Week 5 March 2026, Devotion Part 2

…The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.  Matthew 27:51

God had banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden lest they eat fruit from the Tree of Life and live forever. Old Testament believers were left in the dark about the “eternal life” that we, as God’s Easter people, have come to understand it. That is precisely why Paul wrote to Timothy, “…but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Matthew is silent on the destination of the “saints” (KJV)  seen in the streets of the holy city. The New Testament identifies such as  followers of their Redeemer, set apart from the world for God’s purposes. Having said to the penitent thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise,” the church fathers agreed that the same joyous and soon welcome was awaiting them. In Isaiah 26:19 we read, “But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise – let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy…”  Daniel 12:2-3 alludes to the universal resurrection that will lead to the “Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame, everlasting contempt.” This “second death” is eternal separation from God.

Ezekiel prophesied for his fellow exiled Israelites in Babylon, whose proclivity for sinning had not abated. His book follows Lamentations and echoes Jeremiah’s ill treatment by twofaced people. God unsparingly describes how his listeners show up regularly “to hear the message that has come from the LORD,” but refuse to put his words into practice. “With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice…” (Ezekiel 33:30-32). “Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them…”  Part 2 of 2

Comment: How astonishing that God still calls such phonies “my people.”  It leads to the curtain call of a drama so breathtaking, it is bound to awaken our inner prophet to “forthtell” the Resurrection miracle with our own tongues and lives.  The Lord led Ezekiel into the valley full of dry bones and asked him, “Son of man, can these bones live?”  He answered, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”  It is an absolute must to read the entire narrative in chapter 37:1-12, to thrill to the answer Ezekiel received as quoted at the end of the last paragraph. The phrase "son of man" (ben adam) is used 93 times in Ezekiel to stress the humanity in his prophetic role.  Paul called Jesus the “second Adam” repeatedly in Romans and 1 Corinthians.  The grave was powerless to keep this Son of Man!   As we celebrate His Resurrection, we joyfully anticipate ours.  Matthew 27