Whether it’s a book or a movie, If you’re like me, you probably just skip over or ignore the bits that don’t make sense. I’ve always skipped over the 2 earthquakes in Matthew’s telling of the cross and Easter. When Jesus gave his final cry and took his last breath on the cross, ‘the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.’ (Matthew 27:51-53). Then, on Easter morning, ‘And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.’ (Matthew 28:2).

Not one, but two earthquake events as Jesus dies, and is resurrected. Jesus dying on the cross destroys the power of death over us humans. That power came from sin and human disobedience. The fear of death still reaches out to rob us of living life fully and richly. The earthquakes are powerful signs that the earth (to which we were told to return to at our death) is shaking us free, to be with the resurrected Jesus.

In the Apostles’ Creed, when we say Jesus descended into hell that does not mean he went there, trapped and powerless. He went there to share his victory over death. That was his powerful incursion to break the power of death and to set the dead free from eternal nothingness. In Eastern Orthodox artwork, there are icons showing Jesus victoriously entering the realm of the dead, to set free Adam and Eve.

The power of death over us has been broken. New life starts now, not just in some future ideal heaven. Whatever thoughts, feelings and situations try to drag us down, and rob us of joy, we hold on to Jesus, and lift our head up, breathe in new life, and take the next step.