Mentions of Jesus divinity in the Bible?

[midori]

The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

So, looking at what it says-- it says that they were “raised to life” and “appeared to many people.” So it seems like it’s not the kind of raising-to-life that makes you go out, find your old boss, say, “Hey, I’d like my old job back, please,” and start working again, because gosh, now we need to eat, and now we need to pay rent, and now we need to find something to wear… But instead, it seems like there were three different things that happened, even though it’s all combined into one sentence: 1) the bodies were raised to life at Jesus’ death; and 2) they came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection; and 3) as Jesus appeared to others after his resurrection, these other holy people also appeared to living people. Therefore, since so much of this is linked to what happened to Jesus, it would be expected that their being-raised-to-life would enjoy similar characteristics of Jesus’ resurrected body-- being able to pass through doors/walls into locked rooms; being able to eat; being able to disappear; etc.

So, basically-- their physical bodies died with their physical death-- like Adam-- but their resurrected bodies resurrected with Jesus and became like Jesus. Which is pretty much what we all hope for someday, right?

But they didn’t wait for Jesus’ resurrection before they came back to life. Because Matthew is making the point-- the greatest obstacle to their resurrection wasn’t physical death, but the greatest obstacle to their resurrection was sin. And so it was Jesus’ death that removed that obstacle.

As to why it’s not preserved elsewhere-- how many people do you have in your friends/family/circle of acquaintances you trust who have had experiences with people who have passed on? I can probably think of six or seven people off the top of my head, and I’m not normally someone people confide in. So I’m sure the number is much larger than that, but no one’s bothered bringing it up in casual conversation, “Oh, by the way…” They certainly haven’t written to the local newspaper or published books about it.

So, if I have my own personal experience with someone who has passed on; and I can think of five or six other people offhand who have had their own experiences; it’s not really a stretch of the imagination to think that certain holy individuals may have been extended a particular grace or privilege at the original Death & Resurrection, especially when so many graces and privileges were swirling around at that time period.