Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 27:51-56

"And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised; and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And many women were there beholding from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee." — Matthew 27:51-56 (ASV)

Origen of Alexandria: Great things were done at the moment that Jesus cried out with a loud voice.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The wording sufficiently shows that the veil was rent just when He gave up the ghost. If he had not added, And, lo! but had merely said, And the veil of the temple was rent, it would have been uncertain whether Matthew and Mark had inserted it here out of its proper place as they recalled it. It would also be unclear if Luke had observed the right order, who, after saying, And the sun was darkened, adds, And the veil of the temple was rent in two (Luke 23:45). Conversely, it would be uncertain if Luke had returned to what the others had inserted in its correct place.¹

Origen of Alexandria: It is understood that there were two veils: one veiling the Holy of Holies, and the other, the outer part of the tabernacle or temple. In the Passion of our Lord and Savior, it was the outer veil which was rent from top to bottom so that, by the tearing of this veil, the mysteries that had been rightly hidden until the Lord's coming might be proclaimed from the beginning to the end of the world.

But when that which is perfect is come (1 Corinthians 13:10), then the second veil will also be taken away, so that we may see the things that are hidden within—namely, the true Ark of the Covenant—and behold the Cherubim and the other elements in their real nature.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Or, the veil of the temple is rent because from this time the nation was dispersed, and the honor of the veil is taken away along with the guardianship of the protecting Angel.

St. Leo the Great: The sudden commotion in the elements is a sufficient sign witnessing to His venerable Passion: The earth quaked, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened.²

St. Jerome: It is not doubtful to anyone what these great signs signify literally: namely, that heaven, earth, and all things should bear witness to their crucified Lord.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: The earth quaked, because it was unable to contain such a body. The rocks rent, for the Word of God that pierces all strong and mighty things, and the power of the eternal Power, had penetrated them. The graves were opened, for the bonds of death were loosened.

And many bodies of the saints which slept arose, for by illuminating the darkness of death and shedding light upon the gloom of Hades, He plundered the spirits of death.

St. John Chrysostom: When He remained on the cross, they had said tauntingly, He saved others; himself he cannot save. But what He would not do for Himself, He did—and more than that—for the bodies of the saints. For if it was a great thing to raise Lazarus after four days, it was a much greater thing that those who had long slept should now show themselves alive; this is indeed a proof of the resurrection to come. But so that it might not be thought that what was done was merely an apparition, the Evangelist adds, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

St. Jerome: Just as Lazarus rose from the dead, so also did many bodies of the saints rise again to show forth the Lord's resurrection. Yet, even though the tombs were opened, they did not rise again before the Lord rose, so that He might be the firstborn of the resurrection from the dead.

The “holy city” in which they were seen after they had risen may be understood to mean either the heavenly Jerusalem or this earthly one, which was once holy. The city of Jerusalem was called Holy on account of the Temple and the Holy of Holies, and to distinguish it from other cities where idols were worshiped.

When it is said, And appeared unto many, it signifies that this was not a general resurrection for all to see, but a special one, seen only by those who were worthy to see it.

Remigius of Auxerre: But someone will ask what became of those who rose again when the Lord rose. We must believe that they rose again to be witnesses of the Lord's resurrection. Some have said that they died again and returned to dust, like Lazarus and the others whom the Lord raised.

But we must by no means give credit to these men's sayings, since if they were to die again, it would be a greater torment to them than if they had not risen at all. We ought, therefore, to believe without hesitation that those who rose from the dead at the Lord's resurrection also ascended into heaven together with Him.

Origen of Alexandria: These same mighty works are still done every day. The veil of the temple is rent for the saints, in order to reveal the things that are contained within. The earthquakes represent all flesh, shaken by the new word and new realities of the New Testament. The rocks are split—that is, the mysteries of the Prophets are opened—so that we may see the spiritual secrets hidden in their depths.

The tombs are the bodies of sinful souls, that is, souls dead to God. But when by God's grace these souls have been raised, their bodies, which before were tombs, become bodies of saints. They appear to go out of themselves, follow Him who rose again, and walk with Him in newness of life. And those who are worthy to have their citizenship in heaven enter the Holy City at various times and appear to many who see their good works.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It is no contradiction that Matthew says, The centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, feared when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, while Luke says that the centurion marveled when Jesus gave up the ghost with a loud voice. For when Matthew adds, and the things that were done, this gives full scope for Luke's expression that he marveled at the Lord's death, for this, among all the other events, was wonderful.³

St. Jerome: Observe that in the very midst of the scandal of His passion, the Centurion acknowledges the Son of God, while Arius, in the Church, proclaims Him a creature.

Rabanus Maurus: For this reason, the Centurion rightly denotes the faith of the Church, which, after the veil of heavenly mysteries had been rent by the Lord's death, immediately asserts Jesus to be both truly Man and truly Son of God, while the Synagogue remained silent.

St. Leo the Great: From this example of the Centurion, then, let the substance of the earth tremble at the suffering of its Redeemer. Let the rocks of unbelieving minds be split, and let those who were confined in the tombs of mortality leap out, bursting the bonds that would detain them. Let them show themselves in the Holy City—that is, the Church of God—as signs of the Resurrection to come. And so let that take place in the heart which we must believe takes place in the body.⁴

St. Jerome: It was a Jewish custom, and considered no disgrace according to the manners of the people of old, for women to minister to their teachers from their own substance with food and clothing. Paul says that he refused this, because it might cause scandal among the Gentiles. They ministered to the Lord from their substance, so that He might reap their carnal things, from whom they reaped spiritual things. This was not because the Lord needed food from His creation, but so that He might set an example for the teacher to be content with receiving food and clothing from his disciples.

But let us see what sort of attendants He had: Among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

Origen of Alexandria: In Mark, the third is called Salome.

St. John Chrysostom: These women, watching the events taking place, are the most compassionate and the most sorrowful. They had followed Him, ministering to Him, and remained by Him in danger, showing the highest courage—for when the disciples fled, they remained.

St. Jerome: “See,” says Helvidius, “Jacob and Joseph are the sons of Mary the Lord's mother, whom the Jews call the brothers of Christ.ⁱ He is also called James the less, to distinguish him from James the greater, who was the son of Zebedee.” And he urges that it would be impious to suppose that His mother Mary would be absent when the other women were there, or that we should have to invent some other third, unknown person named Mary, especially when John's Gospel witnesses that His mother was present.⁵

O blind folly! O mind perverted to its own destruction! Hear what the Evangelist John says: There stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene (John 19:25).

No one can doubt that there were two Apostles called James: the son of Zebedee, and the son of Alphaeus. This James the less, whom Scripture mentions as the son of Mary—if he is an Apostle—is the son of Alphaeus. If he is not an Apostle but a third, unknown James, how can he be considered the Lord's brother, and why should he be called “the Less” to distinguish him from “the Greater”? For “the Greater” and “the Less” are titles that distinguish two people, not three. And that James, the Lord's brother, was an Apostle is proved by Paul: Other of the Apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother (Galatians 1:19).

But so that you do not suppose this James is the son of Zebedee, read the Acts, where he was put to death by Herod.ⁱ The conclusion, then, remains that this Mary, who is described as the mother of James the less, was the wife of Alphaeus and the sister of Mary the Lord's mother, called by John “Mary the wife of Cleophas.” If you are inclined to think they are two different people because in one place she is called “Mary the mother of James the less” and in another “Mary the wife of Cleophas,” you must learn the scriptural custom of calling the same person by different names, just as Raguel, Moses' father-in-law, is also called Jethro. Similarly, Mary the wife of Cleophas is also called the wife of Alphaeus and the mother of James the less. For if she had been the Lord's mother, the Evangelist would have called her so here, as in all other places, and not described her as the mother of James when he meant to designate the mother of the Lord.

But even if Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary the mother of James and Joses were different people, it is still certain that Mary the mother of James and Joses was not the Lord's mother.

St. Augustine of Hippo: We might have supposed that some of the women stood afar off, as three Evangelists say, and others near the cross, as John says, if Matthew and Mark had not counted Mary Magdalene among those who stood afar off, while John places her among those who stood near. This is reconciled if we understand the distance to be such that they could be said to be “near,” because they were in His sight, but “far off” in comparison to the crowd who stood closer with the centurion and soldiers.

We might also suppose that those who were there with the Lord's mother began to depart after He had commended her to the disciple, so that they could extricate themselves from the crowd. They may have then looked on from a distance at the other things that were done, so that the Evangelists, speaking of them after the Lord's death, describe them as standing afar off.

1. de Cons. Ev., iii, 19
2. Serm. de Pass., non occ.
3. de Cons. Ev., iii, 20
4. Serm. 66, 3
5. Hieron. adv. Helvid.