HAS CHRIST RISEN IN YOUR LIFE?
The most fundamental question we should ask ourselves is this: has Christ risen in my life? For a resurrection to take place in our lives there must be a death to something. Death to self, ego, sin, hate, division, vengeance, unforgiveness, bitterness, sadness and so many negative emotions and feelings in us.
NEW LIFE WITH JESUS
The resurrection is deeply mysterious and we can’t quite experience its original impact in the hearts of Jesus´ followers. The only evidence of the resurrection to them was that the tomb was empty. However, the Risen Christ was experienced on the personal and communal level of faith.
The victory and glory of Christ through his resurrection is a complete defeat of sin, and its guilt, shame, and death. It is also a complete defeat of evil and the devil or Satan strips of his all power over us.
In other words, in the resurrection of Christ, we, as Christians share in his victory over sin that has death as its consequence and the devil that caused sin and death. The Resurrected Christ conquers for us, sins, guilt, shame, and death, as well as evil, evil spirits, demons, and Satan.
OUR THEME: 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: spiritual, physical, and all forms of death and 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
FIRST READING: ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 10:34, 37-43
Peter and the other apostles are witnesses to the resurrection. Therefore, Peter through the power of the Resurrected Christ gave a first-hand testimony to what they 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.
The resurrection of Christ from the dead after a painful and cruel death is God’s justification for Christ’s obedience. It is the power and authority of the Christian life, spirituality, and grace by which there is forgiveness of sins to all who believe in Christ Jesus.
Alleluia! “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” Alleluia! This is the Psalmist’s declaration of the Eastertide with joy and victory in Christ Jesus in Psalm 118.
SECOND READING: COLOSSIANS 3:1-4 OR 1 CORINTHIANS 5:6-8
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 lives, our existence, our faith, and Christian life and activities must be oriented in the Resurrected Christ.
The fundamental effect of Christ’s resurrection is the transformational change it brings to the life of Christians who believe in the power of the resurrection. A victorious life above sin and death, and over evil and Satan.
THE GOSPEL: MARK 16: 1-7
All the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John gave the account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They present an empty tomb and Mary of Magdalena and other women were at the centre of the narrative.
The attitude of the women was that they had come to pay the last tribute to a dead body. In all instances, the angel mediates to communicate the resurrection, and the women, the apostles, and the disciples all greeted the story with mixed feelings.
THE MYSTERY OF THE RESURRECTION
The Resurrection is the central fact of the whole Christian faith. In other words, the resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Christian Faith. Easter is the guarantee of our resurrection. Easter is a feast that gives us hope and encouragement. Above all, the Easter feast of the resurrection of Christ gives us absolute victory over Sin, Death, Evil, Demons and evil spirits, and the Devil or Satan!
Indeed, the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ are mysteries beyond my comprehension! Yet, in them, we see salvation and victory over the seeming hopelessness of life and existence! Of course, our sins are forgiven! Death and evil are overcome! And the devil lost its power of accusation over us
Risen Christ help me to understand your salvific act and to internalize and personalize this victory in my life always and everywhere.
THE HISTORICITY AND SPIRITUALITY OF THE CHRIST´S RESURRECTION
The resurrection of Christ is a historical event in the sense that it actually happened in history, and had been historically proven by signs and proofs. Christ is risen! You and I are called to believe and to receive our faith through these early witnesses.
THE CONCRETE AND UNDISPUTABLE PROVES 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 (Mt.28: 3-15; Mk.16: 5-8; Lk. 24: 4-12; Jn. 20: 2-18)
3. The initial disbelief of Jesus’ disciples in His Resurrection, despite His repeated apparitions, serves as a strong proof of His Resurrection. That is the appearance of the Risen Christ to them constantly. (Mt.28: 1-8; Jn.20: 11-18; Jn.20: 19-23; Lk.24: 13-35; Jn.20: 24-29; Jn. 21: 1-14; Jn. 20: 30-31; Acts 1: 3-11; 1Cor.15: 3-9, 20-21)
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).
By far the best proof of the Resurrection is the existence of the Christian church. Nothing else could have changed sad and despairing men and women into people radiant with joy and flaming with courage if not for the resurrected Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit.
5. Neither the Jews nor the Romans could disprove Jesus’ Resurrection by presenting the dead body of Jesus. Instead, there was evidence of bad faith and corruption to cover the truth and unexplainable reality.
“While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. After the chief priests had met with the elders and formed a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money and instructed them: “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.” Matthew 28:11-13
6. The Apostles and early Christians would not have faced martyrdom if they were not sure of Jesus’ Resurrection. “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” Revelation 12:11
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, and 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.
At the same time, it is also a mysterious event, that transcends and surpasses history itself, insofar as it is a mystery of faith, and, as such, it demands faith, a gift of God, thanks to which one can exclaim with Saint Thomas facing each other. Risen Christ: ¨My Lord and my God¨ (Jn. 20:28)
The resurrection cannot be proven through mere historical and scientific facts but through the eye of faith of those who are committed to the Resurrected Christ in personal and communal life.
SAINT PAUL AND THE MYSTERY OF THE RESURRECTION
St. Paul affirmed concretely that if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is for nothing; you are still guilty of your sins. And also, those in Christ who have already died are lost. If our hope in Christ is for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone else in the world’’ 1 Cor. 15:17-19. It implies that:
1. If there is no resurrection from the dead, then Christ is not risen.
2. There is no preaching of the gospel nor witnessing that is authentic
3. Our faith, beliefs, and Christian life are in vain.
4. And above we are the most unfortunate people because Christianity and its spirituality anchor on Christ is vanity, 1 Corinthians 15:14-18.
5. We will be found to be false witnesses of God.
6. If Christ has not been raised, we are still in our sins, and there is no forgiveness of sins.
7. A further result is that those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. Our praying for the dead is all fruitless.
8. If we have put our hope in Christ in this life only, we are of all people most pitiable.
Therefore, let us claim, internalize, and apply the power of the Risen Christ in all its glory, beauty, and authority to dispel the darkness of sin, death, and satanic domination over us, our families, societies, communities, churches, and nations.
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY TRINITY.
It is a work of all the three Persons of the Holy Trinity: 1. The Father manifested his power over sin that has death as its consequence and the devil that caused sin and death. 2. The Son recovered life because he has freely given it (John 10:17) 3. The Holy Spirit vivified and glorified the soul and body of the Risen Christ.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST
(I) Jesus is not a figure in a book but a living presence. It is not enough to study the story of Jesus like the life of any other great historical figure. We may begin that way but we must end by meeting him personally and spiritually.
(II) Jesus is not a memory but a presence. The dearest memory fades. The Greeks had a word to describe time meaning time which wipes all things out. Long since time would have wiped out the memory of Jesus unless he had been a living presence forever with us. Jesus is not someone to discuss so much as someone to meet or encounter personally.
(III) The Christian life is not the life of a man who knows about Jesus, but the life of a man who knows Jesus. There is all the difference in the world between knowing about a person and knowing a person. Most people know about Queen Elizabeth or the President of the United States but not so many know them. The greatest scholar in the world who knows everything about Jesus is less than the humblest Christian who knows him.
The risen Christ must and should become our faith experience personally in the Holy Scripture and communally in the Holy Eucharist. No wonder, the apostles and disciples recognized him through the breaking of the bread Luke 24:35 (Eucharist) and Jesus explained to them the Sacred Scripture. Luke 24:44-46.
(IV) “Go,” said the messenger. “Tell his disciples and Peter.” These are the two precious statements of the first witnesses of the resurrection of Christ. Thus, the resurrection makes us witnesses to the Resurrected Christ after our spiritual and personal experience of him. “….You are witnesses of these things.” Luke 24: 46-48
CHRIST VICTORY, OUR VICTORY TOO
¨You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. Having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.¨ Col. 2:13-15
This is the Divine drama of these holy days well captured and expressed by St. Paul. It implies the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ give us an everlasting edge to shout and sing Alleluia because:-
Alleluia! Defeat has been turned to Victory. Alleluia!
Alleluia! The victim is now the Victor. Alleluia!
Alleluia! Good has overcome evil. Alleluia!
Alleluia! Life has been restored over death. Alleluia!
Alleluia! Love has conquered hatred. Alleluia!
Alleluia! Light has dispelled the darkness! Alleluia!
Alleluia. Virtuousness has replaced viciousness and sins. Alleluia!
Alleluia! Forgiveness has been written over condemnation. Alleluia!
THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION
Alleluia! A new day has dawned!
Alleluia! The lost and deeming hope has been found and rekindled!
Alleluia! There is a shining light at the end of the darkest tunnel!
The Good Friday event ended in sealing the tomb with a long and great silence engulfing everyone and everywhere into the Holy Saturday! It seems all hope was lost for a better day or story!
Hence, the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ define who we are and who will be!
First, we see in action god’s love, mercy, spirit of sacrifice, and commitment to save us all from our wretch state.
Second, the resurrection is Christ’s victory over sin, death, evil, and the devil and it is our victory too.
Thirdly, the resurrection rekindles our hope over the seemingly hopeless situations of our lives.
We have a big lesson from the Holy Triduum experience… amidst the tribulations of life…the moment of silence and waiting patiently brings an endless joy of victory and turns tragedy into comedy! Alleluia!
OUR CHALLENGE TO ACTUALIZE THE RESURRECTION IN OUR LIVES
1) For a change of heart and a new life.
2) For leading a new life with the Risen Lord by dying to sinful life.
3) For living a new life recognizing the nobility of Christians as children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, and members of the mystical body of the Risen Christ.
4) For a personal and profound experience of the Risen Christ in our lives, especially in personal prayer and the Eucharist.
5) To meet with the Living and Resurrected
Jesus in the fellowship of the Christian community.
6) To be authentic witnesses of the
resurrection through our words, actions, and lifestyle.
OUR SONG OF EASTER
This song captures the victory of Easter that we celebrate in Christ Jesus: Our Saviour and Our Lord, who conquers and reigns over all things in the heavens, on the earth, and beneath the earth to glory and praise of God the Father through the Holy Spirit. The Nigerian Easter song of praise: “Magnify the Lord” by Mercy Oseghale.
“My soul does magnify the Lord,
and my spirit praises his name,
for death could not hold him captive,
even in the grave, Jesus is Lord,
for death could not hold him captive,
even in the grave, Jesus is Lord.”
The caption of this song is what we celebrate today and always as Christians redeemed by Christ Jesus through his passion, death, and resurrection.
OUR PRAYER TO THE RISEN CHRIST
Lord Jesus Christ, as we sing the Easter song of victory and glory: Alleluia! Help us to acclaim, appropriate, and apply to our life, our history, and our conditions your victory and glory over sins, guilt, shame, hatred, death, evil, demons, evil spirits, and Satan. Amen. Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Amen.
