Zombies in the Bible!

Yes, there are Zombies in the Bible.
I’m not a regular reader of the paranormal, vampire, witch or zombie genres, but I love the supernatural. While listening to the scripture reading in church last Sunday I was struck by the reference to “zombies”. Yes, that’s right, there are zombies in the Bible, though I doubt they looked like the Hollywood version with their skin peeling off and dragging their left leg.

Jesus was crucified. You can read the Biblical account in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There are tiny variations in each which are natural given that no two people would report an event verbatim. Matthew 27: 50 – 53 gives us this:

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

Dead people came out of their tombs! This is where Hollywood got the idea to begin with, I suspect, and then made what had to be a wondrous, joyous thing into something that is scary and evil and dangerous. On that first “Good Friday” these “zombies” were holy people. When they went into Jerusalem three days later they were most likely met with some fear and lots of wonder and joy and amazement.

There are other important things to consider in the verses above, but I will focus on just one on this Good Friday: Jesus “gave up his spirit”. Crucifixion was a long and tortuous way to die, but He didn’t linger on for hours, no, He took on our sins, every one of them, and then died for us of His own free will, giving up His spirit.