ALLELUIA! HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!
Our Easter song is alleluia! Christ is risen Alleluia! For death or tomb could not hold him captive and even in the grave, Jesus is Lord. Alleluia! This is the context and the mystery of the resurrection. Indeed, it is one of the most controversial topics of Christianity. Yet, it is on it that our Christian faith, life and testimony are anchored firmly.
Fundamentally, Christ is risen! You and I are called to believe and receive our faith through these early witnesses of the first-handed experience of Mary Magdalene, Peter, John and the disciples.
WHAT DOES THE RESURRECTION MEAN?
The resurrection means that Jesus Christ of Nazareth who in his public ministry consistently acted and spoke in the person of God was brutally put to death by Jewish and Roman authorities. He rose bodily from the dead as he promised he would and appeared alive to his disciples.
Luke was vivid on the bodily resurrection of Christ went he asserted: While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have Luke 24:36-39.
The event of the resurrection though a mystery is not an abstraction. Neither, is it a symbol of the moral or spiritual state of affairs? The bodily resurrection of Jesus is one of a particular man from the dead.
THE RELIGIOUS CONTEXT OF WHAT HAPPEN TO US AFTER DEATH
Why we die or what happens to us after death is one of the mysteries of life, faith and science. This has led to many speculations and doctrinal teaching about God and man. However, the Jews in the biblical context have different views of what happens to us after death.
1. Death is just the end of life. Once we die, we go back to dust and that is it. We are dead and it is over. This is the perspective of the Sadducees in Jesus` time. Mark 12:18, Acts 23:8.
2. There is also the belief that the dead goes to a kind of shadowy underworld. It is called Sheol in the scriptures. It is similar to what we find in Greek or Roman mythology too. Ps. 88:3, 5, 11; Job 28:22, Ezekiel 28:8.
3. Another belief is the quote from Prophet Daniel that, the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them Wisdom 3:1.
4. There is also the belief that the souls of all the dead will come back to life in the hope of a general resurrection Ps. 16, 22.
This is the context of the belief system or mindset that the resurrection of Christ occurs. Hence, it was difficult for the disciples to comprehend the event and its mystery.
OUR THEME
The readings of the Sunday testify to the mystery of the resurrection of Christ. However, something unique stands out from the readings, the testimony of the resurrection is a personal experience with the resurrected Christ. This tells us that in as much as the resurrection is an article of faith. It is also very much a personal experience with the risen Christ.
The Significance of Easter: “Easter” literally means “the feast of fresh flowers.” Easter is the greatest and the most important feast in the Church. The Resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Christian Faith. It is the greatest of the miracles, for it proves that Jesus is God.
That is why St. Paul writes: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain; and your faith is in vain” (I Cor. 15:14). “Jesus is Lord, He is risen” (Rom 10:9), was the central theme of the kerygma (or “preaching”), of the Apostles
Easter is the guarantee of our own resurrection. Jesus assured Martha at the tomb of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me will live even though he dies…” (Jn 11:25-26).
The readings of this Easter Sunday invite us to reflect on the reality of Christ´s resurrection and the commissioning effect to be his witnesses as the people of the resurrection.
FIRST READING: ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 10: 34, 37-43
In Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter through the power of the Resurrected Christ gave a first handed testimony to what he and others saw, heard and lived. The life, healing, preaching and teaching ministry of Christ, his passion, death and resurrection made them authentic witnesses of the gospel of Christ.
SECOND READING: COLOSSIANS 3:1-4 O 1 CORINTHIANS 5:6-8
In The epistles, Paul gave an inspired testimony of the resurrection terming from his personal experience with the resurrected Christ. In his letter to the Colossians 3:1-4, St. Paul explains to us the total effect or implication of Christ’s resurrection.
If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” That is, our hearts, our personal life, our existence, our faith and Christian life and activities must be oriented in the Resurrected Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, St. Paul admonishes us: for Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival of the Christian life not with the old leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
THE GOSPEL: JOHN 20:1-9
In The gospel, John gives us the account of the eye-witness of Mary Magdalene, the first person to know of the Risen Christ. Follow by the experience of Simon Peter and himself. It is very important to note here that the resurrection of Christ is both a personal and a communal experience.
JESUS’ VICTORY IS FOREVER OVER
1. Satan, his demons and evil spirit. Col. 2:15, John 12:31, 1 John 3:8 Eph. 1:20-21
2. Death: both spiritual and physical and all forms of death as well as grave. Rev. 1:18,
3. Sins and their consequences. Rom. 6:10, Hebs. 10:1-10
4. Evil of any kind John 16:33, Rev. 12:11, Eph. 6:10-18 Col. 1:12-13, Luke 10:19
Yet, it is the victory that makes us ALLELUIA people. People of hope and praise. Above all. People of testimony and authentic witnessing among all.
THE CONCRETE AND INDISPUTABLE PROOF OF CHRIST´S RESURRECTION
1. Jesus himself testified to his Resurrection from the dead (Mark 8:31; Matthew 17:22; Luke 9:22).
2. The tomb was empty on Easter Sunday (Luke 24:3).
3. The initial disbelief of Jesus’ own disciples in His Resurrection, despite His repeated apparitions, serves as a strong proof of His Resurrection.
4. The transformation of Jesus’ disciples: Jesus’ Resurrection and the anointing of the Holy Spirit transformed men who were hopeless and fearful after the crucifixion (Luke 24:21, John 20:19), into men who now were confident and bold witnesses to the Resurrection (Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:2).
5. Neither the Jews nor the Romans could disprove Jesus’ Resurrection by presenting the dead body of Jesus.
6. The Apostles and early Christians would not have faced martyrdom if they were not sure of Jesus’ Resurrection.
7. The Apostle Paul’s conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a zealous preacher of Jesus supports the truth of Jesus’ Resurrection (Galatians 1:11-17, Acts 9:1, Acts 9:24-25, Acts 26:15-18).
8. The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian Church, bravely facing and surviving three centuries of persecution, supports the truth of the Resurrection claim.
9. The New Testament witnesses do not bear the stamp of dupes or deceivers. The Apostles and the early Christians were sure about the Resurrection of Jesus absolutely.
Affirmatively, the resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Christian Faith. Easter is the guarantee of our own resurrection. In addition, Easter is a feast, which gives us hope and encouragement.
As St. Paul affirmed concretely that if Christ has not risen from the dead, it implies there is no resurrection from the dead, there is no preaching of the gospel nor witnessing that is authentic and above we are the most unfortunate people because Christianity and its spirituality anchor on Christ is vanity, 1 Corinthians 15:14-18.
Above all, the resurrection of Christ gives us absolute victory over Sin; Death; Evil; Demons and evil spirit; Devil or Satan! Alleluia!
OUR PRAYER
Alleluia! Lord Jesus Christ! You are the Risen Lord of Glory! The Conqueror of Death! Sin! Evil! Demons and Devil! May the power of the risen Christ in all its glory, beauty and power dispel the darkness of sin, death and satanic domination over our families, societies, communities, churches, nations and us. May the power of your Resurrection liberate us from these forces. Amen! To you be all praises, honour and adoration. Amen! Alleluia! Amen!
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