Where Did Jesus Die? — Page 10
? 10 reject the possibility of Jesus’ death on the cross which would have made him as one accursed. Rising of the Saints The third argument, to prove that Jesus did not die on the cross, is contained in Matthew, chapter 27: And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 1 It is obvious that this occurrence cannot be taken in its literal sense because if it were literally true, we would not fail to find reference to such an extraordinary, unprecedented, and supernatural event, but there is none to be found; and Matthew is the only Gospel writer to mention it, while the remaining three have not bothered even to hint at it. Had it been true, it would have been an excellent opportunity for the Jews to question these resurrected holy men as to the truth of Christ, and if they had vouched for him, the Jews would have accepted him without further question. Let me quote Thomas Paine on this story: It is an easy thing to tell a lie, but it is difficult to support the lie after it is told. The writer of the book of Matthew 1. Matthew 27:52–53