Come to think of it, no one actually saw Jesus rise from the dead. No one was there when he rose triumphantly from the grave. The women went early on Sunday morning to anoint his body but found an empty tomb with the huge stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. Apart from the record of Peter and John running to the tomb to find things as the women had described, who else verified the authenticity of the claim of Mary Magdalene that she saw two angels clothed in white (John 20:12)? Why didn’t the disciples, and even those after them just believe the lie that Jesus’ body could have been stolen as peddled by the leaders of the people in their effort to prevent the people from believing that Jesus truly rose as he had promised? How then did the Church come up with belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the tomb?
If all we had was the empty tomb, then it would have been easy to dismiss the resurrection of Jesus from the dead as a story made up by his disciples with the intent to deceive. If it was just the testimony of Mary, or Peter and John running to the tomb and finding it empty (John 20:4), then it would still have been difficult to prove that Jesus truly rose from the dead.
But thank God, that was not all. Jesus not only rose on the third day as he had foretold, he also appeared to his disciples multiple times, he ate with them to demonstrate that he was not a ghost (Luke 24:42-43; Acts 10:40-41) he appeared to the disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), he appeared to over 500 disciples (see 1 Corinthians 15: 3-8; Luke 22:44-49; Acts1:3-8). Not only these appearances, miracles are performed at the mention of his name (Acts 3:1-10; Acts 14:8-19), No one performs miracles using the name of a dead person. As if that is not enough, the number of believers who have come to abandon their sinful ways to follow this one historical individual is unthinkable, had he not risen from the dead. The number of men and women who have given up their lives in defense of this belief cannot also be dismissed. Who dies for a hoax? Who would give up their lives for something they had the faintest doubt about?
Although Jesus’ appearances, miracles and the testimonies of the disciples and eye-witnesses should constitute sufficient reason to believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, our faith anchors primarily on the words of Jesus who promised before his death: “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (see also Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32). Jesus is God, and his word is infallible. He does not falter; he says what he means, and his word has the power of effecting reality. The same words that brought creation into being out of nothing are the same words that he proclaims about his death and resurrection: “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise (Mark 9:30-32). We have faith in the resurrection not because we saw it happen but because Jesus said he would rise again, and his word cannot be questioned. In fact, we do not need to see it to believe it, for blessed are they who have not seen but yet believe (John 20:28-29).
The crucifixion of Jesus is a fact of history. There is historical evidence that the cruelty of the Romans and the conspiracy of the Jewish religious leaders led to the condemnation of an innocent man. But this innocent man was not just another man; he was the incarnate Son of God, who himself is God. He submitted himself to ridicule and torture at the hands of his own creatures so that he might experience death once and for all for all of humanity that has come under the power of Satan on account of sin. The resurrection, on the other hand, though a fact of history, is more an article of faith. We do not come to this truth through study or intellectualization. It takes faith to believe that Jesus truly rose from the dead in accordance with the scriptures. And it is through faith in the resurrection that repentance and the forgiveness of sin is preached. As St. Paul exhorts, without the resurrection we will all still be, and perish in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).
Easter is about love. It is God’s love story to the world. Scripture tells us “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…” (John 3:16). It was love that brought Jesus into the world as man. And it was love that made him endure the suffering and torture he experienced at the hands of both religious and secular leaders of his time. He says, “Greater love than this no man has than for a man to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). It was love that made him embrace the cross. Although he came into the world so that he might die for the sin of humanity, he yielded his life in obedience to the Father’s will, and out of love for fallen humanity that was in the captivity of Satan. It was love that made him surrender to death. Although he was God and could not die, although he was omnipotent and could never be captured by mere Roman soldiers, the Second person of the Blessed Trinity, God the Son, Jesus Christ, allowed himself to be arrested and led away by mere mortals, the works of his hand. It was love that made him rise from the dead, because had he not risen the salvation of all whom he had come to rescue from Satan’s power would have been in peril. His love would not allow him to linger in the grave more than was necessary. This love is at the heart of the gospel. God is love, and anyone who abides in love abides in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16).
On behalf of our staff and volunteers, I wish you, your families and loved ones a blessed Easter. Truly the Lord has risen; we are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song!
Fr. Julius