The six miracles of Calvary – William Nicholson(updated in today’s language by Dan Schaeffer)

1) 3 hrs darkness- not solar eclipse: lasts only minutes

during Passover = new moon eclipse cannot happen- like darkness in Egypt, only then God’s people had light!- usually darkness gives way to light – here the opposite happens- also: opposite of His birth: bright light shone in the darkness (angels and star)

2) curtain torn in two- right before the earthquake (so not because of it!)

both immediately after Jesus’ last cry- there was no longer any function for the veil to separate: the way is now open

veil had been needed to showthat God cannot communicate with sinful men

the Real High Priest had carried His own bloodinside the Real Holy of Holies

- it took place at 3 PM = time of the evening sacrificeso there were priests in the Holy, they must have seen it happen!

Historians didn’t contradict it, nor used the “claim” to mock the Christians

Symbolism: veil/hooks Jesus’ flesh/deity

blue - red between heaven - earth ^ ^ purple Jesus

torn to admit torn at the crosstop to bottom by God, so also from above

3) earthquake- coincided with Jesus’shout of victory

not because of changes underground,but by a heavenly event from above

- force caused some graves to open, but not allonly those of saints

- Sinai shook when the law was givensign of God’s holiness and abhorrence of sin

Calvary showed recovery/blessedness = fulfillment- and … earth itself rejoiced over redemption from curse

and sign of hope for final fulfillment

4) opened graves- rocks split- tombs broken open

separate issues, evidence of force c.q. designGraves opened at the moment of Christ’s death, the bodies didn’t arise until AFTER the resurrection

Jesus had already left the grave before the stone was rolled away

But these saints couldn’t: their resurrection was like Lazarus’, still in the earthly bodyTheir souls couldn’t have left Hades any earlier than they did:

Their return to the corrupt bodies was also a sign that the OT saints could now receive their glorified body

Jesus carried them with Him on His resurrectionand those dying after that day would no longer have to go to Hades

[cf thief on the cross: today you’ll be with Me in paradise?]This was proof that the obstacles had been moved away and death was conquered

Jesus’ death opened Hades,His resurrection emptied Hades

5) Grave clothes undisturbed (“lying by themselves”, as if collapsed in on themselves)as if the body had fled them

clear enough for John to “see and believe”Unlike Lazarus (“untie him”), who died again

Jesus rose in newness of life!!no need for doors

This is proof that He was indeed victorious: paid the price and it was accepted

So He can’t have been taken away (who would remove the cloths!)or regained consciousness (He would have come outside with them on)

His resurrected body is as similar to His earthly body as a plant is to the seed:made from it, but different characteristics

This was the culmination of His reïcarnation – at that time He became man as He will forever remain

6) Saints roseRestraint in description of this event is proof of historicity

inventions are elaborateBodies cannot have been the resurrection bodies

because Christ was the First(so even Elijah and Enoch still live in their natural bodies

no-one will rise until when He comes back (the whole Body at once!)1 Cor 15:23