Resurrection: An Emphatic Manifestation of Easter

Easter Sunday: Cycle C - April 17, 2022

Readings: Acts 10:34, 37–43; Psalm 118:1–2, 16–17, 22–23; Colossians 3:1–4; John 20:1–9

Readings: for the Easter Vigil, please click here

(Resurrection morn, 1895 by Herbert Gustav Schmalz (1856-1935)
To listen to my audio-video reflections on YOUTUBE, please click on this link

The Easter proclamation that Jesus is Risen indeed brings to a close the Sacred Triduum of the Holy Week. As we enter into the new dawn of Christ's presence among us as the Risen Lord, we are invited to be Easter people. The particular grace that the resurrected Lord gives us is his peace and joy. As people of Easter, we too are invited to share the same joy and peace of our Lord with our brothers and sisters, with our family and community members. Therefore, it is essential for us to see the importance and nature of this resurrection as we understand it today based on the scriptures and history. 

1. Resurrection: A manifestation of the fullness of life

Resurrection is the fullness and manifestation of the Life that resonates within life and within death. The only way for the Christian to make this assertion is to look at the crucified Jesus - who now lives. As people of the Risen Lord, we continue to look at the Cross, because the Cross gives not only fuller meaning to the resurrection of our Lord but also to our lives. The life of Jesus on this earth does not end on the cross but continues through his resurrection. Thus Christ becomes all in all. If there is any ambiguity on the death of our Lord on the Cross, the event of resurrection clears all that is doubtful and unclear and even the image of an impassible God (which means God does not experience pain or is untouched by the suffering).

With the resurrection, the Lord is taken into heaven and exalted. The resurrection of Christ is the fundamental doctrine of Christianity. St Paul shows that everything stands or falls with Christ's bodily resurrection: "For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost" (1 Corinthians 15:16-18). Because Christ has been raised our preaching or following him becomes meaningful and credible. Therefore the entire preaching of the disciples of Jesus soon after his resurrection as recorded in the Acts of Apostles is built on this truth of Easter. 

2. Resurrection: Sharing in the charisma of the master

The resurrection episodes in the gospels enumerate how Jesus continued his work of redemption and salvation, moreover, preparing his disciples and other loved ones to continue his work. In fact, his disciples now turned into people of tremendous courage and boldness. There is a clear and emphatic message on the person of Jesus that he is truly the Son of God. For this cause, the disciples are ready to go to any extent to travel, preach and suffer. They become the passionate preachers of the Gospel. They continue to do what Jesus did including healing, liberating, driving out demons as well as reform in their religious faith practices. 

Fascinatingly, the disciples are bestowed with gifts, the charisma: "Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ...And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers" (Eph 4:7, 11). The resurrection means sharing in the gifts or charisma of the Master. If Jesus preached salvation, now is the turn of the disciples to preach salvation and be the liberators as the master. Moreover, death could not win over Christ. In fact, this same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to all Christians. Therefore, when we do the things Jesus did, when we follow what Christ asked us to follow, then we can say truly Jesus lives in us.

3. Resurrection: It is an actual and bodily resurrection

In a world of suspicion and doubt, often we squabble upon whether the resurrection of Jesus is real or false. We must see the accounts from the gospels themselves. The testimony of the Centurian and the soldiers that Jesus is dead (Mark 15:45; John 19:33) and the women who came to anoint the dead body (Mark 16:1), that blood and water flowed from his opened side (John 19:34) are the few indicators to show that Jesus definitely rose from the dead. Often people think erroneously that in his death, Jesus passed out of his physical life, and in his resurrection, Jesus passed into his spiritual life. Therefore both these events or experiences are simultaneous events. 

What we must understand is this: There are several things, which prove Jesus Christ arose bodily. Jesus himself declared after his resurrection that he had flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). The women who met Christ on the resurrection morning held the feet of their beloved friend (Matt 28:9). The tomb was empty and the grave/coffin clothes were in order, in fact, the disciples examined the tomb (Mark 16:6; John 20:5-7). In addition to what Jesus had foretold about his death and resurrection, we see him now taking food with his disciples (Luke 24:41-43). Therefore, the resurrection of our Lord was a tremendous experience for his close disciples and for those who loved him. 

4. Resurrection: A unique and emphatic experience

During his public ministry, Jesus raised many people who had died. However, they did die afterwards. In fact, the resurrection of Jesus was something different. It was a real body, and the disciples touched it. It was the same body and not something other. They saw the marks of his wounds. Yet his body was in some respects different after the resurrection. He passed through closed doors (John 20:19). Therefore the resurrection of Jesus was indeed a unique one. 

In spite of spending so much time with Jesus, the disciples found it difficult to grasp all that he had tried to teach them.  However, the empty tomb and the first witness of seeing the Risen Jesus give courage to women to see the new reality of the resurrection. The biblical scholar William Evans says: "If Jesus had remained buried in the grave, the story of his life and death would have remained buried with him." The perplexed, terrified, doubtful and amazed women and disciples find new strength in the Lord. In fact, this experience is one of the powerful emotions and the greatest challenge of all to the disciples' faith.  In a world when many a time we think things are impossible, God makes it possible for us. Therefore we must rejoice and be glad, filled with hope and faith, reinspired and reinvigorated in our lives to move ahead journey of our lives. Because we are the children of the apostolic witnesses. 

Questions for Reflections:

1. What is your experience of the Risen Lord in your life? If this has not happened yet at least now ask for the grace!
2. What feelings and emotions come up when you imagine the scene of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
3. Do you experience the presence of the Risen Jesus in your life and the world around you?
4. What would you like to say to the Risen Jesus if you happen to see him now?

Prayer:

Risen Lord, we are filled with joy and we praise you for your glory. Refresh us and lead us in the light of your resurrection so that we may work towards a world of peace, joy, fellowship, friendship and love. 

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit. Send us into the world to transform it for your greater glory. We make this prayer in Jesus' holy name, Amen. 

A VERY HAPPY EASTER TO ALL OF MY BLOG READERS. I PRAY THAT YOU MAY BE BLESSED ABUNDANTLY WITH THE PEACE AND JOY OF THE RISEN LORD. 

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

April 15, 2022