; it was an act of redemption.
Verse 51 also says that “the earth was shaken and the rocks were split.” The shaking of the earth signifies that the base of Satan’s rebellion has been shaken, and the splitting of the rocks signifies that the strongholds of Satan’s earthly kingdom have been broken. Hallelujah, the Lord’s death tore the veil, shook the base of Satan’s rebellion, and broke the strongholds of Satan’s kingdom! What a death! Praise the Lord for His death! Because God’s righteousness was fully satisfied, Christ’s death could be so effective.
Verses 52 and 53 say, “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 rising, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.” The opening of the tombs signifies that the power of death and Hades has been conquered and subdued, and the raising of the bodies of the saints signifies the releasing power of the death of Christ. Verse 53 says that they came out of the tombs after His rising, entered into the holy city, and appeared to many. In typology, the firstfruits of the harvest were not a single stalk of wheat, but a sheaf of wheat, typifying not only the resurrected Christ, but also the saints who were raised from the dead after His resurrection, as revealed here. Where the saints went after they appeared to many, we have no way to trace. The Roman centurion and guards testified that Jesus was truly God’s Son when they saw what happened at the death of Christ (v. 54). Many women, including Mary the Magdalene, Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, and others, witnessed these happening.
Verses 57 through 66 reveal that the Lord Jesus was buried by a rich man. The Lord Jesus was wrapped in a clean linen cloth and laid in a new tomb (vv. 59-60). Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary sat opposite the grave to witness the burial. This kind of burial was for the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9. This righteous One was surely worthy of such a burial.
After the Lord Jesus was buried, the chief priests and the Pharisees came to Pilate and asked him to secure the grave until the third day (vv. 62-64). Verses 65 and 66 say, “Pilate said to them, You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how. And they went and secured the grave with the guard, sealing the stone.” This was intended by the opposing Jewish leaders as a negative precaution, but it turned out to be a strong positive testimony of the Lord’s resurrection. Without such a sealing, the resurrection of Christ would not have been as significant.