EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION

[cappie]

Darkness still hides the coming dawn as Mary Magdalene ventures out to Jesus’ tomb. What she sees shakes this fearless follower of Jesus to her marrow. She discovers that the massive stone set in place to seal his tomb has been removed. Mary has no thoughts of resurrection. An empty tomb is frightening when you don’t know what happened to the body of the deceased.

Mary Magdalene was so bewildered by the empty tomb that she went for help and soon Simon Peter and John were literally racing to the tomb. John arrived first to see the linen wrappings without pushing into the tomb itself. Peter goes inside and discovers the linen wrappings, with the head cloth rolled up and set in a place by itself. John’s Gospel shows how the light of the glory of what God had done in raising Jesus was slow to dawn on his followers. This lack of recognition reveals the way despair clouds our vision and hinders us from seeing correctly. It takes time for the eyes of their hearts to adjust to this new light. Peter and John return home. Only Mary Magdalene remains.  

 Notice that the anguish the disciples endured was warranted. We find that despair is the natural reaction to seeing the fallen world as it is. We see all the effects of our sin and disobedience to God’s will. We see the painful divisions that we humans have collectively created. Despair is what arises in our spirits when we look realistically at this situation but do so without hope in a God who acts in human history. Hope sees the world from the godly perspective, knowing that all we see is not all that there is.

We see this shift in perspective as first Mary Magdalene and then the rest of Jesus’ followers will come to experience Jesus anew after his resurrection. Then after the coming of the Holy Spirit fifty days later at Pentecost, they would be astounded to see how people who never knew Jesus when he was alive, came to experience him as they did. And for us as well, the real proof of the resurrection comes not just in a story of something that happened long ago, but also in our own experience of God’s presence. This is something way more reliable than your feelings. For you should know that you will not always feel Christ in and with you, yet in looking back over difficult times, we can see how God was with us. You can know if the peace was beyond you or if the healing or the sense of release with forgiveness comes from God.

We see in Jesus’ crucifixion, how far the love of God extends, to never give up on that love, even when it means death on a cross. God, the Holy Trinity, who made us out of love. Our transcendent God entered into this world in the person of Jesus, to redeem us through his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension. In the resurrection, we discover how good defeats evil and love conquers hate.

 On Easter Sunday, the empty tomb  conveys the joy of hope and new opportunities. If Jesus can overcome death, what else is possible?

 

Easter is certainly a time for revival. A time when we can reclaim the promise of a new life in Christ, who said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”. It is another chance to start again, to trust in the God who made us and who loves us. 

 

This is a time when we can ask God “What do you want me to do with my life?”

 

You may receive an answer that will surprise you! 

 

Christ is Risen. Alleluia.

 

Have a truly blessed Easter.