And the earth shook!

“There was a violent earthquake” (Matthew 28:2)

The largest recorded earthquake ever was a 9.5-magniture that struck Chile in 1960.  Earthquakes happen when giant puzzle pieces of our earth shift, causing stress on the earth’s crust.  This leads to cracks called faults and fault lines.  Not a big problem – that is until the earth’s crust suddenly moves at a fault line.  That is when earthquakes happen.    

Now consider what God’s power was doing with nature during the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  He brought not one but two earthquakes into his sovereign equation.  Earthquakes are common in Palestine, but there was nothing common about either of these two.  Matthew 27:51 tells us that “the earth shook, and the rocks were split.”  We are also told the curtain in the temple was torn in two, and the tremor was so intense that it caused the graves of the dead to open up.  But the great tremor did something else also.  It opened the eyes of the Romans who were guarding Jesus at the cross.  Matthew 27:54 tells us, “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened – they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”  All because the earth shook!

But God was not over with trembling the earth.  On Resurrection morning, Matthew again writes that “there was a violent earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it.”  (Matthew 28:2).  This happened sometime after the Saturday sunset and before the women arrived at the garden the next morning.  It happened at the precise moment God reconnected the power of Jesus’ spirit with His lifeless body.  That power flooded his corpse, causing a great explosion of life to enter him.  Think about it – the greatest power in all heaven and earth, reconnecting with its’ Creator.  The word “great” in the Greek is the word “mega.”   It means huge, massive, enormous.  It signifies an occurrence that was more than impressive.  Just as creation shook when its Creator died on the cross, so the earth exploded with jubilee at His resurrection.  All because the earth shook!

Bible prophecy tells us about future seismic activity on earth.  It predicts a number of earthquakes prior to the return of Christ.  Even Christ himself predicted them.  They are looming on the horizon, waiting under our feet to rupture into earthly convulsions.

So, as you celebrate Christ’s Resurrection this Sunday, take a moment or two to think of the supernatural dynamic power that accompanied both Christ’s death and resurrection.  And be grateful that your future is secure in Christ – no matter how great the earth tremors in the future will be.  Because trust me, the earth will shake again!

                                                             Darlene