The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ – it completed His atoning work, and was the greatest event in the history of this world. Those who witnessed His resurrection to flesh and bone – they numbered in the thousands, and they spanned the globe. Now, of necessity, Christ’s resurrection was one of the most well attested events ever to transpire, and those witnesses continue to this day!

From the days of Father Adam, mortal men were taught that Christ’s Atonement would conquer death and open the grave for all men. That valley of dry bones – you remember that was seen by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:4, 11) – they would indeed come forth in perfected flesh and bone. The resurrection was to be a literal corporeal restoration to life.

Now, as Jesus was called the first fruits of the resurrection in the scriptures, well – what of that fruit that was to come after? Well, that is a story seldom told and too often overlooked at Easter.

The earthquake that accompanied the Savior’s death in Jerusalem – that earthquake rocked the entire world! All across the globe the graves of the dead were thrown open by it, and it says that after His resurrection the bodies of the saints who were dead came forth, and they were many! In the holy land, Matthew records that the dead rose “… and went into the city [of Jerusalem] and ministered unto [to] many.” (Matthew 27:53) [Can] you imagine what that day must have been like?

Similarly on the American Continent, after the three days of darkness had ended and sometime after the Savior had arisen, the bodies of the Saints again came forth and they too were many! And they too appeared and ministered to their mortal counterparts.

And that is not the whole of it. There’s still one whole segment of that story that’s never been told. Jesus ministered to the Lost Tribes of Israel after His resurrection. Did the dead similarly arise and appear among them? Well, I would imagine so.

On that first Easter, not only was it witnessed by many that He had risen, but also it was witnessed that others had risen because of Him. The story of His resurrection is sacred. It’s central to our faith and doctrine, and hence that story belongs to all of us, while the stories of those individual saints and their resurrection – well, that’s personal, and it belongs to them and their families. Hence, we know little about it in detail.

It stands documented and verified by witnesses aplenty that Jesus rose and His tomb was empty. It also stands proven that the dead rose because of Him. Christ’s resurrection was the promise. The resurrection of those saints was the proof of His promise. The dead rose, and they will rise again.

“O death where is thy sting? …” (1 Corinthians 15:55) I think of all those stung by death who have lost loved ones, and still miss them. You know, that sting is made easier when we consider that they will be resurrected. It will be healed forever on that day that He comes – and He will come, and so shall your dead!