Matthew 27:51-61

51 At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces.
52 What's more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised.
53 (After Jesus' resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.)
54 The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said, "This has to be the Son of God!"
55 There were also quite a few women watching from a distance, women who had followed Jesus from Galilee in order to serve him.
56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the Zebedee brothers.
57 Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph.
58 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate granted his request.
59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens,
60 put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off.
61 But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb.

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Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.